Advantages of participating in the IRS Annual Filing Season Program (AFSP)

• Record of Completion – Directly from the IRS, the record of completion recognizes our competency and demonstrates we have the knowledge in preparing taxes, as well as making the tax preparer subject to the ethical guidelines outlined in Treasury Circular 230.
• Representation Rights – Starting this year, to retain limited representation rights for returns prepared tax preparer’s must participate in the Annual Filing Season Program.
• Latest Updates – The most important part of participating in the Annual Filing Season Program (AFSP) is to be current of all the latest updates to the tax code. The Annual Federal Tax Refresher (AFTR) course, with curriculum set by the IRS, is an excellent way to have the knowledge and expertise our clients expect of a tax preparer.
• IRS Directory of Tax Professionals Qualifications – This directory, sortable by zip code is a great way to locate competent tax preparers.Find us on the IRS website at http://irs.treasury.gov/rpo/rpo.jsf

Continuing Education Requirements
AFSP holders need to maintain 18 credit hours annually of IRS Approved Continuing Education, covering these categories:

• 6 Hours – AFTR Course and Test
• 10 Hours – Federal Tax Law Topics
• 2 Hours – Ethics

 
Does your tax preparer/accountant need to be a CPA?
The IRS does not require paid tax preparers to be CPA’s. The official CPA designation only displays that the tax preparer/accountant was able to pass standardized testing. All of the continuing education requirements for CPA’s do not require IRS Approval.