What the work involves
You work through tax scenarios supplied by the project inside UltraTax CS — entering taxpayer data, income, deductions and credits, generating Federal and State returns, and reviewing calculations for gaps or inconsistencies. The second half of each task is the part most candidates underestimate: writing down what you did and why. That means step-level narration of your input screens, form selections, diagnostic clearing, and the judgment calls behind a treatment, phrased so someone who does not have your years in a tax practice can follow it.
A typical task might be a multi-state individual return with K-1 income, an 1120-S with basis questions, or a partnership return with special allocations. You may also be asked to build realistic scenarios yourself from the kinds of client fact patterns you have seen in practice, or to review work another contributor produced and flag errors with a written rationale.
What the screen looks for
- Real UltraTax CS fluency, not generic tax knowledge. Expect follow-ups about specific screens, input statements, organizer behaviour, diagnostics, and how data flows between Federal and State returns. Naming the software is not the same as using it.
- Breadth across return types. 1040, 1120/1120-S, and 1065 exposure is valued; depth in one is fine if you say clearly where your limits are.
- Error-finding instinct. You will be asked how you spot a wrong number that the software accepts without complaint.
- Written clarity. The deliverable is documentation. Rambling or implicit reasoning scores poorly.
Logistics
Remote, contractor engagement, largely asynchronous with task batches rather than fixed shifts. Volume on these projects fluctuates and work is not guaranteed week to week; most contributors treat it as supplemental. Expect an initial calibration task and project-specific guidelines you are held to.