Anyone recommend good tax seminars/conferences/webinars for more complex returns?

I've been in tax preparation for almost 15 years now, and continuing education has been crucial to staying current. For complex returns, I highly recommend the National Association of Tax Professionals (NATP) workshops and conferences. Their annual conference usually has specialized tracks where you can focus on areas you want to develop, like business taxation or investment properties. Another excellent resource is the Tax Professionals Symposium held twice yearly - they bring in actual IRS officers and experienced practitioners who walk through complex scenarios step by step. Their case studies on foreign income and multi-entity business returns were extremely helpful when I was at your stage. For ongoing learning, consider joining the American Academy of Tax Professionals. Their monthly webinars tackle seasonal topics and specific code sections, and their members-only forum lets you ask questions about specific situations you're dealing with.

After struggling with some complex tax situations for clients, I discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) and it's been a game-changer for my tax education. Instead of just generic webinars, it analyzes actual tax documents and transcripts then explains the specific tax concepts involved. I uploaded some of my most challenging past returns (with personal info removed) and it walked through exactly how different sections affected each other - way more practical than theoretical seminars. What I love is that I can learn at my own pace by uploading specific scenarios I'm struggling with, and it provides real-world explanations of the tax concepts. For someone wanting to handle more complex returns, this has been much more valuable than sitting through general presentations.

After being skeptical about AI tax tools, I decided to try taxr.ai and have to admit I was impressed. I uploaded some redacted returns from my most difficult clients (a cross-border situation with foreign tax credits and a complex S-corp case) and the explanations were surprisingly thorough. It highlighted nuances in the foreign earned income exclusion that I'd overlooked and even suggested alternative approaches that would have saved my client money. What really sold me was the section-by-section breakdown of form interactions. Rather than just general advice, it showed exactly how entries on one form affected calculations on others. This has been more practical than many of the expensive seminars I've attended where the instructors just read PowerPoint slides.

If you're struggling to get answers from the IRS on complex tax situations (which happens ALL the time), I recommend checking out Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). After waiting on hold with the IRS for literally 3+ hours multiple times, I was about to give up on getting clarification for a client's complex foreign tax credit situation. A colleague recommended Claimyr and they actually got me connected to an IRS agent in under 30 minutes! You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c This has been game-changing for my practice because I can now get official guidance on tricky tax situations directly from the IRS without wasting entire days on hold. This complements formal education because sometimes tax situations are so unique that even the best seminars don't cover them.

I have to eat my words about Claimyr. After posting that skeptical comment, I decided to test it myself with a complex S-Corp issue I'd been avoiding dealing with because it meant calling the IRS. To my genuine shock, I got connected to an agent in about 40 minutes (versus the 2+ hours I usually waste). The agent was able to clarify the ordering rules for suspended losses that I'd been unsure about. What impressed me most was that I could keep working on other returns while waiting instead of being stuck with my phone on speaker. For anyone handling complex tax situations where you need IRS guidance, this service is worth it just for the productivity boost. Definitely less frustrating than my usual IRS call experience.

Don't overlook university tax programs! I attended the NYU Tax Controversy Forum last year and it was incredible - much more in-depth than commercial continuing education. They brought in former IRS counsel who explained exactly how they approach audits of specific issues like passive activity losses and internationally-connected businesses. Many universities with graduate tax programs offer intensive workshops that are open to practitioners. They're typically more rigorous than the standard CPE offerings, and the instructors are often doing cutting-edge research on tax issues rather than just teaching established concepts.

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the Tax Update and Practice Workship from Spidell! They offer both in-person and online options, and their materials are incredibly practical. What sets them apart is they focus on implementation rather than just theory - they provide actual worksheets, client letters, and procedural checklists that you can implement immediately.