RTRP Continuing Professional Education Requirements
- Registered tax return preparers (or those seeking to become a registered tax return preparer) will have continuing professional education requirement of 15 hours per year. The
15-hour annual requirement consists of 10 hours of federal tax law
topics, three hours of tax law updates and two hours of ethics and/or
professional conduct.
- Individuals
who are required to take the Registered Tax Return Preparer competency
test before the end of 2013 must begin completing continuing education
courses in 2012. The CPE requirement will take effect on January 1, 2012.
- Continuing education requirements for individuals who initially become a RTRP after January 31st will be prorated for the initial registration year. These individuals will be required to complete one hour of CE credit regarding federal tax law updates or federal tax law topics for each month or portion of a month that the individual is an RTRP. In addition, these individuals will be required to complete two hours of ethics credits regardless of when the individual becomes an RTRP. For example, an individual who becomes an RTRP on April 20th is required to complete two hours of ethics credits plus 9 hours of credits regarding federal tax law or federal tax law updates.
- Preparers must obtain the courses from IRS-approved providers. To be an IRS-approved CE Provider, an organization must be one of the following:
• An accredited educational institution,
• Recognized for continuing education purposes by the licensing body of any state or U.S. territory,
• Approved by a qualifying organization as a provider of CE on subject matters designed for registered tax return preparers, enrolled agents, and enrolled retirement plan agents (such qualifying organizations will be known as accrediting organizations), or
• Any other professional organization, society or business recognized by the IRS as a provider of CE on subject matters designed for registered tax return preparers, enrolled agents, and enrolled retirement plan agents.
- Preparers do NOT need to submit their CPE certificates of completion to the IRS. IRS Approved CE Providers are responsible for submitting that information on their behalf.
- Even though preparers don’t have to submit their certificates to the IRS, per Circular 230, Registered Tax Return Preparers, Enrolled Agents, and Enrolled Retirement Plan Agents must retain their records of continuing education for four years.
The IRS will maintain full oversight of approving and reviewing providers