Frequently Asked Questions

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You set your own pace, you may finish in as little as 2-4 weeks, as some students do … or allow yourself more time, if you desire. In fact we allow you up until one year to complete the course. It depends on the amount of time you can devote to your studies, and on your individual speed of learning. We will work with you at whatever speed you find most suitable. 

 If you’ve finished two years of high school, you’ve probably had enough formal education to enable you to complete the ITS course successfully and establish a thriving tax practice. As far as math is concerned, thanks to the electronic calculator, even basic arithmetic skills—simple addition, subtraction, multiplication and division – are hardly necessary any more. 

Absolutely not. And you don’t need any experience in tax work either. Although nearly a third of our students are accountants, bookkeepers or lawyers, most of the others have had no previous experience in tax work at all. 

The IRS requires that tax preparers register and obtain a preparer tax identification number (PTIN). You can obtain a PTIN by going to the IRS website at anytime. 

The total cost of the course is $199.  Please click the "REGISTER NOW" link at the top of the page to make payment.  If you are interested in one-on-one business training or would like to partner with us for the 2024 tax season, please let us know.

Unlike the "BIG CHAIN" tax courses like HR Block and Jackson Hewitt, our course is designed to teach proper tax preparation along with a strong focus on business development and marketing.  While these companies do a great job at TEACHING tax preparation, they do little to help you build your business or field clientele to feed your business.  Our company is dedicated is seeing our clients succeed.  That's why when you start the course you are assigned a business development coach to help you reach your entrepreneurial goals.   Our comprehensive Federal Income Tax Course is written by our own instructors and is designed to impart to the student the knowledge needed to understand the theory and concepts of the US federal tax system. This gives the student the ability and confidence to give tax advice and prepare tax returns for clients and others. It is the goal of ITS to train our students so that they are proficient enough to work immediately after graduation and even go on their own if they so desire. 

No. Although our training program was originally designed for the purpose of preparing our students for the tax profession, we have found that a sizable percentage enroll with the sole intention of handling their own personal or business tax matters. Many report substantial tax savings, greater peace-of-mind, and, frequently, sizable refunds obtained through re-filing tax returns for prior years. 

Our course is designed to train the student in Federal Income Tax law and procedures so that upon graduation he or she will have the knowledge and skill to prepare tax returns and render other tax services for all types of taxpayers, such as wage earners, salespersons, owners of small business, professionals, investors, home and rental property owners, farmers, etc. 

While the first year’s earnings of our graduates range from several hundred dollars to as much as several thousand, there is no “average” graduate. The total earnings depend on many factors, such as the amount of time available, the geographical area, the type of clientele served, etc. Learn more about how much tax preparers make. 

A great many of the income tax returns filed are for low income, salaried individuals who have little, if any, outside income and few deductions. These are the simple, routine type of returns that provide the bulk of the business for the larger tax preparation chains. But as the taxpayers’ income increases, their sources of income become more varied. They are likely to invest or trade in stocks and bonds, they usually own their own home, and may also own rental property or have real estate investments, and so on. Correspondingly, they probably have a greater amount of and variety of deductions, tax credits, etc. Finally, you have the self-employed businessmen and women, professionals, or farmers who, in addition to their personal returns, are required to file various business tax returns. Learn more about what you can expect as a tax preparer and possible career paths. 

Naturally, returns for the low bracket individuals, because of their simplicity and of the relatively little skills required, bring lower fees. On the other hand, because they can be handled quickly, preparing returns for lower income, lower fee taxpayers on a volume basis can be very profitable. Serving higher income taxpayers and self-employed individuals, though the work is not really complicated, requires a greater amount of skill and obviously justifies higher fees. Moreover, these taxpayers often turn into a prolific source of additional fees by way of recommending new, similarly situated, clients as well as by their frequent need for additional tax services during the year. The typical tax practice grows at a yearly rate of 25 to 50 percent during the early years. Many of our graduates find that the most satisfying challenging part of their business lies in serving these more lucrative types of clients but the ITS training program fully qualifies you to attract and serve all groups and classes of taxpayers. Learn more about how much tax preparers make. 

Yes. However, it has been our experience that a full-time business is best accomplished as an outgrowth of part-time tax preparation. Generally, we recommend that you gain “on the job” experience gradually in order to develop your fullest potential. The typical tax practice grows at a yearly rate of 25 to 50 percent during the early years. But it should not be long before you will be ready to enter the business on a full-time basis, should you so desire. 

Absolutely. Tax practice is particularly well suited for older persons, not only because the work involves little physical exertion, but even more so because clients instinctively feel confident in the competence and judgment of a mature individual. Then too, tax preparation is light, enjoyable work performed in delightful working conditions at your own working pace. For the same reason, tax work constitutes an excellent part- or full-time source of income for those with physical disabilities. 

The relationship between our course and a tax guide can best be compared to that of a language course to a dictionary. A tax guide or reference manual similar to a dictionary is intended to provide answers to specific questions and, when intelligently used, it serves its purpose well. It doesn’t teach; explain; compare; offer examples; train; motivate or test the readers’ knowledge. Nor does it provide the users with an opportunity to apply their knowledge in solving actual problems. An effective well rounded training program, on the other hand, is designed to assure that the students possess and retain a sound grasp of the subject by imparting the knowledge systematically, in logical sequence and in accordance with tested educational procedures. 

Yes. The overwhelming majority of states have patterned their method of tax computation almost completely after those used in the Federal income tax. Hence you will find that most of the information you need for preparing the state tax return can be picked up from the Federal return. Furthermore, our exclusive reference aid, “Your Guide to State Personal Income Taxes” will help you familiarize yourself with the general structure and peculiarities of state income taxes so that you will readily be able to prepare state tax returns, not only for your state but for out-of-state clients as well. Please note that in the State of California, Tax Preparers are also required to be licensed by the state.  

Most accountant’s primary duties and sources of income are the preparation of financial statements, audits, installation and supervision of accounting systems, management and consulting services, and the like as well as complicated business tax returns. They are, as a rule, not anxious for tax return work for individuals because the seasonal rush interferes with their year-round practice. In fact, we show you how you can obtain valuable client referrals from many of these firms. 

Competition in tax work is much less of a factor than in most other trades, businesses or professions. One reason is that the demand for professional tax services by far outstrips the supply. There simply aren’t enough tax men or women qualified to serve those looking for tax service during the height of the season. Then too, many of the self-styled “tax experts” serving the smaller taxpayer are poorly trained individuals frequently with outdated knowledge of tax laws and procedures. ITS graduates, due to their superior training and preparation, soon become recognized as skilled tax practitioners. The chain tax organizations, with their impersonal assembly line, supermarket type of tax service mainly attract the low bracket, less lucrative type of taxpayers. We have found that even many of these individuals will gladly switch to a tax preparer who offers a more personal service at reasonable rates.