Annual Filing Season Program

If you're a tax preparer, you rely on your client's trust. Fortunately, you have an excellent way to show them you're worthy of that trust. It's the IRS's Annual Filing Season Program (AFSP), which is designed specifically for non-credentialed tax preparers. 

If you want to learn more about getting and keeping your AFSP certification - including taking the right annual filing season program online courses - use this guide.  

What is the Annual Filing Season Program?

With the IRS's Annual Filing Season Program (AFSP), you have a way to show that you take steps to stay up-to-date on current tax law. You get listed on the IRS Directory of Federal Tax Return Preparers with Credentials and Select Qualifications, too.

Basically, AFSP certification helps to legitimize you as a professional. It does require some work to get and maintain the AFSP certification, but it's worth it. And it's getting easier all the time thanks to things like annual filing season program online courses.

What are the AFSP Certification requirements?

First up, let's look at how to get AFSP certification in the first place. Really, you just need to do three things:

• Get and maintain an active preparer tax identification number (PTIN).
• Review and agree to abide by section 10.51 and Subpart B of the Treasury Department Circular No. 230. Basically, this is just saying you'll do your work diligently, legally, and ethically. 
• Complete the required continuing education (which can be done easily in the form of annual filing season program online courses).

Let's dig more into that last step. To get your AFSP certification, you need to complete 18 hours of continuing education each year. But it's more than just heading to a classroom and sitting in for a few days. 

When you're looking for annual filing season program online courses, you need to choose ones that meet AFSP requirements. That means the hours need to break down as follows:

• 6 hours of the Annual Federal Tax Refresher (AFTR) course
  • Enrolled agents are unable to receive credit from the AFTR course
• 10 hours on federal tax law
• 2 hours on ethics

Complete these 18 hours of annual filing season program online courses each year and you'll be able to get and maintain your AFSP certification.

What should I do if I already passed the Registered Tax Return Preparer exam?

If you've taken and passed the Registered Tax Return Preparer exam, you're classified as an exempt individual. That means you don't need to take the 6-hour AFTR course that non-exempt tax preparers have to complete for AFSP certification.

You do still need to take continuing education, but you'll have to finish fewer hours. As an exempt individual, you need to complete 15 hours of continuing education from an IRS-approved education provider each year. Those hours need to be distributed as follows:

• 3 hours on federal tax law updates
• 10 hours on other federal tax law topics 
• 2 hours on ethics

Fortunately, you can take the 15 hours you need each year through annual filing season program online courses, giving you the flexibility to knock out your hours at your convenience.  

If you do that, maintain your PTIN, and abide by section 10.51 and Subpart B of the Treasury Department Circular No. 230, you'll be able to get and keep your AFSP certification. 

AFSP Continuing Education Requirements for Exempt and Non-Exempt Preparers

How do I get my Record of Completion?

Of course, if you're completing the steps to get AFSP certification, you'll want to have a Record of Completion to show for it. Fortunately, receiving your record is easy. 

When you complete IRS-approved continuing education hours, your education provider reports those hours to the IRS with your PTIN. 

Then, once the PTIN renewal season starts each October, the IRS reviews your information. Assuming you've completed the required continuing education and kept your PTIN active, the IRS generates an AFSP Record of Completion for you. 

Each year, you should get an email from TaxPros@ptin.irs.gov telling you how to consent to the Circular 230 requirements we mentioned above. That email should also give you details on how to get your Record of Completion.

But that process only works if you have an online PTIN account. If you don't, you'll get a letter with this info.  

What can I do with a Record of Completion for the AFSP?

As we've mentioned before, getting your AFSP certification adds you to the IRS's Directory of Federal Tax Return Preparers with Credentials and Select Qualifications. But that's not the only benefit you reap. 

Since 2015, the IRS has made a concerted effort to encourage people to work with a credentialed, qualified tax professional for their returns. With the AFSP seal, you can show people that you're a good option for them. 

Additionally, with this certification, you gain limited representation rights, helping you better serve your clients because you can represent them before the IRS. If you don't have the AFSP seal, you can still prepare tax returns, but you can't represent your clients at all. This can be a problem for client retention. If you don't want to limit yourself in your ability to help people whose returns you prepared so they'll come back to you next year, you'll need AFSP certification.

Ultimately, joining the IRS's annual filing season program gives you a way to legitimize yourself as a trustworthy, knowledgeable tax professional. And since all you need to do is comply with regulation, keep the PTIN you probably already have, and take continuing education (which you can do online), the hassle is small for a big payoff. If you haven't already secured your ASFP certification, there's no time like the present.