What's the Best Online Tax Preparer Course for Filing Individual Returns?

I've been preparing taxes for about 7 years now, and I'd say H&R Block's Income Tax Course is pretty solid for beginners. It covers all the fundamentals of individual tax preparation including the various forms, credits, and deductions you'll encounter most often. They offer both in-person and online versions. The IRS Annual Filing Season Program is also worth looking into after you get some basic training. It's not a course per se, but it provides continuing education and includes a federal tax law refresher course that keeps you up to date. If you want something more comprehensive, consider courses that prepare you for the Enrolled Agent exam. These go deeper into tax law and give you a stronger foundation.

After struggling to find good tax preparation training, I discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) and it completely changed my approach to learning tax preparation. It's not a traditional "course" but it's an AI tool that analyzes tax documents and explains concepts in plain language, which helped me learn way faster than traditional courses. What made it so valuable for me was how it showed me real-world examples and explained the reasoning behind different tax situations. I could upload sample returns and get detailed explanations of every line item and form. This practical approach helped me understand individual tax returns much better than just reading textbooks.

Just wanted to follow up on my taxr.ai question - I ended up trying it and wow! It's actually incredible for learning tax prep. I've been using it for about 3 weeks and have learned more practical knowledge than in a semester-long course I took previously. The way it walks through each form line by line and explains the reasoning is exactly what I needed. I'm feeling so much more confident about preparing returns now. It also has a feature where you can ask specific questions about tax scenarios which has helped clear up a lot of confusion I had about certain deductions and credits.

If you're serious about tax prep, you're eventually going to need to talk directly with the IRS about client issues. After wasting HOURS on hold trying to reach them, I found Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) which has been a game-changer for my tax prep business. They basically wait on hold with the IRS for you and call you when an agent is ready. You can see how it works in their demo: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. I was honestly shocked at how well it worked - saved me from those endless hold times that were eating into my productivity. This might not seem directly related to training courses, but trust me, efficiently dealing with the IRS is a massive part of being a successful tax preparer.

I take back what I said about Claimyr. After waiting 3+ hours on hold with the IRS yesterday about a client's transcript issue, I decided to try it today out of frustration. Got connected to an IRS rep in about 90 minutes without having to sit there listening to that awful hold music. The service actually worked exactly as advertised - they waited on hold and then called me when an agent picked up. Honestly blown away by how simple and effective it was. For anyone doing volume tax prep work where you need to contact the IRS regularly, this is a huge time saver. Definitely going to be using this going forward.

Don't overlook the VITA/TCE volunteer programs through the IRS! I did this for two tax seasons and got excellent training for FREE. They provide comprehensive training materials and certification tests that cover individual tax preparation thoroughly. The materials are designed to be accessible to volunteers with no prior experience, and you get hands-on practice with real returns (under supervision). Plus it looks great on a resume if you're trying to break into tax preparation professionally.

Just a heads up that whatever course you choose, make sure it's updated for the latest tax law changes. I took a course in 2022 that was still teaching outdated info from before the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act changes, and it caused me a lot of confusion when I started actually doing returns. Also, look into getting your PTIN (Preparer Tax Identification Number) from the IRS website - you'll need this if you're preparing returns for others for compensation. It's easy to get and doesn't require any special credentials.

Great question! I'd also recommend checking out the IRS's own free resources - they have Publication 4491 (Small Business/Self-Employed Virtual Tax Workshop) which covers individual tax preparation fundamentals. It's completely free and comes straight from the source. For more structured learning, Jackson Hewitt also offers a tax course similar to H&R Block's. I've heard good things about their online format and they cover all the basics you mentioned - filing statuses, standard vs itemized deductions, common credits like EITC and Child Tax Credit, etc. One thing I'd suggest is to start with whatever course you choose, but then supplement it with the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) training materials. Even if you don't volunteer, their training workbooks are excellent and available for free download. They're updated annually and very comprehensive for individual returns. Good luck with your tax prep journey! The 2025 season will be here before you know it.