For years, I’ve been sending my receipts and other tax information to an accountant, who then prepares my annual tax returns. I used to handle my own taxes, but when I finally bought a house and then started trading stocks, it got a little too complicated for me. This winter, however, I’m taking a tax preparation course, and I going to take control of my own taxes again; I also plan on starting my own tax preparation business.

I’ve discovered that professional tax preparation is a huge industry. Each year, millions of U.S. citizens sheepishly turn to accountants and other tax preparers to do what, at first glance, looks like overwhelming work. A little training, offered online, will take that fear away.

Several companies, such as HomeTaxBusiness.com, offer online courses you can take at your own pace. When you’ve completed the work in 10 weeks or so, you’re ready to enter a lucrative career that works for you even in the worst economic climates. I thought you needed to be an accountant to prepare someone else’s taxes, but not so. You just need to pass a competency exam, an Internal Revenue Service requirement, and that should be easy after the course work.

After that, you can set your own hours; you can decide to make this a year-round job or a seasonal job. You can go to work for any number of tax preparation companies, or you can work independently from your home.

I’m done letting others profit from my fear and laziness. This time next year, after some intense online tax training, I’ll be running my own home tax business.