2025 Annual Federal Tax Refresher (AFTR)

Overview

Each year, various limits impacting income tax return preparation and tax planning are affected by inflation-related changes. In addition, various new tax laws may be passed. This course will examine many of those changes.

The Annual Federal Tax Refresher course is designed to meet the requirements of the IRS voluntary Annual Filing Season program. It discusses new tax law and recent updates for the upcoming filing season, provides a general tax review, and examines important rules governing tax return preparer ethics, practices, and procedures.

In organizing this course, the term “domain” is used in place of the more common “chapter” to more closely follow the language of the IRS Annual Federal Tax Refresher course outline.

Enrolled Agents will not receive CPE credit for completing this course.

This course and final exam must be completed no later than midnight December 31, 2025, in order to receive credit from the IRS. The final exam includes 100 questions, and you have 3 hours to complete the final exam. You have 3 attempts to complete the final exam with a passing score of 70% or better. No copy of the final exam can be provided.

In order for your completion to be reported to the IRS for CE Credit, you must enter your PTIN number of your Professional Profile under My Account in CCH CPELink.

Major Topics:

• New tax law and recent updates
• General income tax review
• Practices, procedures, and professional responsibility

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the principal individual income tax changes brought about by recent legislation
• Apply the inflation-adjusted and other limits to the proper preparation of taxpayers’ income tax returns
• Recognize the federal income tax filing statuses and the criteria for their use
• Identify the types of income that must be recognized
• Apply the tax rules to the various credits and adjustments to income that are available to taxpayers
• Recognize the penalties that may be imposed on a preparer for failing to meet ethical and practice standards in preparing tax returns
• Identify the duties and restrictions imposed on tax preparers under Circular 230