Free 5-Day Course · No Card Needed

Become a paid tax preparer. Start free today.

Tax offices recruit seasonal preparers ahead of filing season, including entry paths for people with no prior experience. Our free 5-day course shows you the job: what it pays, what the IRS requires, and whether it fits your life. No degree or experience required.

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The Preparer's Almanac
A Free Tax School Field Guide
2026 EDITION
§1The free 5-day course
§2The Bootcamp (optional)
§3Your PTIN, step by step
§4Hired, or independent
FREETAXSCHOOL.COM · EST. 2012
Taught by the founder of a national tax franchise100% online, self-pacedPaid Bootcamp includes a certificate of completion
Start where you are

This is a job you can learn from scratch.

No degree? No experience? Good.

Most preparers start with neither. The Bootcamp assumes you're starting from zero.

See how it works →

Want repeatable seasonal income?

That's the job. Learn the work once and use it every tax season, January to April.

See the 4-step path →

Not sure it's for you?

Find out free in 5 days. One short lesson a day, no card, unsubscribe anytime.

Start the free course →
Why people start here

Here's what's in it for you.

Real seasonal income.

Tax season runs January to April. Preparers are paid by the hour, often with a bonus per return. Learn it once and use it every season.

Taught by someone who's done the hiring.

Your instructor built a national tax franchise from one office. This is the training he wishes every new hire had walked in with.

Free to find out. One flat fee to get ready.

The 5-day course is free forever. The Bootcamp is one clear, one-time price with a 7-day refund.

How it works

From today to your first client, in four steps.

1

Take the free 5-day course

One short lesson a day. See what preparers do, what it pays, and whether it fits your life.

2

Enroll in the Bootcamp

8 self-paced modules. Most finish in two to four weeks. $199 once, lifetime access.

3

Get your PTIN

We walk you through the IRS's own registration, step by step, so you can work legally.

4

Get hired or go independent

Resume, interview prep, and where offices recruit ahead of filing season.

Start the Free Course
The $199 Bootcamp

Eight modules. Job-ready by January.

See the full Bootcamp →
01

The Tax System, Demystified

How returns, the IRS, and refunds actually work.

02

Income

Wages, tips, interest, and the forms that report them.

03

Deductions & Credits

What lowers a tax bill, and how.

04

Self-Employment Basics

Gig workers, 1099s, and Schedule C.

05

Current Federal Rules

Current rules, figures, and forms, checked again before release.

06

Ethics & Your Duties

The preparer's responsibilities and red lines.

07

Getting Legal (PTIN)

Register with the IRS, step by step.

08

Getting Hired (or Going Independent)

Resume, interview, and where offices hire.

Tax Preparer Launch Bootcamp
$199 oncelifetime access

One-time price with lifetime access. 7-day refund, no questions asked.

CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION
Tax Preparer Launch Bootcamp
Free Tax School
COMPLETION CERTIFICATE · SAMPLE
A certificate of completion, not a license.
Mario Costanz, founder and instructor
Crypto Taxes Made Happy by Mario Costanz
Your instructor
Mario Costanz
Founder & instructor

Founded Happy Tax. Author, Crypto Taxes Made Happy. Built this school from the hiring side of the desk.

He built every module around what a new preparer actually needs, drawn from years of hiring and training them himself.

Meet your instructor →
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The five-day format made it easy to understand what tax preparers actually do before I committed to a full course.
01 Verified student name Free course · City, State
The PTIN walkthrough turned a confusing list of IRS pages into a clear set of next steps I could follow.
02 Verified student name Launch Bootcamp · City, State
I liked seeing both paths—getting hired for tax season or eventually building something of my own.
03 Verified student name Launch Bootcamp · City, State
Read this before you compare

Yes, the big chains have “free” courses. Read this first.

Intuit and H&R Block train people for free too. Those courses are recruiting funnels for their own offices. Ours is independent, faster, and shows you every door: their offices, other offices, or your own.

IndependentFaster to job-readyShows you every door
Questions, answered

Before you start.

The calendar is the deadline

Offices recruit ahead of filing season. Start early so you're ready.

The 5-day course is free forever, and there's no card to start. The best time to be ready is before the rush.

Start Free, No Card Needed
Start Free