2020 Annual Filing Season Program (AFSP)

Earn the IRS’s AFSP Record of Completion by Dec. 31, 2019

Welcome TaxSlayer customers! Surgent is proud to partner with TaxSlayer to offer the 2020Annual Filing Season (AFSP) Program package. 

The Annual Filing Season Program (AFSP) aims to recognize the efforts of tax return preparers who aspire to a higher level of professionalism. Those who choose to participate in this year’s program can meet the requirements by obtaining specified hours of continuing education and meeting certain other guidelines prior to the upcoming filing season.

If you are a non-credentialed tax preparer and want to be able to represent your clients during an examination of a tax return, you must earn the AFSP Record of Completion.  Non-credentialed preparers who do not complete this program can still prepare tax returns with a valid PTIN but will have no representation rights before the IRS.

In addition to gaining limited representation rights before the IRS, tax preparers who earn the AFSP Record of Completion will be included in the IRS’s Directory of Federal Tax Return Preparers with Credentials and Select Qualifications. The AFSP Record of Completion is also a great way to differentiate yourself from other tax preparers in the marketplace. 

What is the first step toward earning the AFSP Record of Completion?

Requirements differ for exempt and non-exempt tax preparers.  Click here to determine which group you belong to and then click one of these buttons to find the right Surgent AFSP package for your needs:

I am a non-exempt tax preparer  I am an exempt tax preparer

AFSP Package for Non-Exempt Tax Preparers

For non-credentialed (also known as “non-exempt”) tax preparers, there are many advantages to earning the IRS’ AFSP Record of Completion: gaining limited representation rights before the IRS, being included in the IRS’ Directory of Federal Tax Return Preparers with Credentials and Select Qualifications, and differentiating yourself from other tax preparers in the marketplace.

To earn the 2020 AFSP Record of Completion, non-exempt preparers must complete the following by Dec. 31, 2019:

• Obtain/renew a valid PTIN for the 2020 filing season

• Consent to Circular 230 practice requirements

• Earn 18 hours of IRS-approved continuing education (CE), including:

  • A 6-hour Annual Federal Tax Refresher (AFTR) course and related 100-question exam

  • 10 hours of federal tax law topics

  • 2 hours of ethics

(To find out if you qualify for exempt preparer status, please click here).

Complete 18-Hour AFSP Package for Non-Exempt Preparers

These packages include all the course material that non-exempt preparers need to fulfill the 18-hour CE requirement, including the AFTR course and timed exam. Choose the online download format for easy PDF access or the textbook format to have a hard copy of materials shipped to you.

AFSP Package for Exempt Tax Preparers

If you are a CPA, Enrolled Agent, or attorney, or if you previously earned the IRS’s RTRP certification or are a participant in a state-based return preparer program, you are exempt from some of the requirements to earn the AFSP Record of Completion. (To find out if you qualify for exempt preparer status, please click here).

To earn the 2020 AFSP Record of Completion, exempt preparers must complete the following by Dec. 31, 2019:

• Earn 15 hours of IRS-approved continuing education:

  • 3 hours of federal tax law update

  • 10 hours of federal tax law topics

  • 2 hours of ethics

• Obtain/renew a valid PTIN for the 2020 filing season

• Consent to Circular 230 practice requirements

15-Hour AFSP Package for Exempt Preparers

These packages include all the course material that exempt preparers need to fulfill the 15-hour CE requirement. Choose the online download format for easy PDF access or the textbook format to have a hard copy of materials shipped to you.