KEY EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS REQUIRED OF TAX ACCOUNTANTS

Over the past three decades, numerous studies have addressed the importance of generic skills and have focused on the broad category of employability skills for accountants, without differentiating between the various types of occupations within the accounting profession. As an extension and contribution to this literature, this study examines the key employability competencies or skills required by employers of tax accountants. We conducted a content analysis of skills specified in job advertisements over a 12-month period in Australia and New Zealand. The results show that personal and interpersonal skills were the most frequently mentioned in advertisements for tax accountants. These findings are generally consistent with prior studies, and tax educators should continuously consider ways to help graduates develop these skills.