Tax practitioner is a broad term that may
apply to individuals who have completed basic tax training sufficient
for preparing simple individual or small business returns or to degreed
accountants who may hold the Certified Public Accountant designation.
Tax practitioners require continuing professional education to maintain
their skills, certifications and IRS registration requirements, in
addition to staying abreast of changing regulations.
What Kinds of Online Study are Available for Tax Practitioners?
Many levels of tax practitioner training are available, from beginner
classes for those who wish to become tax practitioners to advanced or
continuing education instruction designed for working
tax professionals. Online study opportunities range from free IRS webinars to master's and doctoral level study in accounting or taxation.
Internal Revenue Service
The Internal Revenue Service offers an interactive tax assistant,
periodic free webinars and a video portal for tax practitioners, all
from their website (
www.irs.gov). These resources address current
tax topics and changes in tax regulation. For not-for-profit
organizations, the IRS offers virtual workshops and a resource library
on maintaining not-for-profit status (
www.StayExempt.org).
Professional Associations
Organizations like the National Association of Tax Professionals
provide several types of online education, including self-study courses,
webinars, workshops and exam reviews (
www.natptax.com). Basic
and intermediate courses are available on tax topics, including gifts
and trusts, estate tax issues and retirement plans, and on business
issues, such as partnership and corporation formation. The American
Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) offers opportunities
to earn continuing professional education (CPE) units through its online
On-Demand program featuring current tax topics (
www.aicpa.org).
Commercial Tax Preparation Organizations
Some tax preparation companies like Jackson Hewitt provide free
basic, intermediate and advanced online tax preparation courses. In some
cases, theses courses are eligible for college credit. Students who
have completed Jackson Hewitt's basic course or have at least two years
of tax preparation experience may take advanced courses on subjects like
self-employment, itemized deductions and traditional and Roth IRAs.
Advanced courses may be eligible for CPE credit.
Colleges and Universities
Colleges and universities generally offer taxation courses within
their accounting degree programs; some offer individual continuing
education courses. Approximately 100 public and private academic
institutions offer degree programs specifically in taxation according to
the National Center for Education Statistics (
www.nces.gov). Some of these programs are available online.
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