<p>I will be majoring in Accounting. I hope to one day be a CPA. I know you have to have 150 hrs for the license. I've thought about going on to get a MBA to accomplish this. But recently, I just thought of this. Instead of a MBA, going to law school and getting a law degree. Would it open more opportunities to have CPA and a law degree? Basically, here are the options I've thought of.</p>
<p>A. Get undergrad degree in accounting, possible take summer, online, or cc classes to complete 150hrs to get CPA as early as possible.</p>
<p>B. Get undergrad in accounting, go on to earn MBA and then CPA.</p>
<p>C. Get undergrad in accounting, go on to get law degree, followed by CPA.</p>
<p>This might be off the track a bit, but I'm just curious, can a lawyer be a tax attorney without a CPA license? Say just going to a law school with concentration on tax or a MS in Taxation + Law degree? Thanks.</p>
<p>Lawyers can DEFINITELY be tax attorneys without being either a CPA or even having an accounting background. However, most of the tax lawyers that I know have a masters in tax or at least specialized in tax during law school.</p>
<p>If I were you, I wouldn't worry about graduate drgree at this time. Concentrate on the under study, pass the CPA exam asap. (You listed "CPA" in each of the ABC choice, so I assume you want that most.) While taking all the upper level accounting/business courses, and internship experience, you'll know better of each field and what you like most. Then you'll probably know what's the best choice for yourself - whether a MBA, MS or Law degree.</p>
<p>Sam, there are PLENTY of CPAs who practice tax without law degrees. There are also many good MS programs in tax today that didn't occur when I was in college. In fact, this is true for about every major accounting firm in the US.</p>
<p>Don't forget, the vast majority of courses that you will be taking as a lawyer is NOT in tax. Usually to take the higher level tax courses as a lawyer, you would need an additional year of schooling and get a masters in tax. </p>
<p>If your goal is to do tax planning and tax returns, and represent clients through audits, you won't need a law degree. A masters in tax would be fine. </p>
<p>If your goal is to do tax controversy work and/or litigate tax issues, obviously you would need a law degree. If you want to do estate planning, you are probably better off with a law degree plus an additional year of tax law. </p>
<p>When you say "masters in tax", do you mean a program that is different from "master in accounting"? Or do you include "masters in accounting with concentration in tax"? If you mean just the former, does that mean the latter is very limited? I know some schools like USC have a separate program so that's why I am asking just in case (the one at USC is called MBT (master of business tax)). A concentration on tax in MS Accy program usually gives you room for only 3 tax courses max after you fulfill the accounting core.</p>
<p>Sam there are masters programs in accounting and masters programs specifically in tax. I am referring to a masters in tax where you take 8-10 tax courses!...period.</p>
<p>A good illustration is the Masters in Tax program at Bentley University. They also have a masters in accounting that has very little tax in it.</p>
<p>^good to know!! that's probably enough for me to say "no thanks" to tax. my master in accy that i just started will be my 4th degree. getting the 5th is very unappealing..</p>
<p>sorry, I meant to say "getting the 5th 'would' be very unappealing". i already have 3 in engineering. Just got my green card which allowed me to say goodbye to engineering and go back to school.</p>
<p>Just out of curiosity, how lucrative of a field is tax law, especially relative to similar fields like corporate law or having an administrative position in a good accounting firm?</p>