Professional Tax Software & Tax Office Technology — 2027 Filing Season Edition

About this course

Who this course is for

What you'll learn

• How professional tax preparation software fits into the modern tax office.
• How to evaluate and select professional tax software based on the needs of the practice.
• How EFIN, ERO, preparer, office, and user information are configured within professional tax systems.
• How electronic filing moves from tax preparation software through IRS acceptance or rejection.
• How taxpayer documents can be collected, organized, stored, and retrieved securely.
• How client portals, electronic signatures, and remote tax preparation workflows operate.
• How refund transfers, refund advances, and other financial-product integrations connect with tax software.
• How tax offices configure fees, payments, billing, and related technology.
• How user permissions, multi-factor authentication, and cybersecurity controls protect taxpayer data.
• How software updates, backups, system outages, and disaster-recovery procedures should be managed.
• How workflow automation, reporting, dashboards, and integrations can improve tax office operations.
• How to build and manage a reliable technology environment throughout the 2027 filing season.

Course details

Level

intermediate

Estimated duration

Approximately 3 hours

Prerequisites

A basic understanding of professional tax preparation is recommended. Students should understand the basic roles of tax preparers, PTIN holders, EROs, and EFINs. Students completely new to professional tax preparation should complete Tax Preparation Fundamentals first.

What's included

• 12 lessons
• 12 professional lessons
• 2027 filing-season technology guidance
• Tax Year 2026 workflow examples
• Professional tax software selection guidance
• E-file workflow examples
• Client portal and E-signature procedures
• Document management examples
• Cybersecurity and access-control procedures
• Bank-product integration examples
• Filing-season system management examples
• Knowledge Checks throughout the course
• 4 formal module assessments
• Progress tracking
• Certificate of completion

Curriculum

1. 01

   Lesson 1: Understanding Professional Tax Software and Tax Office Technology

   Learn how professional tax software functions as the operational center of a modern tax practice during the 2027 filing season for Tax Year 2026 returns. This lesson explains the major systems used by tax offices, the relationship between professional tax software and IRS e-file, the roles of EROs, transmitters, service bureaus, portals, document systems, payment tools, bank-product integrations, and the technology controls needed to operate an efficient and secure tax office.

   12m
2. 02

   Lesson 2: Selecting the Right Professional Tax Software

   Learn how to evaluate and select professional tax software for a modern tax practice. This lesson explains the major factors tax professionals should compare before choosing a system, including return types, IRS e-file support, cloud versus desktop delivery, user licensing, client portals, electronic signatures, document management, bank-product integrations, payment processing, reporting, cybersecurity, technical support, total cost, data ownership, and scalability. The lesson also explains why IRS e-file approval alone does not mean a software package will meet every tax office's needs.

   12m
3. 03

   Lesson 3: Configuring Your Tax Office, EFIN, Preparers, and Users

   Learn how to properly configure a professional tax office inside tax preparation software for the 2027 filing season. This lesson explains how office information, EFIN details, preparer profiles, PTINs, user accounts, permissions, security settings, multi-office structures, bank-product access, and filing responsibilities should be established and reviewed before live Tax Year 2026 returns are prepared and transmitted.

   12m
4. 04

   Lesson 4: How Professional E-Filing Works From Preparation to IRS Acceptance

   Learn how a professional tax return moves from preparation through electronic filing and IRS acknowledgment during the 2027 filing season. This lesson explains the roles of the preparer, ERO, transmitter, professional tax software, IRS Modernized e-File system, diagnostics, electronic signatures, submission batches, acknowledgments, acceptances, rejections, error correction, and return-status monitoring for Tax Year 2026 returns.

   12m
5. 05

   Lesson 5: Taxpayer Document Collection, Organization, and Digital Records

   Learn how a professional tax office should collect, organize, store, review, and protect taxpayer documents during the 2027 filing season. This lesson explains secure document intake, digital file organization, scanning, naming conventions, client portals, source-document review, retention, access controls, duplicate records, document quality, and practical procedures for managing Tax Year 2026 records efficiently and securely.

   12m
6. 06

   Lesson 6: Client Portals, Electronic Signatures, and Remote Tax Preparation

   Learn how client portals, electronic signatures, secure remote communication, identity verification, document exchange, and virtual tax preparation workflows can be used in a professional tax practice during the 2027 filing season. This lesson explains how to build a secure remote process for Tax Year 2026 returns while maintaining accurate taxpayer communication, proper authorization, document control, privacy, and professional oversight.

   12m
7. 07

   Lesson 7: Bank-Product and Refund-Related Integrations in Tax Software

   Learn how professional tax software connects with refund-transfer providers, refund-advance programs, disbursement systems, and related financial-product workflows during the 2027 filing season. This lesson explains how provider enrollment, software configuration, taxpayer selection, disclosures, funding status, fee routing, transaction monitoring, security, and troubleshooting fit together for Tax Year 2026 returns.

   12m
8. 08

   Lesson 8: Tax Preparation Fees, Payments, Billing, and Financial Technology

   Learn how professional tax offices use tax software and financial technology to calculate, collect, track, and reconcile tax preparation fees during the 2027 filing season. This lesson explains fee configuration, payment methods, invoices, deposits, online payments, refund-based fee collection, payment status, chargebacks, refunds, receivables, accounting integration, financial controls, and the importance of separating taxpayer funds from tax-office revenue.

   12m
9. 09

   Lesson 9: Workflow Automation, Reporting, and Tax Office Integrations

   Learn how professional tax offices use workflow automation, dashboards, reports, alerts, and software integrations to improve efficiency during the 2027 filing season. This lesson explains how Tax Year 2026 returns can move through standardized workflows, how automation should be controlled, how tax software can connect with portals, payment systems, accounting software, bank-product providers, CRM tools, and other platforms, and how management can use operational reports to identify bottlenecks, errors, unresolved returns, and financial issues.

   12m
10. 10

    Lesson 10: Cybersecurity, User Access, and Protecting Taxpayer Data

    Learn how professional tax offices should protect taxpayer information, tax software, client portals, email, cloud systems, financial accounts, and staff access during the 2027 filing season. This lesson explains cybersecurity responsibilities, written information security planning, multi-factor authentication, user permissions, phishing, ransomware, device security, remote work, incident response, vendor risk, access reviews, and practical controls for protecting Tax Year 2026 taxpayer data.

    12m
11. 11

    Lesson 11: Software Updates, Backups, Outages, and Disaster Recovery

    Learn how a professional tax office should manage software updates, backups, system outages, data recovery, and business continuity during the 2027 filing season. This lesson explains how to prepare Tax Year 2026 tax software for live use, evaluate update notices, protect client data, verify backups, test restore procedures, respond to software and internet outages, maintain fallback processes, document incidents, and recover operations without creating additional security or filing problems.

    12m
12. 12

    Lesson 12: Managing Tax Office Technology Throughout the 2027 Filing Season

    Learn how to manage professional tax software, staff access, e-file operations, client portals, financial technology, cybersecurity, updates, support, reporting, and technology performance throughout the entire 2027 filing season. This lesson brings together the full course and explains how to move from preseason readiness through peak-season operations, midseason reviews, exception management, staff support, technology monitoring, season-end closeout, and preparation for the next filing season.

    12m