anewfoundsin wrote: I always thought of a CPA going hand in hand with Audit Accounting and not Tax. Isnt a job with the IRS as Tax Auditor NOT require a CPA? So my question is, what kind of careers can one do with and without a CPA in the Tax Field not including Public Accounting.

In my opinion, you can just have your bachelor's in accounting and still go far in taxation. If you're not going to get your CPA for tax, then becoming an Enrolled Agent may be a better idea. I think it's a good idea to have some kind of tax credential, in fact some states require it.

You don't need a CPA for tax.  Theoretically, I think Enrolled Agent is best for tax, because like CPAs, enrolled agents can represent taxpayers before the IRS and state tax departments, but because Enrolled Agents are federally licensed by the US Treasury, they generally don't encounter the problems that CPAs often do when representing out-of-state clients before out-of-state departments of revenues.

The Enrolled Agent exam covers tax and tax ethics in depth, is directly relevant to what we tax practitioners do, takes much less time to study for than the CPA exam, and is much cheaper than the CPA exam.  It also does not require any particular education credentials.

Unfortunately, practically speaking, you'll do much better in the job market and in your tax career if you're a CPA.  CPA firms get the best tax work, and doing tax at a CPA firm gives you the best experience and credentials that will help you in your tax career.  But in my experience, CPA firms tend to think you are bad at tax if you're not a CPA.  I'm a long time IT person, recently turned full-time tax person, who did taxes part time on the side and became an Enrolled Agent before going full time with tax.  Every time I've had to look for a job in public accounting, I've had a very bad time because all the CPA firms complained that I'm not a CPA.  The first CPA firm that took me still urged me to become a CPA.  So I've spent the last 3 years slaving away at education requirements and the CPA exam and spent tons of money going back to school just to qualify for the exam.

I don't know how difficult it is to get a job with the IRS as a tax auditor, but if you can get in without public accounting experience, then I would say you don't need to become a CPA.