Practical tax training for Canada & the United States
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Beginner to practitioner · United States

US Tax Returns

A seasonal intake that runs from 1 October to the end of December, so you finish trained and ready as the filing season opens. Covers the federal individual return from filing status through to a complete 1040 with schedules, prepared in professional software.

18h
of video instruction
2
practical cases & interviews
1
graded checkpoints
10
modules

Timed to the season

This course opens on 1 October and closes at the end of December, which is not an arbitrary window. It puts you through the material in the weeks before the filing season and leaves you finishing as returns start arriving. Within the intake the course is entirely self-paced — short video lessons you work through on your own schedule, with live tutor sessions available throughout. Once you hold the course, access continues afterwards, including every future annual update.

What the course covers

The federal individual return, front to back. Filing status and dependants, wage and investment income, the schedules that hang off the 1040, the deduction choice, credits, and self-employment income on Schedule C. Every part is worked in professional tax preparation software against realistic client material, so what you practise is what you will actually do. State returns are not covered; this is federal.

Who this course is for

Who this is for

Preparers entering the US market for the first time, accountants outside the United States taking on US filing work, and bookkeepers who want to handle their own clients' returns rather than passing them on. No prior US tax knowledge is assumed. Familiarity with accounting fundamentals is.

What's inside

Module order and gating are set by the instructor and can change as the course is updated.

01VideoThe US federal system and Form 10402h 00m

How the federal individual system fits together, who must file, the deadlines and extensions, and the structure of Form 1040 and its numbered schedules.

02VideoFiling status, dependants and the standard deduction1h 30m

Determining filing status correctly, the dependant tests, and the choice between the standard deduction and itemising on Schedule A.

03VideoWage, interest and dividend income1h 45m

Reading a W-2 and the 1099 family, reporting wage income, interest and dividends, and the reconciliation points that most often produce a CP2000 notice.

04VideoCapital gains and investment reporting1h 45m

Basis, holding period, Form 8949 and Schedule D, wash sales, and carrying capital losses forward.

05VideoSelf-employment income — Schedule C2h 15m

Business income and deductible expenses, the home office deduction, vehicle expenses, depreciation, and self-employment tax on Schedule SE.

06VideoRental property — Schedule E1h 30m

Reporting rental income and expenses, depreciation on residential rental property, and the passive activity loss limitations.

07VideoCredits and adjustments1h 45m

The child tax credit, earned income credit, education credits and the rest — including the due-diligence requirements a paid preparer carries on several of them.

08QuizFederal return — graded assessment45m

A graded assessment across the federal material. Sat in Safe Exam Browser, with a pass mark of 80%.

09AI ClientPractical case — a complete 10401h 30m

A full federal return prepared from raw client documents in professional software, with nothing flagged in advance.

10AI ClientClient interview — agentic AI simulation45m

A live intake interview with an AI client. You run the interview, establish the facts, and prepare the return on what you managed to gather.

Frequently asked questions

course image
$299 USD
Shown in US dollars.
Apply for a place
NO PAYMENT ONLINE · REVIEWED BY AN INSTRUCTOR
Intake
October 1, 2026December 31, 2026
Intake runs 1 October to 31 December, ahead of the filing season.
Federal individual return, end to end
Worked in professional tax software
Graded quizzes after each part
Live tutor sessions, in person or by Zoom
Every annual update, at no further cost
Certificate of completion
Graded work runs inside Safe Exam Browser. You install it once from a config file sent at enrollment. Hands-on labs use Intuit ProSeries.
3 GATED MODULES · UNITED STATES CURRICULUM