The 2027 catalog is being written right now.

Two courses for California tax preparers: the 60-hour qualifying education course for preparers entering the field, and the 20-hour continuing education course registrants renew against each year. Both are being written by someone who prepares returns for a living rather than by a content mill, and drafted against the standards CTEC and the IRS set for provider material.

Both are on course for the 2027 renewal season. That work takes the time it takes, so rather than go quiet until it's finished, here's where things stand.

Writing

The 60-hour qualifying education course for new preparers, and the 20-hour continuing education course for annual renewal — federal tax law, California differences, ethics, and updates.

AFSP hours

CTEC registrants are exempt from the IRS annual refresher course, so the 20-hour course is being built so its federal hours also cover the 15 the IRS asks of exempt preparers — 3 hours of federal tax update, 10 of federal tax law, 2 of ethics — toward the AFSP Record of Completion.

Review

Each course goes through a quality check against current-year law before it is submitted for provider approval.

Approval

Courses go to CTEC for provider approval, and the continuing education course to the IRS as well. Nothing is offered for credit until that approval is in hand.

Written by Oganes "Jay" Chimayan, a CTEC-registered tax professional holding an IRS Annual Filing Season Program Record of Completion, in practice in Burbank, California.