What qualification do I need to become a tax agent?

A Bachelor of Business majoring in Accounting is a path at Waikato. It builds the financial reporting and analysis skills tax work depends on, alongside a dedicated Taxation Law paper. A Graduate Certificate in Accounting is available if you've studied something else, and a Postgraduate Certificate , Postgraduate Diploma , or Master of Professional Accounting all offer further routes for those wanting to build deeper expertise.

Does Waikato teach taxation directly?

Yes. Taxation Law is a dedicated undergraduate paper within the Accounting major, covering how tax rules apply to individuals and businesses. Advanced Taxation is available at postgraduate level within the Master of Professional Accounting , going deeper into complex tax scenarios.

Do I need to become a Chartered Accountant to work as a tax agent?

No. Working as a tax agent doesn't require Chartered Accountant status, though many tax agents hold it. A Bachelor of Business majoring in Accounting gives you the accounting and tax knowledge to work in this field, with or without going on to Chartered Accountant registration.

Can I specialise further in taxation after my undergraduate degree?

Yes. A Postgraduate Certificate , Postgraduate Diploma , or Master of Professional Accounting all let you build deeper postgraduate expertise, with the Master's including an Advanced Taxation paper for complex tax matters.

Tax agent career

Māngai tāke

Tax agents provide tax advice and prepare tax returns for people and small businesses.

$55,000 – $222,000 per year

Tax adviser, tax consultant, tax accountant, tax administrator, tax specialist, tax analyst, tax manager

Where our data comes from

What would you do as a Tax agent?

Tax agents

usually work regular business hours
usually work in offices and may travel locally
need to be accurate, responsible and communicate well

Tasks

help clients with tax returns
make sure taxes are paid correctly
give advice about taxes
review tax records
help businesses and people understand tax laws
fix mistakes in tax returns and payments
talk to Inland Revenue about tax issues
remind clients about tax deadlines
update clients on tax law changes
prepare reports on tax payments and refunds

How can you become a Tax agent?

You usually need experience to become a tax agent.

You may need

experience in similar work
to register as an intermediary with Inland Revenue
to get authority to act on behalf of clients
to join the Accountants and Tax Agents Institute of NZ (ATAINZ)

If you're in school

You usually don’t need specific NCEA levels for this job.

Study an Accounting major in our Bachelor of Business, which includes a dedicated Taxation Law paper. Like all our undergraduate degrees, it includes work-integrated learning.

To specialise further, our Master of Professional Accounting includes an Advanced Taxation paper.

BBus

Bachelor of Business

3 years Hamilton, Tauranga

MPACCT

Master of Professional Accounting

12 months study Hamilton

Tax agent FAQs

Scholarships

A range of scholarships are available to help with the cost of studying at Waikato. Options are available across a wide range of subjects and study levels, including scholarships for new students, current students and specific areas of study.

Find a scholarship

QS rankings

QS World University Rankings 2027

Waikato is ranked equal 293rd globally, placing us in the top 1.5% of universities worldwide, and 2nd in New Zealand by citations per faculty.

QS Ranking - Accounting & Finance

Waikato is ranked among the top 250 universities worldwide for Accounting & Finance in the QS World University Rankings.

Management Student Centre

Monday to Friday 8:30am - 5:00pm

MSB.1.50, Waikato Management School, Hillcrest Road, University of Waikato, Hamilton

+64 7 838 4303

msc@waikato.ac.nz

Management Student Centre (MSC)

Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand

0800 4 69 422 (New Zealand) (9am to 9pm Monday to Friday (NZ time))

+64 4 474 7840 (outside of New Zealand)

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CA Program

Tax agent career