Annual Filing Season Program - California Preparers

 

2020 AFSP Guidelines


Please Read The Description Carefully. 

The Internal Revenue Service has announced a voluntary program for tax preparers, the “Annual Filing Season Program” or “AFSP.” As an accredited IRS education provider, we are offering our students the opportunity to become an IRS Qualified Tax Preparer, and receive an Annual Filing Season Program Record of Completion from the IRS. The good news is that this is automatically included with your purchase of our California 20Hr CTEC continuing education course!

In order to qualify for the reporting of education credits to the IRS, a student must have already completed and passed our California 20Hr CTEC continuing education course. In order to obtain the Annual Filing Season Program record of completion from the IRS, credentialed or exempt tax preparers will need to complete 15 hours of tax education. CTEC Registered Tax Preparers are considered exempt and our 20Hr CTEC continuing education course meets both CTEC and IRS requirements. Therefore, our 20Hr C.E. course students will not need to purchase an additional AFTR course.

For returns filed after 12/31/15, preparers who are not part of the AFS program cannot represent clients before the IRS in audits or appeals unless they are Enrolled Agents or have other qualifying credentials.

 

 

Annual Filing Season Program (AFSP) Reporting Requirements

Three Easy Steps

 

  • Step 2 ) Have a valid IRS issued PTIN and a CTEC issued identification number.
  • Step 3 ) After you complete your education and renew your PTIN for the upcoming year with the IRS, you will receive an email from Taxpros@ptin.irs.gov with instructions on how to elect to participate and receive your record of completion in your online secure mailbox. You must log in to your PTIN account to view messages from the IRS. This is a voluntary program and more information can be found by clicking here.  

 

Annual Filing Season Program (AFSP) FAQ’s

Once the tax preparer has met the requirements for the AFSP (renewed their PTIN, taken appropriate amount of continuing education), the IRS will list qualified AFSP tax preparers in their public database including the tax preparer's credentials. Click here to learn more.

You will receive the AFSP “Record of Completion” directly from the IRS which will demonstrate to your clients that you are a well-educated tax preparer who is dedicated to your selected profession. The IRS will process and provide your record of completion certificate after consenting to adhere to the obligations in Circular 230 Click here to learn more.

Your name will be included in the Directory of Federal Tax Return Preparers along with credentials and select qualifications. 

 

Who is able to participate in the program?

Any tax preparer with a PTIN is eligible to participate in the program. Enrolled Agents and CPA’s (or those with special credentials) have an exempt status that will reduce the number of hours required.

 

What are the requirements to obtain the Annual Filing Season Program Record of Completion?

Completion of courses from an IRS approved provider, such as A&B Office Tax School, will satisfy the requirements.

California CRTP's meet an exemption and are required to fulfill the following.

Take fifteen (15) hours of continuing education including:

Three (3) hours of federal tax law updates,

Ten (10) hours of other federal tax law topics and

Two (2) hours of ethics.



What is the deadline to complete the Annual Filing Season Program (ASFP)?

The approved continuing education program must be completed by December 31, 2020 to qualify for the 2020 filing season. Our school will no longer report CE hours after 12/31/2020.


 

Why did the IRS launch this voluntary program? Is Congress working on new legislation?

The IRS believes in a mandatory competency standard for federal tax return preparers. To this end, legislation continues to be our priority. In the interim, however, this program recognizes the efforts of unenrolled return preparers to improve their professional competency through continuing education. Anyone with a PTIN can prepare a federal tax return, but for those preparers with a PTIN who also work to ready themselves for the filing season through educational efforts, the program affords them a level of differentiation from the rest of the marketplace.


Notice: Students must provide the following information during the check-out process: Name (exactly as registered with the IRS), mailing address, and valid PTIN number. We will  report your information EXACTLY as you supplied it to our school.

Important: We are not responsible for providing the IRS inaccurate information. It is your responsibility to provide our school with the most accurate information relating to your license and tax identification number.