IRS Gets Ready to Host Tax Forums

The Internal Revenue Service is reminding tax professionals to register for its 2016 IRS Nationwide Tax Forums, where they can earn up to 19 continuing professional education credits.

Five forums held are scheduled to take place across the country starting in July. Enrolled agents, CPAs, certified financial planners, Annual Filing Season Program participants  and other tax professionals are eligible to earn CPE credits. 

The three-day events give tax professionals up-to-date information about federal and state tax issues from experts from the IRS and partner organizations through a variety of training seminars and workshops.

The cost of enrollment for those who pre-register is $235 per person, a savings of $135 compared to the late or on-site registration price of $370.  Pre-registration ends two weeks prior to the start of each forum. Attendees who pre-register two weeks before the start of their forum will save $135.

The schedule is as follows:

Location

Forum Dates

Pre-Registration Deadline for $235 rate

Chicago

July 12 – 14

June 28

New Orleans

July 26 – 28

July 12

National Harbor, Md. (near Washington, D.C.)

Aug. 23 – 25

Aug. 9

Orlando, Fla.

Aug. 30 – Sept. 1

Aug. 16

San Diego

Sept. 13 – 15

Aug. 30

More than 40 separate seminars and workshops are being offered, and enrolled agents and CPAs can earn up to 19 continuing professional education credits in each location.  The seminars can also qualify for continuing education credit for certified financial planners, pending review and acceptance by the Certified Financial Planner Board.

Attendees will be able to download the slide presentations for the seminars of interest to them and print or load them onto a mobile device a few days before each forum.
Members of the participating associations, listed below, who meet the early registration deadline would pay $225, an extra $10 off.  They should contact their association directly for more information:

• American Bar Association (ABA)
• American Institute of CPAs (AICPA)
• National Association of Enrolled Agents (NAEA)
• National Association of Tax Professionals (NATP)
• National Society of Accountants (NSA)
• National Society of Tax Professionals (NSTP)

Case Resolution Program
Tax professionals who have tough unresolved client cases can also make appointments to meet face to face with IRS representatives at the IRS Case Resolution Program room. Since 2011, the case resolution staff has worked on nearly 4,000 cases, with a resolution rate of more than 97 percent. Tax professionals need to bring a valid power of attorney for the case they wish to work with the IRS. Because of the popularity of the program, tax professionals should bring only one client case per meeting with IRS representatives in the Case Resolution Program.

In addition to the seminars, the forums also feature a two-day expo with representatives from tax, financial, and business communities offering their products, services and expertise designed with the tax professional in mind.

In a survey of 2015 attendees, the forums received an overall 95 percent satisfaction rate. This is the 26th year that the IRS has hosted these forums to help educate and interact with the tax professional community.

For more information, or to register online, visit www.irstaxforum.com.

Presentations from past forums are available here:

IRS PowerPoint Presentations from 2015 Tax Forums
IRS PowerPoint Presentations from 2014 Tax Forums
IRS PowerPoint Presentations from 2013 Tax Forums

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