Professional Tax Preparer (PTP)

Credential issued and maintained by:

Universal Accounting

Continuing education requirements for PTPs:

None

The Universal Accounting Professional Tax Preparer program does not require continuing education in order to maintain your certification.

All CPE is optional, however you are encouraged to recognize the importance of professional education in maintaining and improving tax preparation skills as well as staying up to date on current tax laws.

FunCPE courses in the following subject areas are recommended for CPE for PTPs:

  • Taxation
  • Management

Renewal of credential

UA does not require periodic renewal of the Professional Tax Preparer certification, and there is no deadline for completion of continuing education.

FunCPE courses

Although no continuing education is required to maintain a Professional Tax Preparer credential, FunCPE courses in the following subjects are considered appropriate to maintain and improve your skills:

  • Taxation
  • Management

We welcome Professional Tax Preparers to our site and would like to serve your needs better.

Please contact us with any suggestions for new course topics for Professional Tax Preparer CPE specifically.

About the Professional Tax Preparer credential

The Professional Tax Preparer (PTP) designation certifies individuals in personal and business tax return preparation.  The Professional Tax Perparer Program consists of four training modules, followed by the certification exam.  This program and credential was developed by Universal Accounting.

Universal Accounting was founded in 1979 and provides training for small business accounting and tax services and has created the following credentials:

  • Professional Tax Preparer (PTP)
  • Professional Bookkeeper (PB)
  • QuickBooks Specialist (QS)

How to become a Professional Tax Preparer

To achieve the Professional Tax Preparer designation, you must complete over 100 hours of training using a Universal Accounting home study, instructor supported correspondence course which covers:

  • Establishing the tax foundation
  • Becoming a 1040 expert
  • Profitable business returns
  • Building a successful tax practice
Students must pass a multiple choice final exam with a 90% or better grade. If an adequate score is not achieved at your first sitting, you are allowed to retake the test after 7 days.
After passing the exam, you receive a certificate of completion, as well as the PTP logo which you can add to your business cards, stationery and website.