PROFESSIONAL TAX ACADEMY
Personal Income Tax
Learn to Prepare Individual Tax Returns with Confidence
Build the practical knowledge and skills needed to prepare personal income tax returns and begin your journey as a professional tax preparer.
Explore the ProgramStart with a Strong Tax Foundation
Personal Income Tax is designed for new tax preparers, bookkeepers adding tax services, tax office employees, and anyone who wants to understand how to prepare individual federal income tax returns.
The program takes students through the complete individual tax return process—from gathering taxpayer information and reporting income to calculating tax, applying credits, reviewing the return, and preparing it for filing.
Who Should Enroll?
New Tax Preparers
Learn the principles and practical steps needed to begin preparing individual tax returns.
Bookkeepers
Add personal income tax preparation to the services you already provide.
Tax Office Employees
Strengthen your tax knowledge and become more confident working with clients.
Future Business Owners
Build the tax preparation foundation needed before opening or growing your own tax practice.
What You Will Learn
Develop a practical understanding of the information, forms, calculations, and decisions involved in preparing an individual tax return.
Taxpayer Information
Learn how filing status, dependents, household information, and taxpayer details affect the return.
Income Reporting
Understand wages, interest, dividends, retirement income, self-employment income, and other common income sources.
Adjustments and Deductions
Learn how adjustments, the standard deduction, and itemized deductions affect taxable income.
Tax Credits
Explore common nonrefundable and refundable tax credits available to individual taxpayers.
Schedules and Supporting Forms
Learn how common schedules and supporting forms connect to Form 1040.
Completing the Return
Review tax calculations, payments, refunds, due diligence, and the steps used to check and close a return.
Learn by Preparing Tax Returns
Tax preparation is a practical skill. This program is designed to help students apply what they learn through realistic examples, learning activities, and practice tax returns.
Learn
Study tax concepts through structured lessons and video instruction.
Practice
Apply the concepts using examples, assignments, and practice returns.
Prepare
Build the confidence needed to work with individual tax clients.
Included with Your Enrollment
✔ Self-paced online education
✔ Step-by-step video instruction
✔ Practical learning activities
✔ Practice tax returns
✔ Practice quizzes and exams
✔ Tax coaching and student support
✔ Annual tax law updates
✔ Certificate of Completion
Continue Toward the PTP Designation
Personal Income Tax is the first part of the complete Professional Tax Preparer learning path.
Students can continue into Professional Tax Preparer: Profitable Business Returns and work toward qualifying for the Professional Tax Preparer (PTP) designation.
The PTP designation is awarded to students who complete the required training and earn 90% or higher on the comprehensive final examination. Two final exam attempts are included with the complete PTP training.
Start Your Tax Preparation Journey
Build a strong foundation, develop practical skills, and prepare to serve individual tax clients with confidence.
Enroll in Personal Income Tax