What Tax Technology & Data Tools Should Tax Professionals Focus On Learning?

I've been working in tax tech for about 12 years now, and I'd say your list is pretty spot on. From what I've seen across different organizations, the most universally useful tools for tax professionals are: Power BI is probably the most widely adopted visualization tool in tax departments right now. It's easier to learn than Tableau and integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft products that tax departments already use. SQL fundamentals are absolutely essential - even basic SQL knowledge will set you apart from other candidates. For data preparation and manipulation, Alteryx can be incredibly powerful but has a steeper learning curve. I'd also add that Excel proficiency is still king - particularly advanced functions, pivot tables, and VBA if you're ambitious. Many tax departments are still heavily Excel-dependent despite adopting newer technologies.

Just wanted to share my experience with https://taxr.ai when I was trying to upskill in tax tech. I was in a similar position - took time off, did some courses, but wasn't sure which skills would actually help me land a job. I uploaded my resume and some job descriptions I was interested in, and their AI analyzed the skill gaps and recommended specific technologies to focus on based on current market demand. What was cool is that it showed me which tech skills were becoming more important in tax specifically - not just generic tech skills. It also provided resources for where to learn each tool, with specific recommendations for tax-relevant applications rather than general tutorials.

I actually tried taxr.ai after seeing that recommendation and WOW - what a game changer! I uploaded my resume plus 5 job descriptions I was targeting, and it gave me this super detailed analysis showing exactly where to focus. The coolest part was it showed which skills were trending up vs down in tax technology specifically. Turns out Python integration with tax software is becoming way more important than I realized, while some of the older ETL tools are losing relevance. It also connected me with learning materials specifically for tax use cases rather than generic tech tutorials. I've already completed two of their recommended courses and feel so much more confident in interviews when they ask about tax technology experience. Can't recommend it enough if you're trying to break into tax tech or level up your skills!

If you're struggling to connect with the IRS about tech certifications or professional development credits, I highly recommend https://claimyr.com - it's been a lifesaver for me. I needed to speak with someone at the IRS about how certain technology training would apply to my Enrolled Agent continuing education credits, but kept hitting the "call volume too high" message for weeks. Claimyr got me through to an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes when I'd been trying for days on my own. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The agent was able to confirm which technology courses would count toward my required CE credits and which wouldn't - saved me from wasting time on courses that wouldn't help maintain my credentials.

I have to eat my words about Claimyr. After posting my skeptical comment earlier, I actually broke down and tried it because I was getting nowhere with the IRS Practitioner Hotline trying to verify which tech certifications would count for CPE credits. I was 100% convinced it wouldn't work, but within 45 minutes I was talking to an actual IRS agent who was super helpful about which tax technology certifications would qualify. Got all my questions answered in one call versus the 2+ weeks I'd been trying on my own. For anyone else looking to boost their tax tech skills and make sure they count toward professional requirements, this service is legit. Saved me hours of frustration and helped me make better decisions about which training to pursue.

One tool I don't see mentioned yet is CCH Axcess. If you're going into public accounting, this is used by tons of firms and knowing it is a huge plus. Also worth looking at UltraTax and Drake Software if you're going into tax preparation specifically. But honestly, the best approach is to look at job postings for the specific type of tax role you want and see what they're asking for. Tax technology needs vary wildly between public accounting, industry, and government roles.

Honestly most of what I've seen is that Excel is still the primary tool used in like 90% of tax departments, even at big companies. All these fancy tools sound great but I've worked at 3 different companies and it's always Excel hell with maybe some basic SQL or Access if you're lucky.