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Startup checklist · 2027 season

How to start a tax preparation business.

The requirements, in order, with the dates that matter. Most of it you can finish in a few weeks. The exception is the EFIN, which can take up to 45 days, so start there.

See the checklist Start with Base
Part ITimeline

Work backward from the first week of the season.

  1. Now

    Set up and apply

    Business setup, PTIN, and your EFIN application. The EFIN is the long pole.

  2. By mid-November

    EFIN in hand

    Apply at least 45 days before you want to file. Write your security plan while you wait.

  3. Nov – Dec

    Get ready

    Bank-product enrollment (needs an active EFIN), insurance, and software and due-diligence training.

  4. January

    Open the doors

    Marketing live early in the month, so clients find you before the first refunds go out.

Part IIThe checklist

Ten steps to a working tax office.

Every office needs steps 1 through 8. Steps 9 and 10 are what separate a strong first season from a slow one.

  1. Set up the business

    Choose your business structure, get a free EIN from the IRS, open a business bank account, and get any local business license your city or county requires.

  2. Get your PTIN

    Every paid preparer needs a Preparer Tax Identification Number from the IRS, renewed each year. The IRS sets the PTIN fee each year; it was $18.75 for 2026.

  3. Apply for your own EFIN

    Your Electronic Filing Identification Number lets your office e-file. Apply online with the IRS e-file application in e-Services and pass a suitability check. Applicants who are not attorneys, CPAs or enrolled agents are fingerprinted. There is currently no fee, and the IRS says approval can take up to 45 days from the date you submit.

  4. Write your security plan (WISP)

    The FTC Safeguards Rule requires tax preparers to have a written information security plan. IRS Publication 5708 gives you a template to start from.

  5. Check your state’s preparer rules

    Florida does not regulate tax preparers. Several states do: California (CTEC: 60 hours of education and a $5,000 bond), Oregon (a license), New York (yearly registration), Maryland (registration and an exam) and Connecticut (a permit above 10 returns). Check your state before the season.

  6. Get errors and omissions insurance

    E&O coverage protects your office if a mistake on a return costs a client money. Price it before the season, not during.

  7. Enroll in bank products

    Bank products let clients pay your fees from their refund instead of out of pocket. Enrollment needs an active EFIN, and we help you through it.

  8. Train on the software and the rules

    TaxWise training, plus the rules that carry penalties: due diligence on refundable credits (Form 8867, $665 per failure for returns filed in 2027), e-signature authorization (Form 8879), and client consent before you use or share tax information (IRC §7216).

  9. Consider the Annual Filing Season Program

    The IRS’s voluntary AFSP credential shows clients you keep your training current. It takes 18 hours of continuing education (a 6-hour refresher course, 10 hours of federal tax law and 2 hours of ethics), completed by December 31.

  10. Get your marketing live by early January

    A Google Business Profile, a simple website and word of mouth in your community. Clients shop early, so be findable before they start looking.

Part IIIThe market

People still want a person to do their taxes.

The numbers behind the business, from the IRS and industry surveys. Your results depend on your market and your work, so treat these as context, not a promise.

57%
of e-filed returns in 2025 (through Dec. 26) came from tax professionals: 87.9 million returns
$185
average base fee for a Form 1040 from a non-credentialed preparer
37%
of U.S. filers would consider AI instead of a tax professional, down from 43% a year earlier
Closed
IRS Direct File was not offered in 2026, and the IRS has set no future launch date

Sources: IRS filing season statistics, week ending Dec. 26, 2025; NATP 2025 fee study, as reported by Accounting Today; Censuswide survey for Invoice Home, via CPA Practice Advisor (Feb. 2026); NATP (Nov. 2025), quoting the IRS. Checked September 24, 2026.

Part IVWhere we come in

Start in Base, with someone to call.

Base is $1,295 for the 2027 season. Fund 50 bank products and you earn $600 back toward next season; fund 200 and you earn the whole $1,295 back.

  • TaxWise professional tax software, with current-year e-file included
  • Help with your EFIN application and bank-product enrollment
  • Software training before the season, and the launch checklist
  • Harry on the phone when a return rejects in February
Start with Base See all packages

What a new office asks most

I’ve never prepared taxes. Can I still start?
Yes. Start in Base and work through the launch checklist. You get software training, a setup path and Harry to call when you get stuck, and the Tax Office Success Course is on the way. You are responsible for accurate returns and due diligence, and some states require preparers to register, so take training seriously. The full startup checklist.
Do I need my own EFIN?
Yes. Every office uses its own EFIN, and we never share or lend one. If you don’t have one yet, we help you apply. There is currently no IRS fee, but approval can take up to 45 days, so start early. How to apply for an EFIN.
Can I sign up before my EFIN is approved?
Yes. Many new offices sign up in the fall and use the waiting time for training and setup. You need an active EFIN before you can enroll in bank products and e-file.
How do I get paid by my clients?
With a bank product, your preparation fees are deducted from your client’s refund and paid to you through the bank, so the client doesn’t pay out of pocket. You can also collect fees directly from clients who don’t use a bank product.
Does it matter which state my office is in?
Offices anywhere in the U.S. can file with TaxWise through us. Some states require tax preparers to register or hold a license, including California, Oregon, New York, Maryland and Connecticut. Florida does not. Check your state’s rules before the season, and ask us if you’re not sure.
How much does it cost to start?
New offices start with the Base package: $1,295 for the 2027 season, or $1,195 if you pay by October 31, 2026. Current-year e-file is included. There is also a $40 service bureau fee per funded bank product, which is taken from your client’s refund, not paid by your office. Not included: transmission fee, SFS technology fee, and bank fees.
Next step2027 tax season

Apply for your EFIN this week. We’ll handle the rest with you.

Tell us about your office and Harry will call you back, usually within one business day. Or call now and ask for Harry.

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