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 · BY TAXAROO
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.

The Bootcamp starts with the basics and assumes you have not prepared taxes for pay.

See how it works →

Interested in seasonal tax work?

Tax offices often add preparers for filing season. Learn what the work involves and how to pursue it.

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.

Seasonal work has a clear calendar.

Many tax offices add staff for filing season. Pay structure, hours, training, and bonuses vary by employer, location, and role.

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

Eight self-paced modules designed for a two-to-four-week schedule. $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 for the work ahead.

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 of Free Tax School
Taxes Made Happy by Mario Costanz
Crypto Taxes Made Happy by Mario Costanz
About the founder
Mario Costanz
Founder, author & tax-industry innovator

More than 20 years building tax businesses, hiring preparers, and helping the industry adopt new technology.

Mario founded Happy Tax and wrote Taxes Made Happy and Crypto Taxes Made Happy. Free Tax School brings that operating experience into a clear path for new preparers.

Meet the founder →
Student experiences

A clear starting point changes the whole season.

Short lessons, practical next steps, and two paths forward: join an office or start building your own practice.

Clear steps. Real progress.
The five-day format made it easy to understand what tax preparers actually do before I committed to a full course.
AG Alyssa Grant Columbus, Ohio
The PTIN walkthrough turned a confusing list of IRS pages into a clear set of next steps I could follow.
MR Marcus Reed Tampa, Florida
I liked seeing both paths: getting hired for tax season or eventually building something of my own.
TB Tanya Brooks Atlanta, Georgia
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. Free Tax School is independent and explains several paths: their offices, other offices, or an independent practice.

IndependentBuilt for beginnersShows 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