Comprehensive Tax Course

(81 customer reviews)

$497.00

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FOR BEGINNERS

Our Comprehensive Tax Course will teach you the tools to start preparing most individual tax returns. Upon completion of this course, you will have the knowledge to start making money as a tax preparer.

Product Description

Course Includes:

  • 4 Modules comprised of 4 chapters each
  • Reading and Reference Materials
  • Learning Activities
  • Real world examples and applications
  • Quizzes & Tests
  • Instructor support by email
  • Automatic online grading with feedback
  • California Edition is a CTEC approved qualifying course (includes 4 supplemental state modules, 5 chapters each)
  • PDF downloads for reading materials
  • Hard copy books may be purchased at checkout
  • Free Tax Law Updates as they become available
  • Free AFTR course available when IRS releases access – click here to learn more about AFTR and AFSP

This course is not a webinar. For more details on course content, view Learning Objectives by Chapter for Standard Comprehensive or California State Supplement for Comprehensive.

Upon purchase, you will receive login credentials and may start your course right away. You can work at your own pace and access the course content at any time. You will have 6 months from your purchase date to complete the course, though many students finish much earlier. A course extension may be purchased from our online store, if needed.

Upon successful completion of this course, you will be qualified to:

  • Prepare most individual tax returns, including Schedules C, D, and E;
  • Perform a thorough interview with a taxpayer
  • Determine a taxpayer’s filing status and eligibility for exemptions
  • Accurately report income and deductions for a taxpayer
  • Determine a taxpayer’s eligibility for credits and deductions
  • Compute depreciation for assets and eligibility for Section 179
  • Accurately calculate a taxpayer’s refund or balance due
  • Advise a taxpayer in tax planning strategies
  • (CA Edition) Register with CTEC as a tax preparer, provided you obtain a PTIN and tax preparer bond. Learn more about CTEC requirements here.

The Income Tax School will report all credit hours and completed certificates to the IRS and/or CTEC (for California preparers). Students will also earn a Certificate of Completion that will be sent via email.

CE Hours for Standard Edition

  • Module 1: 12 hours Federal Tax Law
  • Module 2: 12 hours Federal Tax Law
  • Module 3: 12 hours Federal Tax Law
  • Module 4: 12 hours Federal Tax Law (7 – Federal Tax Matters, 3 – Tax Law Updates, 2 – Ethics)
  • Total hours of CE awarded: 48 CE hours

CE Hours for California State Qualifying Education Edition

  • Comprehensive Tax Course: 45 hours Federal Tax Law
  • CA State Supplement: 15 hours California State Tax Law
  • Total hours of CE awarded for CA State Edition: 60 hours (45 Federal, 15 CA State)

View the Income Tax School’s Certifications and Credentials

Course FAQs

How do I get started?

Upon purchasing your course, you will receive login credentials via email to log in to our Learning Management System (LMS) and may begin your course right away. Your login credentials for the LMS and for your ITS account (used to purchase more courses or seminars) will be the same until and unless you change one or both of them.Back To Top

How long do I have to complete the course?

You can access and complete our courses online, 24/7, provided you have internet access. Course completion terms vary depending on the course or bundle you purchase. Typically, you will have 6 months to complete the Comprehensive Tax Course and 3 months for any of the Advanced or Small Business courses. This is based on a schedule of just one chapter per week, with 2 additional weeks to study for tests, though many students are able to complete their courses more quickly.
If you have purchased a bundle or certificate program product that includes multiple courses, you can to add the course terms together to get the completion terms of that product. Specific completion terms for each product are also listed on the corresponding product page.Back To Top

Do I have to buy hard copy books?

Hard copy books are completely optional. Some students prefer to work through reading materials offline and simply use the online platform to complete assignments, quizzes, and tests. The hard copy books are also a useful tool for tax preparers to use as a reference after they’ve completed the course and are filing tax returns in the field. You do not have to wait for your hard copy book to be shipped to you, but you can if you wish.Back To Top

I purchased a bundle/certificate program with books, but only received one book. Why?

Bundles and certificate program are products that include multiple courses designed to be taken in order. Depending on when you purchase, you could start your first course and by the time you’re ready to start the next one a new edition could be available. For this reason, we ship books one at a time to make sure you get the most up-to-date version available.Back To Top

Which edition should I choose: Standard or California?

The Standard edition of our courses contains information about federal tax law and is applicable to all US tax preparers. A California edition is available for our Comprehensive and Small Business I courses, which includes all the information of our Standard editions but adds a California state tax law supplement. If you’ll be filing returns for California residents and businesses, choose California. Otherwise, choose Standard.Back To Top

What grades do I need to pass the course?

A 70% minimum cumulative grade point average is required to pass each course module. This includes all graded assignments, quizzes, and final exams. Certificates of completion are awarded for each course module successfully completed; however, an overall course certificate of completion is awarded only if all related course modules are successfully completed. Certificates of Completion are emailed upon successful completion with a final passing grade of 70% or greater. You must successfully complete each section before you are able to move on to the next one.

If you’re unable to finish any graded assignment in one sitting, you can always save your place and sign off (just be sure NOT to click ‘submit all and finish’). When you sign back in you’ll be able to continue from where you left off. If you’d like, you can download any assignment to complete offline, and then input the answers when you have time.Back To Top

What happens once I complete my course?

Upon successful completion of the course, our school administrators will review your progress and you will receive a Certificate of Completion by The Income Tax School (ITS). We will also report your credits to the IRS and CTEC (if applicable), provided you have submitted an active Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN) to us. Click here for information on how to obtain an active PTIN from the IRS.Back To Top

I’m buying a course on behalf of someone else, what should I do?

For business owners operating their own tax school who wish to license our courses for their students: email customercare@theincometaxschool.com or call 1-800-984-1040.

Many customers come to us and are buying a course or seminar for someone else. They could be buying the course for their spouse, or a business owner purchasing for an employee(s), or an employee signing up for a course that their employer is paying for. In those cases, use the following steps:

  1. Select your course(s)
  2. Proceed to checkout
  3. Fill the billing address and payment fields with the information of the person paying for the course.
  4. In the Additional Comments section: enter the names and emails of the person(s) taking the course(s)

Example: Jane is a business owner who wants to purchase the Comprehensive Tax Course for Megan and the CTP Program for Jeff. Jane puts both the Comprehensive course and the CTP Program in her cart and proceeds to checkout. Jane enters her information for the Name, Email, Billing Address, and credit card info, then specifies “Megan Smith – Comprehensive course. Email: megan@example.com, Jeff Jones – CTP Program. Email: jeff@example.com” in the Additional Comments section.

Jane will receive a receipt of purchase by email and will be given login credentials of her own by default. Our school administrators will then manually create student accounts for Megan and Jeff and add their respective courses to their accounts. Please allow up to 2 business days for this to take place.

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Payment Plan

Click Here to Purchase This Course in Monthly Installments

Refund Policy

The Refund Policy below is applicable only for courses students purchase directly from The Income Tax School or Peoples Income Tax School. Students who purchase any courses through third party schools or other organizations must address all refund issues with the entity through which they made that purchase. Please note: Operator©s Starter Kit, License Renewal, Tax Practice Management Manuals (Marketing, Policies and Procedures, Personnel, and Expansion), the Guide to Start and Grow Your Successful Tax Business, and the two Business Start-up Guides are non-refundable.

Online Individual Students

Chartered Tax Certificate Programs Online Individual Students

Virginia Live and Online Individual Students

Academic Honesty Policy

Licensee Guarantee and License Agreement

Reseller License Agreement

81 reviews for Comprehensive Tax Course

  1. Tamesha James (verified owner) –

    It is great getting to learn at my own pace. The instructors are very quick to respond to emails whenever I need clarification on the material. For someone who did not go to school for anything tax related, I commend the institution on doing a great job with the curriculum and course materials. It is easy to understand. If you are having second thoughts about whether or not you should attend, The Income Tax School is definitely a great school!

  2. Angela Burgos (verified owner) –

    The course is very comprehensive; it is very helpful!! I didn’t know anything about tax preparation until after I took the online tax prep course. I’ve learned a lot! Highly Recommended!!

  3. Maresa Scott (verified owner) –

    Great experience so far! The information can be very dense but the instructors are readily available via email to answer any questions. They also work with you to help you understand how to properly answer the questions presented.

  4. Maria Tupas (verified owner) –

    Currently taking the comprehensive federal and California tax course. The best thing about my experience is the instructor, Mr. Barry Brindle. I would not have gotten through the modules without his help. He answered all my questions the very next day with explanations of the information much clearer than the book itself and with a lot of patience. The final exams consists of about 75 questions in addition to a scenario activity. If Mr. Brindle is a representative of all the instructors in the Income Tax School, then I look forward to pursuing my EA designation with them. I only wish they offered webinars of the courses as I find it challenging to follow the structure of the textbooks.

  5. Matthew Webb (verified owner) –

    What I liked most about this course was that it forced me to learn through repetition, research, and plenty of thinking. I’m very pleased that the company is from my hometown, and I highly recommend The Income Tax School. The instructors were prompt in answering my questions, and the Modules/course materials were thorough and easy to navigate. I intend to continue my Tax Prep education, and I won’t even think about looking for another place to study other than with this school!

  6. Connielyn Alexander (verified owner) –

    I have had great experiences with the Income Tax School. The customer service staff is always helpful, courteous and professional. They are always willing to go the extra mile to help. The instructors are quick to respond to questions and always give detailed explanations and are always encouraging.

  7. Sheri Lyn Kelley (verified owner) –

    The Income Tax School has extremely helpful and knowledgeable staff as well excellent customer service and student support! This course is well worth the expense and time if you have any interest in the field of tax preparation!!! I highly recommend them!

  8. Deanna Prevo (verified owner) –

    I am taking the Comprehensive Tax Course, and I LOVE it! It is NOT an easy course; don’t think that since it is an online course it is easy and not really educational. It is challenging and I am learning so much! It will help me in my job this tax season. The instructors are readily available by email, and are very helpful and offer excellent guidance in an expeditious manner. I would recommend The Income Tax School to ANYONE!

  9. Leandro Enriquez (verified owner) –

    Nice content related to taxes and all the things you need to know. Instructors help you all the way through until you really get what you are really asking when doubts arrive.

  10. Lucy Tragura (verified owner) –

    I haven’t been to this place yet, but I am taking the course online. It is really tough, but if you read the material carefully, you will pass to all the tests for sure. Overall, I learned a lot from this school. I am 85 percent done by now, luckily, I passed all the tests every module.

  11. Richard Barrera (verified owner) –

    I had been looking for an Income Tax School in order to get certified as a Tax Preparer. I made several contact with other schools. They didn’t have exactly what I was looking for. I continued my search. I had given up hope, that there was nothing out there. I was then extremely fortunate to make one last call to The Income Tax School. Ispoke to Alexandra Paolicelli and at that instant my life changed. She was offering a program that had exactly what I needed. She won me over. Her personality and knowledge of the program made it much easier for me to make a decision. People oriented staff will make a business flourish. Thanks again Alexandra for a job well done.

  12. Scott Edmonds (verified owner) –

    Perfect courses to learn tax preparing. I finished the Comprehensive Tax Course and am now enrolled in Advanced I. The material is very thorough and explained well. Great online help with quick responses from the instructors.

  13. Gipsy Velar (verified owner) –

    Very happy with the income tax school and the course I’m currently in. The course curriculum is very good and you do learn a lot. One thing is you have to study specially if new with tax topics because some of the exams specially quizzes are hard but if you read and practice with the material students should be fine. I’m very happy and looking forward to taking on another advanced course once I’m done with this one.

  14. Steven Schumpert (verified owner) –

    While the particular course I’m enrolled in is quite challenging, I’m very pleased with the detail that the school affords it’s students within it’s coursework. The instructors provide timely responses and break down any questions I have. I must say it is a great investment for those seeking to understand the intricacies of the income tax system.

  15. Chelsea Larison (verified owner) –

    This course is fantastic. It is a great way to get comfortable with everything related to a 1040 even with no prior experience or education on the subject. The course is broken into 4 modules and each have several chapters that go line by line through a 1040. The quizzes and scenarios where you are completing a 1040 on your own is extremely helpful, especially for someone like me who did not get an education in accounting. I would HIGHLY recommend this course to anyone wanting/ needing to learn how to prepare 1040’s. Very beneficial.

  16. Latifah M Bayonne –

    Great

  17. Coleen Pearson (verified owner) –

    I have started the class. I am absolutely loving it!

  18. Paola Escayola (verified owner) –

    Highly recommended. The courses are wonderful ; manuals, activities, resources, updates, and instructors are truly supportive, encouragement and good guidance are part of success and you will find it here. Every time a challenge is achieved, I move from zero to a new skill or knowledge. Definitely, I will continue my journey with them.

  19. Davi Payne (verified owner) –

    I’m half way through the tax course and what a wonderful experience it has been! I have learned so much and they give you the tools to understand everything. Their customer support is top notch and an instructor always emails you back pretty quickly when you have a question! I strongly recommend paying for the books on the side. I did a lot of research before choosing this tax school and I am glad I chose them!

  20. Margaret Lindgren (verified owner) –

    Have you looked at the instructions for the 1040 IRS return? It’s an overwhelming book of tiny print! This class has been very helpful and thorough in its presentation of our tax code and how to use it. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to understand the tax laws. There are great learning activities and exercises that help make the step by step filling out of a tax return easier to accomplish. The instructors are readily available and have answered all of my questions quickly. Anytime I’ve needed more clarification, they have been quick to provide it. I’m excited to continue into my future more prepared to handle my own business tax preparation as well as offer my services to others. It’s a great tool for learning a complex system.

  21. Jerry (verified owner) –

    Highly recommend. Instructors are terrific. Tough and demanding course. You will be prepared when you finish!

  22. Sheila W. –

    I have enrolled in the Income Tax School Comprehensive course and would like to say, I am very impressed with the organization of the course, the detail of the information covered and the ease of navigating this course. I ordered the Module Books to go along with the course and everything has flown very smooth. I am impressed at the ability to contact teachers with questions and the updates shown at the beginning of each chapter for minor errors (mostly updated info in the course vs the manuals) This course, so far, has given a big bang for the buck & I would highly recommend it.

  23. Mark –

    I am really enjoying these courses. It is hard, but the curriculum does a great job both in the way it is written and the order that concepts are presented.

  24. Kay –

    I work in an accounting office. Your course covers a lot of important information and you learn a lot. The only problem is in the tax world you are expected to make none or very few mistakes and your site should be the same. Besides that I have found the instructors I worked with very pleasant and thoughtful.

    Dear Kay,
    We appreciate you taking time to contact us regarding your experience with our course. We know there are errors in the course and are working to post the corrections. First, allow me to apologize for the frustration that you have felt. This is not the normal standard operation of our school. We were required to make tremendous changes to our curriculum this year due to changes in the requirements from a couple of our approving bodies. This resulted in multiple errors due to the massive number of changes that were made. Please understand, this is in no way an excuse.

    We are working to get all of the corrections posted to avoid this issue going forward. The person who normally makes our corrections, retired and is no longer with our company; her absence has been a huge void to fill. We have someone currently working on getting corrections posted, but there has been a learning curve. We are working to get this done as soon as possible in hopes of easing the frustration for students going forward.
    Sincerely, Sheila Clark The Income Tax School Inc., Director

  25. Dennis M. Killmer –

    I would like to say a few words about a couple of GREAT instructors you have at your school. Ms. Colyer and Mr Brindle were my rock. They were so helpful. When I was stuck, they would review my work (which is not easy) and send it back with corrections. One thing I liked is they never gave me an answer. They made me work for the answer, but guided me in the right direction. I have to tell you, I was about to give up so many times. I started off real good, and thought…oh this is going to be easy… Well, did I ever get a wake up call. There were times when I just said I can’t do this anymore. I would voice my comments to Ms. Colyer or Mr Brindle, and they would respond with such positive replies that just made me want to continue. I can’t tell you what this means. They would push me so much, I actually felt like they cared, and they wanted me to succeed. And guess what, I DID! I finished, and I have to tell you its ALL because of them. They are both extraordinary people and GREAT if not the BEST Instructors you have and I have to tell you if it was not for them I would have never completed this course. I would like to praise Ms Colyer and Mr Brindle for their help, for their knowledge and for their patience with me, and because as I said, if not for them I would have never received this certificate of completion. THANKS MS COLYER AND MR BRINDLE.

  26. Dennis M. Killmer –

    I would like to say a few words about a couple of GREAT instructors you have at your school. Ms. Colyer and Mr Brindle were my rock. They were so helpful. When I was stuck, they would review my work (which is not easy) and send it back with corrections. One thing I liked is they never gave me an answer. They made me work for the answer, but guided me in the right direction. I have to tell you, I was about to give up so many times. I started off real good, and thought…oh this is going to be easy… Well, did I ever get a wake up call. There were times when I just said I can’t do this anymore. I would voice my comments to Ms. Colyer or Mr Brindle, and they would respond with such positive replies that just made me want to continue. I can’t tell you what this means. They would push me so much, I actually felt like they cared, and they wanted me to succeed. And guess what, I DID! I finished, and I have to tell you its ALL because of them. They are both extraordinary people and GREAT if not the BEST Instructors you have and I have to tell you if it was not for them I would have never completed this course. I would like to praise Ms Colyer and Mr Brindle for their help, for their knowledge and for their patience with me, and because as I said, if not for them I would have never received this certificate of completion. THANKS MS COLYER AND MR BRINDLE.

  27. Migdalia –

    I LOVE your courses! Flexible, simple, and forces you to read the IRS publications. I’m working on my BA in Accounting (will be done in a year) and this course helped me fly through the tax courses like a breeze!

  28. Migdalia –

    I LOVE your courses! Flexible, simple, and forces you to read the IRS publications. I’m working on my BA in Accounting (will be done in a year) and this course helped me fly through the tax courses like a breeze!

  29. Nitin –

    The Comprehensive Tax Course was everything that I wanted. It was a great course, that went into great detail, and was easy to follow. As a train commuter, I benefited from having the printed out textbook, so I didn’t have to bring a laptop with me. I suggest doing this if it works for you. I was very happy with the number of returns that I was able to do in the course. This was great practice for real world situations.

  30. Dennis –

    This course was great… This is extremely hard work. When i started i thought this was easy. Plus the instructors are TOP NOTCH!!!! I have had many struggles and if it was not for my instructor I would have not gotten this far. Name will be provided if requested.

  31. Wyatt –

    I have taken The Income Tax School Basic, Intermediate, Advanced I and Advanced II classes and thought they were excellent! The Income Tax School lead me to pass the SEEs and become and Enrolled Agent. Their pricing is also very reasonable. I will always recommend The Income Tax School for furthering your education.

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