[ocboa]

I see that HRBlock offers an introductory tax preparation course, but have heard it’s not very good. Does anyone here recommend any courses for becoming familiar with basic tax prep?

[Ag12thman]

Are you working for a firm and just trying to get a head start on learning maybe or do you just desire to learn on your own? If you want to learn correctly, it would be best to get on with a tax/accounting firm and learn while working under a CPA. There are entry-level positions at most firms that do not pay much at all, but lead to a lot more pay after you gain experience. Depending on the firm and area of the U.S. you are working in, the first three years generally pay $35,000 to $40,000 per year (again – this can VARY a lot – depends on state and city), but you can work your way up to making $50,000 to $60,000 even before getting your CPA license. I would stay away from H&R Block, Liberty, and whoever else offers training. It has been my experience that they do a lot of things wrong when it comes to tax prep (especially on more involved returns and/or partnerships, S-corps, trusts, etc.).

FAR: July 2016

[taxgeek83]

How basic are we talking? VITA has a certification program that essentially takes you from zero to basic/intermediate 1040s. It doesn't include entity returns, and the Sch C instruction is very basic (no losses, depreciation, etc.). Also, no rentals and no Sch F.

Outside of that, I'm not sure.

[WaivingMyHands_ALOT]

I think the best thing you can do for yourself is read through the IRS instructions for different forms. All of the material is online and free. They have a ton of publications that go moderately in depth and provide examples. Not exactly a thrilling way to spend the day, but you'll learn a lot if you don't have much of a background in tax prep.

AUD 99
BEC 96
FAR 94
REG 96

[Author]

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