Become a Professional Tax Preparer

and take your career and practice to the next level!

What better service to complement accounting than tax preparation and planning? Line by line, Universal Accounting®’s Professional Tax Preparer™ program will teach you how to complete individual and business returns so that you can either prepare taxes on the side, or start your own full-time tax business.

As a certified Professional Tax Preparer™ you’ll be trained and tested to provide the quality services expected from a tax preparer. By mastering this one skill you can increase your income by approximately $100+ per hour.

What's Included in the Program

2021 Professional Tax Preparer

Self-Certification Program - 62 hours

The Professional Tax Preparer™ Program course consists of 62 hours of training. Our tax preparation courses include all necessary books and worksheets (over 600 pages of instruction and reference materials). This tax training course is engaging and entertaining. You have the flexibility to complete the courses on your own time, in a way that fits your life.

The course is taught by experienced accounting workshop professionals who give practical advice on tax issues. Our tax instructors know what challenges you will face because they have been there themselves. They will provide you with real-world solutions to give you the edge in productivity and profitability. instructional videos and workbooks (over 600 pages of instruction and reference materials). You have the flexibility to complete the courses on your own time, in a way that fits your life.

✓ Earn Certification

Once you complete the courses in this program, you can earn Professional Tax Preparer certification with a passing score of 90% or higher on the final exam! This gives you the credentials that you can use to market your new services.

✓ Earn CPE Credit

Upon completing this course you'll be able to receive 30 hours of Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credit in most states.

What You'll Learn In this Program

  • Tax fundamentals.

  • 1040 personal tax return preparation.

  • Profitable business returns.

  • How to build a successful tax practice.

What You'll Learn In this Program

Module 1: Establishing The Tax Foundation

Module 1 acts as an introduction to Tax Preparation. You'll learn the nuts and bolts of preparing the most common types of Tax Returns. This not only gives you a solid foundation in your understanding of the process of preparing business tax returns, but is also very helpful in aiding you when preparing individual tax returns.

Module 2: Becoming The 1040 Expert

Module 2 of the Professional Tax Preparer™ Program deals with the background information and forms that go into preparing Page 2 of a 1040. We will also discuss all the adjustments that can be made to adjusted gross income, including the credits that are allowed and different types of deductions and exemptions that can be taken against that adjusted gross income number.

Module 3: Profitable Business Returns

Module 3 introduces you to the world of business organizations and their tax concerns. This module is a practical companion to Module 2, as it gives you experience in completing each of the schedules and forms common to business organizations. You will learn tax concepts in accounting, elements of business financial statements, and how to report gain and loss on dispositions of business property.

Module 4: Building A Successful Tax Practice

Module 4 was developed to give you the turnkey process necessary to build a successful tax business. This includes proven marketing strategies, pricing, client interviewing for tax planning and preparation and much more. Universal Accounting Center will help you get your businesses running profitably in weeks, not months. The skills and strategies presented in Module 4 of the Professional Tax Preparer™ Program are the result of years of experience in running a profitable tax preparation business.

What You'll Learn In this Program

Module 1: Establishing The Tax Foundation

Module 1 acts as an introduction to Tax Preparation. You'll learn the nuts and bolts of preparing the most common types of Tax Returns. This not only gives you a solid foundation in your understanding of the process of preparing business tax returns, but is also very helpful in aiding you when preparing individual tax returns.

Module 2: Becoming The 1040 Expert

Module 2 of the Professional Tax Preparer™ Program deals with the background information and forms that go into preparing Page 2 of a 1040. We will also discuss all the adjustments that can be made to adjusted gross income, including the credits that are allowed and different types of deductions and exemptions that can be taken against that adjusted gross income number.

Module 3: Profitable Business Returns

Module 3 introduces you to the world of business organizations and their tax concerns. This module is a practical companion to Module 2, as it gives you experience in completing each of the schedules and forms common to business organizations. You will learn tax concepts in accounting, elements of business financial statements, and how to report gain and loss on dispositions of business property.

Module 4: Building A Successful Tax Practice

Module 4 was developed to give you the turnkey process necessary to build a successful tax business. This includes proven marketing strategies, pricing, client interviewing for tax planning and preparation and much more. Universal Accounting Center will help you get your businesses running profitably in weeks, not months. The skills and strategies presented in Module 4 of the Professional Tax Preparer™ Program are the result of years of experience in running a profitable tax preparation business.

Courses Included in the Program

click on a course to explore the course's curriculum

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Coaching Support from our Experts

Even though you may be training from the comfort of home, you are far from on your own. You’ll have access to the support of knowledgeable accounting professionals throughout your course and beyond.

  • Orientation Counselor to help you get set up and started right.

  • Academic Coach (tutor) to help you learn the material and answer related real-world questions.

  • Marketing Coach to help you apply our proven turnkey business plan to find and engage with your ideal clients as you start and build your business.

What Students Are Saying about our tax preparer program

Listen to student testimonials >>>

Meet Your Instructors

Retired President

Allen Bostrom, CPA

Allen Bostrom, CPA – He was the President/CEO (founded in 1979) until 2014 when he was able to expand his interest in helping accountants become better business consultants, and a stronger support for their employers and small business clients. Since that time, he has trained tens of thousands of accountants, bookkeepers, and tax preparers in practice and client management techniques and strategies.

Academic Coach

Adam Syvock

Adam works with students regarding questions about curriculum and real-world accounting situations. Adam is a graduate of Universal Accounting’s PB program himself, and also holds a bachelor's degree in accounting from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. In addition, he's QuickBooks Certified and uses his skills as a profit and growth expert to run his own accounting practice.

About Your Coach

Jason Dinesen LPA, EA

Jason self-admits to being a bit of a tax nerd. He loves helping people alleviate their fear of – and frustration with – taxes. He started Dinesen Tax Services as a side business with 3 clients while working a day job in a “cubicle farm” in West Des Moines. The “side business” quickly became something much more than that, and by August of 2011, he left the cubicle behind and took his business full-time.