National tax prep chain Jackson Hewitt Tax Service has launched a tax school in light of the new IRS requirements that preparers secure the RTRP designation.
The nationwide program will offer a curriculum to meet what Jackson Hewitt calls "the tax education needs of individuals who are new to the tax preparation field, as well as the ongoing training requirements of experienced tax professionals."
These needs, the company notes, now include that all tax professionals regardless of experience level pass the RTRP competency test by Dec. 31, 2013, and complete annual continuing education requirements. Jackson Hewitt is also an IRS-approved CE provider. The RTRP Competency Test is an IRS-mandated test that tax professionals are required to pass unless they are already a CPA, EA or attorney.
The courses are open to anyone, not just those who are or are interested in applying for positions as tax preparers with Jackson Hewitt, according to the company. While the tax courses are the first step for some to go on to obtain employment with Jackson Hewitt, enrollment in or completion of courses is neither an offer nor a guarantee of employment, the company added.
Courses are offered in a classroom setting and online, and Jackson Hewitt also helps students obtain a PTIN. The Basic Income Tax Course is a progressive tax education program designed for beginners with no tax-prep experience required; students complete several sample returns in the course. Training also includes the ExamMatrix RTRP test review (Jackson Hewitt has teamed with ExamMatrix for test-review courses -- see
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