2023 Tax Practitioner Regulations, Penalties, and Security

$29.00

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

  • Identify the persons eligible to fully represent taxpayers before the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and explain the rules and boundaries applicable to limited practice without enrollment
  • Determine when persons are not eligible to exercise the privilege of limited practice before the Internal Revenue Service and identify actions that are considered to be “disreputable conduct”
  • Learn the effective date for Section 6694 and 6695 tax preparer penalties under the new regulations issued as Treasury Decision (T.D.) 9436
  • Be able to define the standards of “more likely than not”, “reasonable basis” and “substantial authority” and understand their applications to client tax returns
  • Learn what constitutes proper disclosure of tax positions
  • Understand the concepts of “disclosure” and “use” of tax return information and the appropriate consent forms necessary to ensure compliance with IRS Section 7216
  • Review the history of federal income taxes, the legislative process
  • Learn helpful procedures for tax research projects

Product Description

This seminar starts with a brief discussion of tax history and the evolution of federal income taxes through the legislative process. Upon completion of this seminar, students will be able to identify the types of tax return preparers and their representation rights before the IRS. Regulations and rules applicable to unenrolled preparers will be explained later in the text. Potential preparer penalties under IRC Sections 6694 and 6695, along with standards applicable to positions taken on client tax returns under TD 9436, will be discussed throughout the text. The concepts of “disclosure” and “use” of client tax return information and the appropriate consent forms required under IRC Section 7216 to ensure compliance is a topic also covered. The final portion will explain the concept of security. New lecture video reinforces concepts! Topic: Return Preparer Penalties – Who is Return Preparer and What Forms are Subject to Penalties IRS #EEZ75-T-00463-23-S CTEC #1071-CE-3203 NASBA #103388

Continuing Education FAQs

What are my Continuing Education (CE) requirements for the IRS?

There are no CE requirements to maintain your Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN) with the IRS.

For the IRS’s Annual Filing Season Program (AFSP), you must complete 18 hours of CE by December 31st annually, using an IRS Approved Provider (Don’t worry, The Income Tax School is approved!). These 18 hours must be made up of:

    • 10 hours federal tax law
    • 6 hours Annual Federal Tax Refresher (AFTR) course with a comprehension test
    • 2 hours ethics education


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What are my CE requirements as an IRS Enrolled Agent (EA)?

In order for Enrolled Agents to keep their designation from the IRS, they must obtain at least 72 hours of CE credits every three years (based on their renewal cycle). Of these 72 hours, a minimum of 16 hours must be completed each year, and of these 16 hours per year, a minimum of two hours must be on ethics.

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What are my CE requirements to renew my registration with the California Tax Education Council (CTEC)?

California residents must provide an active PTIN, maintain a $5,000 tax preparer insurance bond, and complete 20 hours of CE by October 31st each year to renew their registration with the California Tax Education Council (CTEC). They must also complete. These 20 hours must be made up of:

    • 10 hours federal tax law
    • 5 hours California state law
    • 3 hours federal tax updates
    • 2 hours ethics education


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Am I exempt from the Annual Federal Tax Refresher (AFTR) course?

Tax preparers who have successfully completed one of the following national or state tests would be exempt from taking the AFTR course with a comprehension test.

  • Registered Tax Return Preparers (RTRP)
  • California and other state based return preparer testing programs
  • Accredited tax preparers through Accreditation Council for Accountancy/Taxation
  • Part 1 of the Special Enrollment Exam during 2 year eligibility window
  • Successful VITA program reviewers and instructors


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What if I’m a credentialed tax professional or in the exempt group above and want to qualify for the AFSP?

Credentialed tax professionals (CPAs, attorneys, Enrolled Agents, Enrolled Retirement Plan Agents, and Enrolled Actuaries) or the exempt group listed in the section above must have 15 hours of CE from an IRS Approved Provider to qualify for the AFSP annually. No CE credit will be given to Enrolled Agents for completing an AFTR course. The 15 hours of CE must include the following:

  • 10 hours federal tax law topics
  • 3 hours federal tax updates
  • 2 hours ethics education


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Do you report my CE credits to the IRS and/or CTEC?

Yes. The Income Tax School reports CE credits to the IRS once per quarter for the first 3 quarters of the calendar year.

  • CE credits earned from January 1st – March 31st: reported to IRS April 1st.
  • CE credits earned from April 1st – June 30th: reported to IRS July 1st.
  • CE credits earned from July 1st – September 30th: reported to IRS October 1st.

Beginning October 1st, The Income Tax School reports CE credits to the IRS every 10 days through the end of the calendar year.

For California residents seeking Qualifying Education (QE) and CE credits for CTEC, The Income Tax School reports to CTEC every 10 days throughout the calendar year. Beginning October 1st, The Income Tax School reports CE credits to CTEC daily.

CTEC students are responsible for verifying their own CE credits through their CTEC account before the 10/31 CTEC renewal deadline.

The ITS School Admin Team works diligently to report the influx of CE completions we receive near the deadline, as well as responding to students that reach out via email. While the School Admin Team may not be available to respond to inquiries right away during peak times, please know our students are always our top priority.

Should you need assistance from the ITS School Admin Team regarding CE credits, please first verify your CE credits by logging into your CTEC account. All reported CE credits will be listed in your CTEC account within the 4 main required categories and will include the name of the course and the number of CE hours earned. Any missing CE credits will also show up on this screen. Please take a screenshot of this information and include it in your email when you contact ITS School Admin Team for assistance with your ITS course information. Email ITS School Admin

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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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Refund Policy

The Refund Policy below is applicable only for courses students purchase directly from Surgent 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, Operations), Print/Hard Copy Books for Individual Course Purchase, the Guide to Start and Grow Your Successful Tax Business, and the two Business Start-up Guides are non-refundable.

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