Build Your Own Tax Preparation Business

Learn proven strategies to create, launch, and grow your own profitable tax service with expert coaching and real-world insights from Universal Accounting Center.

Overview

This training module is designed to give you a head start in creating and running your own tax preparation service. Since 1979, Universal Accounting Center has helped thousands of individuals start and grow successful practices. Each session is crafted with years of industry experience and feedback from seasoned tax professionals, ensuring you're equipped to move faster and further than your competition.

Each session provides practical steps for launching your business and working confidently with clients.

Session Highlights

  • Getting Started Right: Business setup, equipment, and essentials
  • Effective Marketing: Nine client-building strategies
  • Comfortable Interviewing Techniques: Role-play demonstrations and structure
  • Profitable Fee Calculations: Learn to charge like a pro and earn $100+/hr
  • Always the Expert Tax Preparer: Professionalism and best business practices

What You’ll Gain

  • Confidence to launch and manage your own tax business
  • Tools and strategies for acquiring and retaining clients
  • Effective interviewing and pricing techniques
  • Step-by-step direction from experienced professionals
  • Access to coaching and marketing support

Bonus: Build a Profitable Tax Service

This bonus training is included to help you explore the launch of a tax service in parallel or as a future expansion. Topics include business setup, pricing, and marketing strategies tailored for tax preparers.

  • Step-by-step startup guidance and business planning
  • Marketing strategy development and proven client acquisition tactics
  • Fee calculation models and client presentation tips
  • Real-world case studies and service pricing benchmarks
  • Ongoing marketing coaching and implementation session with a dedicated business coach

Average Completion Time: 10 hours

Course curriculum

  • 1

    PTP 2024 Module 4: Building Your Successful Accounting Practice

  • 2

    Session 1: Getting Started Right

    • Getting Started Right

    • VIDEO: Developing a Business Plan

      FREE PREVIEW
    • Developing a Business Plan

    • VIDEO: Creating a Business Name

    • Creating a Business Name

    • VIDEO: Obtaining a Business License

    • Obtaining a Business License

    • Obtaining a PTIN

    • VIDEO: Setting Up Your Office

    • Setting Up Your "Office"

    • VIDEO: Office Equipment

    • Office Equipment

    • VIDEO: Review

    • Office Supplies

    • Income Tax Software

    • Signing Up For Electronic Filing

    • Reference Material

    • Professional Insurance

    • Bookkeeping System

    • Session 1: Review Questions

  • 3

    Session 2: Effective Marketing

    • VIDEO: Introduction

    • VIDEO: Marketing vs Advertising

    • Effective Marketing

    • VIDEO: Family Friends and Neighbors

    • Consider Family, Friends, and Neighbors

    • VIDEO: Your Business Associates

    • Look to Business Associates

    • VIDEO: Your Neighbohood

    • Canvass Your Neighborhood

    • VIDEO: Press Releases

    • Create a Press Release

    • VIDEO: Networking

    • Network

    • VIDEO: Market Niche

    • Find a Niche Market

    • VIDEO: Signs Signs Signs

    • Use Signs! Signs! Signs!

    • VIDEO: Public Speaking - Tax Seminars_

    • Engage in Public Speaking (Tax Seminars)

    • VIDEO: Writing Articles

    • Write Articles

    • Have a Website

    • FREE Website for 6 Months

    • Create a Blog

    • Online Classifieds

    • Target Current Tax Clients

    • Sample Marketing Materials

    • VIDEO: Review

    • Session 2: Review Questions

  • 4

    Session 3: Comfortable Interviewing Techniques

    • VIDEO: Introduction

    • VIDEO: Be Prepared

    • Comfortable Interviewing Techniques

    • VIDEO: Be Courteous

    • Be Courteous

    • VIDEO: Be Professional

    • Be Professional

    • VIDEO: Be Patient

    • Be Patient

    • VIDEO: Be Genuiny Interested in Your Client

    • Be Genuinely Interested in Your Client

    • VIDEO: Vignette 1 Interviewing a Typical Client

    • VIDEO: Vignette 2 Interviewing an Unprepared Client

    • VIDEO: Vignette 3 Interviewing an EIC Client

    • Pre-scheduling Appointments

    • Role Playing

    • Letter of Engagement

    • Client Organizer

    • Client Survey

    • VIDEO: Review

    • Session 3: Review Questions

  • 5

    Session 4: Profitable Fee Calculations

    • VIDEO: Introduction

    • Profitable Fee Calculations

    • VIDEO: Consultant Charges - Hourly

    • Consultant Charges - Hourly

    • VIDEO: Tax Preparation Charges - Per Form

    • Tax Preparation Charge - Per Form

    • Tax Preparation Charge - Time Based

    • Tax Preparation Charge - Mixed

    • Contingent Fees

    • Billing Your Clients

    • VIDEO: Accepting Credit Card for Payment

    • Accepting Credit Cards for Payment

    • VIDEO: Increasing Your Fees

    • Increasing Your Fees

    • Managing Cash Flow

    • VIDEO: Guarantee

    • Guarantee and Form Billing Fees

    • Form Billing Fees

    • VIDEO: Review

    • Session 4: Review Questions

  • 6

    Session 5: Always the Expert Tax Preparer

    • VIDEO: Introduction

    • Always The Expert Tax Preparer

    • VIDEO: Tax Preparer Classification

    • The Professional Professional Tax Preparer

    • VIDEO: The Ethical Professional Tax Preparer

    • The Ethical Professional Tax Preparer

    • Tax Preparer Classification

    • VIDEO: Continuing Education

    • Continuing Education

    • VIDEO: Processing Tax Retrns

    • Processing Tax Returns

    • VIDEO: Tax Return Retention Policy

    • Tax Return Retention Policy

    • VIDEO: Client Retention

    • Client Retention

    • VIDEO: Client Retention Strategy

    • VIDEO: Nine Success Principles

    • Nine Success Principles

    • VIDEO: Review

    • Session 5: Review Questions

    • This is an optional 2-hour review marketing with Clay Neves.

  • 7

    Session 6: Enrolled, AFSP Participants & Un-Enrolled Tax Preparers

    • Enrolled, AFSP Participants, and Unenrolled Tax Preparers

    • Unenrolled Preparers

    • Becoming an Enrolled Agent

    • Circular 230 Requirements

    • Representation Before the IRS

    • IRS Publications and Documents

    • Session 6: Review Questions

    • M4 INDEX - last pages of book

  • 8

    Adam's

    • Adam's Setting Up Your Business Checklist - Start Today

  • 9

    Professional Tax Preparer Module 4 Exam

    • Building Your Successful Tax Practice Exam 2025

  • 10

    WISP

    • What is a WISP?

    • Navigating the WISP and Global Cybersecurity

    • Cybersecurity vendor assessment

    • Book Time with Mandy for more information

  • 11

    Bonus Webinar(s)

    • The Three Secrets to Building a Seven-Figure Tax Advisory Business

    • Financial Focus with Mark Kohler

What Our Students Are Saying

5 star rating

Rating

Christie Y Mack

This is a great course to take. Everything that you'll need to becoming a Tax Preparer is provided to you and you can learn at your own pace. Coaches and sta...

Read More

This is a great course to take. Everything that you'll need to becoming a Tax Preparer is provided to you and you can learn at your own pace. Coaches and staff are great and very responsive and helpful

Read Less
4 star rating

Feeling LARGELY more ambitious_now to take on handling Bu...

Kyle Finnegan

This was a truly enlightening "stepping stone" into this area of accounting professionalism - ("where I for one, honestly never once saw myself dabbling in a...

Read More

This was a truly enlightening "stepping stone" into this area of accounting professionalism - ("where I for one, honestly never once saw myself dabbling in areas of Tax advisory/ with already owning a bookkeeping firm, as they say, I was single minded") But alas , it all came to make perfect sense, as through Universals compelling logic! Both go hand in hand, and it just kinda clicked with it being tax season upon us here! So either way, thank you universal! I am still very much so looking forward to crackling open the perks n value of the rest of the program!

Read Less
5 star rating

OUTSTANDING

Robert Rodriguez

EXTREMELY EASY TO FOLLOW.

EXTREMELY EASY TO FOLLOW.

Read Less