The eLearning Center for Gatlin Education Services

With this innovative nationally recognized online Chartered Tax Professional Certificate Program, students can start working and earning money while completing coursework. The CTP® certificate program is comprised of 6 courses. After successfully completing the first two courses in the Chartered Tax Professional certificate program, (most students finish in just 10 weeks or less) you will be qualified to prepare individual tax returns for almost all U. S. taxpayers. While you apply what you’ve learned and earn money as a tax preparer, you continue your studies in advanced individual tax preparation, which will enable you to serve clients with more complex tax situations and increase your earning potential. Next you learn to prepare returns for small business corporations and partnerships and more complex sole proprietorships. This opens up a new, more lucrative market for you while you continue to learn to help small businesses with more complex tax situations.

As you complete the six 10-lesson courses that comprise the Chartered Tax Professional certificate program over the span of two tax seasons, you will accumulate the required 500 hours of experience as a tax professional to qualify for the prestigious Chartered Tax Professional designation. There is a shortage of qualified tax preparers and, therefore, a great demand for seasonal tax preparers. As long as you meet a tax firm’s employment criteria, with the tax knowledge you will gain from the initial courses, you should be able to easily get a job with a local tax preparation firm. Alternatively, you could become self-employed as a tax professional. Upon successful completion of the program, you will receive a certificate of completion from the college or university where you register, in addition to a very impressive Chartered Tax Professional certificate when you meet the final experience requirements. As a CTP® you will have the tax knowledge and experience to prepare for the IRS Enrolled Agent (EA) exam if you wish to add the coveted EA credential to your professional designation as a CTP®.

To help you become employed or self-employed as a tax professional, we provide a Tax Pro Career Center on The Income Tax School website where you can find information about careers in tax preparation and other valuable resources. The Tax Career Center includes links to various tax industry sites that provide valuable resources for beginning tax preparers and experienced tax professionals. You will also find a number of free articles on tax practice management. In addition, the Tax Career Center includes online classified ad directories where you can post an ad for free to let tax business owners know of your availability to work as a tax preparer. You can also read help wanted ads posted by tax businesses seeking to hire tax professionals. The job directories are promoted to thousands of tax businesses nationwide through broadcast e-mails to our database and news releases to the media and tax industry contacts. You will also find links to the websites of major national tax professional associations which also have state chapters, such as the National Association of Tax Professionals (NATP). You can also post your ad on the NATP website classified ad section for free under “Tax Related Positions Wanted” through our Tax Career Center.

If you are a CPA, CFP, attorney, or if you hold some other professional license, you may be able to satisfy some or all of your continuing education requirements through your coursework in the Chartered Tax Professional certificate program. Income tax knowledge is also valuable to many professionals because financial decisions usually involve tax consequences for their clients. Providing tax preparation services is also a great way to diversify and recruit new financial services clients.

The CTP® certificate program is unique in that you will have the opportunity to earn money as a professional while you study, and to internalize the knowledge by applying what you learn.

The best thing about being a tax professional may be that you have the opportunity to help people to deal with the intimidating and stressful chore of preparing their taxes. Your clients will trust you with their personal and financial information and you have an obligation to maintain complete trust and confidentiality. Being a successful tax professional is less about numbers and more about people skills. It is very rewarding to help people who place their complete confidence in you and come back year after year because they trust you and respect your knowledge.

Tax preparation can be combined with various other professions and services, such as small business accounting, insurance, paralegal, real estate and financial services, to provide year-round employment or self-employment. Income tax crosses many professional disciplines.

An added bonus is that you will save money on your own taxes and tax preparation fees. The average U.S. taxpayer pays about one-third of his or her income in income taxes. Knowing how to minimize your personal tax bill can save you the cost of the Chartered Tax Professional certificate program many times.

The Steps to Becoming a CTP®

1. Successfully complete The Income Tax School series of six 30-hour Income Tax Courses (four additional courses beyond the 60-hour Comprehensive Tax Course). An average grade of at least 80% must be attained (our adult students average 90%+).
2. Meet the experience requirement of working at least two tax seasons (a minimum of 500 hours) as a tax preparer while in the program (prior tax preparation experience will count for experienced tax professionals who test out of the Basic and/or Intermediate courses). After completing the first tax course you’ll have enough tax knowledge to start working towards your experience requirement. Plus, you’ll start earning money!

Your Chartered Tax Professional Certification Can Be Earned in Months

All courses are offered online via the Internet and can be completed anywhere, anytime, 24/7. The affordable tuition includes instructor support plus a hard copy of each tax course student text with all necessary tax forms at no additional cost. Each course consists of ten 3-hour lessons and can be completed in 5-10 weeks (one or two lessons per week). The entire program could be completed in less than eight months, but many students will take 18-24 months, during which time they will also gain experience and earn money as tax professionals.

You will be awarded a Chartered Tax Professional Certificate

Upon completion, you will be awarded a certificate and the designation of Chartered Tax Professional — CTP®. Acceptable experience completed prior to enrolling in the CTP® program by tax preparers who have tested out of the first two courses will satisfy the experience requirement. Peoples Income Tax School trading as The Income Tax School is certified to operate as a private career school by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV).

After completing this comprehensive certificate program, you will be well prepared to handle almost any individual and small business income tax situation you encounter. You will also be ready to take the next step in your career as a tax professional by preparing for and taking the IRS Enrolled Agent (EA) exam. The EA designation is the most significant credential in the income tax preparation industry; even more relevant than the CPA designation.

Attention California Residents! If you live in California and plan to become a preparer of Federal and/or State income tax returns, you must meet the requirements of the California Tax Education Council (CTEC) to become licensed to practice as a California Tax Preparer. Therefore, you should take our California Chartered Tax Professional certificate program which will enable you to meet the CTEC requirements while also earning your professional Chartered Tax Professional certification. For the California CTP® program please click here.

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:

• Practice as a Qualified Tax Professional
• Prepare Tax Returns for All Individual US Taxpayers
• Prepare Small Businesses Corporate, Partnership & Sole-Proprietor Tax Returns
• Conduct a Professional Tax Preparation Client Interview
• Provide Tax Planning for Individuals and Small Business Owners.
• Meet the IRS e-File and Due Diligence Requirements for Tax Practitioners
• Understand the Ethical Responsibilities of Tax Professionals
• Save Money on Your Personal Taxes and Preparation Fees
• Prepare for the IRS Enrolled Agent (EA) Examination

I. Individual Income Tax Preparation

a. Basic Income Tax Course
i. Electronic Filing
ii. W-2 & 1099 Forms
iii. Form 1040 (1040 EZ/A)
iv. Interview Techniques
v. Filing Requirements
vi. Filing Status
vii. Exemptions & Dependents
viii. Earned Income Tax Credit
ix. Due Diligence
x. Child Care & Tax Credits
xi. Interest & Dividends
xii. Other Income
xiii. Adjustments to Income
xiv. Moving Expenses
xv. Itemized Deductions

b. Intermediate Income Tax Course
i. Employee Business Expenses
ii. Sale of Real Estate
iii. Depreciation: MACRS & ACRS
iv. Self-Employment
v. Filing Requirements
vi. Rental Property
vii. Capital Gains & Losses
viii. Education Expenses & Plans
ix. Education Tax Benefits
x. IRAs & Retirements Plans
xi. Ethics
xii. Kiddie Tax
xiii. Taxpayer Relief Act of 1977
xiv. Tax Saving Ideas
xv. Alternative Minimum Tax
xvi. Office-in-Home
xvii. Injured & Innocent Spouse
xviii. Penalties
xix. Extensions
xx. Amended Returns

c. Advanced Income Tax Course – Level I
i. Earned Income Credit
ii. Clergy
iii. Investments
iv. At Risk Rules
v. Passive Activities
vi. Injured/Innocent Spouse
vii. Tax/Special Credits
viii. COGS/Business Start-Up
ix. Depreciation
x. Amortization
xi. Section 179
xii. Employee Business Expense
xiii. Office in Home
xiv. Auto Expenses
xv. Self-Employment Tax
xvi. Statutory Employees
xvii. Capital Gains/Losses
xviii. Basis of Property
xix. Sale of Stock
xx. Installment Sales
xxi. Rental Properties
xxii. K-1s/1099s
xxiii. Sale of Business Property
xxiv. Estimated Taxes
xxv. Extensions

d. Advanced Income Tax Course – Level II
i. Amended Tax Returns for Individuals
ii. Special Needs and Concerns of Seniors
iii. Tax Issues for High Income Taxpayers
iv. Net Operating Losses
v. Schedule D - Special Issues
vi. Tax Issues for Divorced Taxpayers
vii. Tax Planning Tips and Strategies
viii. Responding to the IRS
ix. Part-year Resident State Tax Preparation Principles
x. Nonresident Alien Returns - Form 1040NR

II. Small Business Income Tax Preparation

a. Introduction to Small Business Tax Preparation
i. Business Types
ii. Accounting Methods
iii. Financial Statements
iv. Business Income
v. Schedule C
vi. COGS/Inventory
vii. Depreciation
viii. Section 179 Deduction
ix. Contractor vs. Employee
x. Sale of Business Property
xi. Partnerships
xii. Corporations - C, S, LLC
xiii. Employee Taxes
xiv. Excise Taxes
xv. Estate Taxes
xvi. Extensions
xvii. Estimates
xviii. Employee Benefits
xix. Retirement Plans

b. Small Business Income Tax Course – Level II
i. Understanding the Balance Sheet
ii. Partnership Issues
iii. Corporation Issues
iv. General Business Credits
v. Tax Issues Related to Buying a Business
vi. Sale or Liquidation of Business
vii. Profit or Loss From Farming - Schedule F
viii. Amended or Corrected Business Returns
ix. What to Do When You Owe the IRS?
x. Tax Preparation for Non-profits: 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), 501(c)(6), etc.