Distance learning is a highly popular method of advancing one's education. The primary reason is that it provides a great deal of flexibility in completing course requirements. This means that one can pursue a new career while maintaining current employment or attending to family responsibilities.

There are a number of tax preparation courses offered online:

H & R BLOCK

Jackson Hewitt

Liberty Tax

You can also find a list of tax courses at taxcoursereviews.com

Which one you choose will depend on costs and what you plan to do with the certificate. If you seek to enroll in a program solely to have the ability to complete your own tax returns, you may be able to locate free online courses. If however, you wish to work for a tax preparation firm or open a solo-based practice, both the breadth of topics covered and cost will be important areas for you to consider. In this latter case it will be best to stay away from any free programs as they will likely not offer all the topical areas necessary to sufficiently prepare you for entry into the field.

The process of enrollment in a program is fairly simple. Once you identify a program in which you have an interest, simply send for an informational brochure which outlines course requirements. There are three distance learning programs: private tax preparation schools, continuing education departments of local colleges, as well as tax preparation firms which offer coursework online. In all cases be sure to perform sufficient due diligence so that you can be comfortable that the program you choose is reliable and in good standing. In this regard you can ask about their graduation requirements, placement statistics, and also read the faculty biographies to determine the level of experience of those teaching the curriculum.

To enroll in a certificate tax preparation course, whether online or classroom-based, you will need to have a GED or High School diploma. While knowledge of advanced accounting and finance principles is not required, you should be comfortable with basic arithmetic, using a calculator and computer software programs as many returns are now prepared in this way.

In general, the course work can be intense as there are many tax regulations and filing requirements with which you must become familiar. You will need to structure your time in such a way as to permit you to move through the curriculum in a consistent manner so as not to lose the thread of the material. However, if you prefer to learn at your own pace rather than be restricted to a given ten week time period, it would be a good idea to research those programs which offer a more flexible structure with open-ended completion dates.

Before enrolling in any course it may also be a good idea to peruse the text of one or two courses at a college bookstore. Browse through the table of contents and subheadings of each chapter to see if this is material with which you feel you feel comfortable and able to succeed.

Additional educational options include pursuing a degree in accounting or finance at a regionally accredited college to advance your career into that of a tax advisor or tax manager. The responsibilities of these positions entail the completion of highly complicated tax returns, as well as advising clients and businesses on new tax laws.