Becoming a tax preparer has many benefits. You get to enjoy a flexible career, no cap on your income, and even holidays and summers free for many preparers! But if you really want to take your career to the next level, you’ll want to get on the track to become a Chartered Tax Professional.
What is a Chartered Tax Professional (CTP®)?
A CTP® is someone who has completed a series of 5 core tax courses at Surgent Income Tax School, in individual and small business tax. Plus, they have completed a 300-hour experience requirement to ensure they have internalized the knowledge and can apply what they have learned.
What are the benefits of becoming a CTP®?
- Earning the CTP® designation enhances your reputation as a trusted tax preparer, who has gone above and beyond to understand the many facets of tax.
- You learn to prepare all types of tax returns, individual and small business – even very complex ones. This means you’ll be able to serve all types of tax clients.
- When you prepare more complicated tax returns, you can charge more for them. This will increase your revenue.
- While you work toward becoming a CTP®, you also acquire the tax knowledge necessary to prepare for the Enrolled Agent’s exam. An Enrolled Agent (EA) is the highest designation in the tax industry, and is awarded by the IRS.
- One you earn the CTP® designation, you’ll receive a digital badge (like the one to the right), that you can share virtually on all your social media and networking sites. This will help people, as well as current and future employers, confirm your knowledge and skills!
Stay up-to-date and in-the-know with tax law
Tax laws change every single year, without fail. When you become a CTP®, you will have annual education requirements. These education requirements ensure you stay current with the top changes in the industry. So you will always be able to prepare your clients’ tax returns and give them the best tax planning advice possible. The annual continuing education (CE) is very doable: 9 hours of federal tax law, 3 hours of ethics, and 3 hours of federal tax law updates. That’s it! And if you go on to become an EA, you can use these same hours to meet EA CE requirements as well!
Because you have taken the time to learn how to prepare all sorts of tax returns and stay current each year, clients will stay with you, and they will refer their friends and family to you. This means your business and your revenue will increase each year!