Become a US Tax Preparer: Form 1040 Mastery

About

Learn to prepare US individual tax returns and register as a paid preparer from anywhere in the world. No US degree. No prior tax knowledge required. Fully current to Tax Year 2026 (post-OBBBA law).

WHAT YOU'LL BE ABLE TO DO

• Prepare a complete Form 1040 with its key schedules (A, B, C, D, SE)

• Register as a paid US preparer from any country — get your PTIN without a US SSN using Forms W-12 and 8946

• Apply Tax Year 2026 (post-OBBBA) numbers, deductions, credits and deadlines

• Handle self-employment income, investments, retirement, and the QBI deduction

• Build a portfolio of four completed returns you can show to clients or employers

• Find your first clients, price your work, and earn your first $1,000 as a preparer

WHO THIS IS FOR

• Arab accountants and finance professionals who want to add US tax to their services

• International accountants anywhere in the world — no US residency or citizenship required

• Accounting graduates who want a practical, marketable skill with immediate earning potential

• Anyone who wants to earn during the US tax season (January–April) from abroad

WHY THIS COURSE IS DIFFERENT

→ Full registration walkthrough for non-US persons — PTIN (no SSN needed), EFIN, and your legally required WISP data-security plan. Most courses skip all of this.

→ A complete career section: where the work is, how to price, how to pitch a US firm from abroad, and how to handle your first client from engagement letter to getting paid.

→ Four fictional clients — Maria, Ahmed, the Patel brothers, TechCo — that you follow throughout the whole course and prepare returns for.

→ Updated every tax year. Content is current to Tax Year 2026.

WHAT'S INCLUDED

76 video lessons across 14 sections

Downloadable cheat sheets and practice files

Quizzes built around real client scenarios

Capstone project: Maria's full 1040 from start to finish

Certificate of completion

Annual content updates included

14 sections · 76 lessons · Instant access · Annual updatesVisit the store builder to edit this page.

Choose a pricing plan

Fileminder Ltd

£59

Course curriculum

1

Section 0 — Welcome (4 lectures)
- The opportunity: become a US tax preparer from anywhere
- The US tax system in 10 minutes
- Your course toolkit and the four clients you'll work with
- Quick win — prepare a simple 1040 in 15 minutes
- Downloadable File on https://fileminder.co.uk/api/starter-pack
2

Module 0B — Accounting Basics Refresher (Optional)
- Income, expenses and profit , what a P&L tells you
- Gross vs net, cash vs accruals
- Reading financial documents, bank statements, invoices, payslips
3

Module 1 — Becoming a US Tax Preparer From Anywhere
- Who can prepare US returns (anyone, legally)
- Getting a PTIN without an SSN (Form W-12 and Form 8946)
- The EFIN and the e-filing rules
- The credentials ladder, PTIN to AFSP to EA to CPA
- Ethics - Circular 230 and preparer penalties
- Data security - IRS Pub 4557 and your required WISP
4

Module 2 — Types of Taxes
- Federal income tax overview
- Payroll taxes - FICA, SE tax, and the 15.3% shock
- Sales tax vs VAT - an international comparison
- State income taxes - no-tax states vs California and New York
- Other taxes to know - property, estate, excise, and FUTA
5

Module 3 — Business Entity Types
- Sole proprietorships
- Partnerships
- C corporations and double taxation
- S corporations - salary vs distribution planning
- The LLC and its flexibility
- Entity comparison masterclass - which form files what
6

Module 4 — Individual Filing Basics
- Who must file, and SSN vs ITIN
- ITIN applications - the Form W-7 walkthrough
- Residency tests - green card, substantial presence (1040 vs 1040-NR)
- The five filing statuses and the December 31 rule
- Dependents - qualifying child vs qualifying relative
- Tax year basics
- Anatomy of Form 1040, page by page
- The tax formula - from income to refund in seven steps
7

Module 5 — Income
- Taxable vs non-taxable income (the default rule and key exclusions)
- Active, passive and portfolio — the three income buckets
- Wages and the W-2, box by box
- Interest and dividends (1099-INT, 1099-DIV, Schedule B)
- Self-employment income - 1099-NEC and Schedule C line by line
- Capital gains introduction - 1099-B, Schedule D, Form 8949
- The gig economy and 1099-K (post-OBBBA thresholds)
- Other income - rentals (Schedule E), retirement (1099-R), unemployment, gambling
8

Module 6 — Deductions
- Standard vs itemised — the annual decision
- The Schedule A walkthrough
- Above-the-line adjustments (HSA, student loan interest, SE deductions)
- The QBI deduction (Section 199A)
- New OBBBA deductions - tips, overtime, senior, and car-loan interest
- Worked example — Ahmed's Schedule C deductions
9

Module 7 — Credits
- Credits vs deductions — refundable vs non-refundable
- The Child Tax Credit and the Credit for Other Dependents
- The EITC and Form 8867 preparer due diligence
- Education credits - the AOTC and Lifetime Learning Credit
- Other credits - saver's, energy, child & dependent care, and foreign tax
10

Module 8 — Brackets, Calculation & Payments
- How marginal brackets really work (killing the bracket myth)
- Withholding and the W-4
- Estimated taxes (1040-ES and safe harbors)
- Self-employment tax - the Schedule SE walkthrough
11

Module 9 — Investments & Retirement
- Capital gains deep dive - the $3,000 loss limit, carryforwards, wash sales
- Mutual funds, qualified dividends, and the NIIT
- IRAs — traditional vs Roth
- 401(k)s and employer plans
- FBAR and FATCA awareness - foreign accounts and preparer liability
12

Module 10 — Compliance & Practice
- Deadlines and extensions - why Form 4868 is not more time to pay
- Penalties and interest, and first-time abatement
- Amended returns (1040-X) and reading IRS notices
- Tax planning - the five levers
- Free tools - IRS forms, the practice lab, and estimators
- AI tools for preparers - use, verify, never delegate
- Capstone - Maria's full 1040, start to finish
13

Module 11 — Your First $1,000
- Where the work is - US firms, outsourcing companies, and platforms
- Pricing your services
- Getting hired from abroad - CV positioning and pitching a US firm
- Your first client - engagement letter, interview, delivery, getting paid
- Scaling - from first return to a season pipeline, and when to pursue the EA
14

Module 12 — Wrap-Up
- Your 90-day action plan
- Course 2 preview - business returns