The IRS requirement
18 hours of continuing education for the Annual Filing Season Program, made up of the AFTR course and test, federal tax law, and ethics.
Knoxville, Tennessee · Mon–Sat 10a–7p, by appointment · 865.359.0228
Client Portal →
— REFUND2INCOME
Become a real tax , with HB beside you, not behind you.
Get listed on IRS.gov. Then never file a return alone.
Enrolled AgentIRS Certifying Acceptance AgentIRS Authorized e-File ProviderCommunity Votes Winner 2025 · 2026Google Reviews
40+ hours of instruction
18 hours IRS CE toward AFSP
100% of returns second-reviewed
2025 · 2026 Community Votes winner
— STEP 1, GET CREDENTIALED
The AFSP path, start to finish.
- No. 01
Get your PTIN
Every paid preparer needs an active Preparer Tax Identification Number from the IRS. We walk you through the application and the renewal window so it never lapses on you.
- No. 02
Take the CE
You complete your continuing education through HB Academy, an IRS Approved Continuing Education Provider. We report your hours to the IRS under your PTIN.
- No. 03
Consent to Circular 230
You agree to the practice standards in Circular 230 Subpart B and section 10.51 when you renew your PTIN. That consent is part of the AFSP, not an extra course.
- No. 04
The IRS issues the Record
After October PTIN renewal, the IRS issues the Annual Filing Season Program Record of Completion and lists you in the public directory on IRS.gov. We can't issue it and neither can anyone else but the IRS.
— STEP 2, PARTNER WITH HB
You file under a licensed practice, not alone.
Here's the honest answer on what breaks new preparers. It isn't the tax law, it's being by yourself the first time something on a return doesn't look right. So we put the whole practice behind you.
- Professional tax software, configured and ready
- Bank product setup so your clients have refund transfer options
- Intake forms that collect what a return actually needs
- Marketing material you can put your own name on
- Client scripts for pricing, missing documents, and hard conversations
- Compliance cover from a federally licensed Enrolled Agent
- The HB name behind you when a client asks who you work with
- A second review on every single return before it is filed
— 18 VS. 40
The IRS requirement: 18 hours. What Refund2Income actually teaches: over 40.
What Refund2Income teaches
Over 40 hours of instruction. The requirement is inside it, and the rest is the practical work of preparing, reviewing, and defending a return.
Over 40 hours of instruction. The IRS requires 18 hours of continuing education for the Annual Filing Season Program. Refund2Income delivers the full 18-hour requirement — and far more instruction beyond it.
Read the AFSP rules on IRS.gov— AFSP FACTS
The requirements, in plain rows.
| Non-exempt CE | 18 hrs = 6 AFTR (plus comprehension test) + 10 federal tax law + 2 ethics |
|---|---|
| Exempt CE | 15 hrs = 3 federal tax law updates + 10 federal tax law + 2 ethics, no AFTR |
| Also required | Active PTIN plus consent to Circular 230 Subpart B and section 10.51 |
| Deadline | CE by December 31 for the following filing season; Record issued after October PTIN renewal |
| Not eligible | Attorneys, CPAs, and Enrolled Agents already hold unlimited representation rights |
| Rights granted | Limited representation for returns you prepared and signed, before revenue agents, customer service reps, and the Taxpayer Advocate Service |
Attorneys, CPAs, and Enrolled Agents are not eligible for the AFSP. They already hold unlimited representation rights before the IRS.
— COHORT DATES
What happens, and when.
Today
Your seat is held at the founding rate and the welcome videos unlock immediately.
Friday, September 18, 2026
The training portal opens and the full course library goes live.
Wednesday, September 23, 2026, 7:00 PM ET
The first live class, then every wednesday, 7:00 pm et.
— TUITION
$1,497 regular. $1,197 for the first 20 seats.
Founding rate
$1,197
First 20 seats. Regular tuition is $1,497.
- Over 40 hours of instruction
- The full 18-hour AFSP continuing education requirement
- Live class every Wednesday, recorded if you miss it
- Second review on every return you prepare
- Software, intake forms, scripts, and marketing material
Payment plan
3 × $429
Same program, paid across three installments.
- Everything in the founding rate
- First payment starts your access
- Remaining payments run automatically
Annual CE renewal
$499
Returning preparers only. Coupon code required.
- Your continuing education for the next season
- Current-year updates and ethics
- Continued access to the training portal
Enter your code at checkout before you pay. Without the code this page charges full tuition.
At checkout you'll confirm: "I understand the AFSP Record of Completion is issued by the IRS, not by HB Academy."
Completing this program does not guarantee an AFSP Record of Completion. Only the IRS issues the Record of Completion, and only after you meet every IRS requirement including CE hours, an active PTIN, and consent to Circular 230.
— REFUND POLICY
Our refund policy, in one sentence.
Full refund any time before you log in to the training, or within 14 days of the portal opening, whichever comes first.
No, but you'll need one before you're paid to prepare a return, so go ahead and start the application early. We walk you through it in the first module and we'll answer questions while you do it.
HB Academy makes no income, earnings, or business-results claim of any kind. Nothing in this program is a promise or projection of revenue, client volume, or profit. What you earn as a tax preparer depends on your own effort, your market, your pricing, your compliance record, and factors outside anyone's control. Training is education only. It is not tax, legal, or financial advice, and it is not a guarantee of employment, of clients, or of any credential.
HB Academy is an IRS Approved Continuing Education Provider, provider number SGOXP. IRS CE provider approval does not constitute an endorsement by the IRS of the provider, the program, or any views expressed by the provider or its instructors.
— NEXT STEP
Want to talk it through before you enroll?
Book a call with Melissa and ask whatever you need to ask. No pitch, and no pressure.