On this page · 15 sections5 min read
- 01Our verdict
- 02At a glance
- 03Pros & cons
- 04What you’ll learn
- 05Format, schedule and time commitment
- 06Accreditation and what the credential is worth
- 07Price, payment plans and refunds
- 08Who it’s best for — and who should skip it
- 09Pros and cons in detail
- 10How it compares
- 11Easy Tax Academy vs alternatives
- 12How to enroll
- 13Score breakdown
- 14Key facts
- 15FAQ
Our verdict
Our verdict8.3/10Easy Tax Academy, based in Schenectady, New York, teaches tax preparation from scratch to people with no prior experience.
The online course has 10 modules, more than 40 video lessons, practice exercises with real IRS forms, mock returns and guidance on getting a PTIN. Plans cost $297 for Starter, $497 for Professional and $997 for the VIP business-launch package, with payment plans and a 30-day money-back guarantee. The school states clearly that its certificate is not an IRS endorsement or license. It is a reasonable low-risk introduction, but people who want a recognized credential should pair it with the IRS AFSP or work toward the EA exam.
Best for: Complete beginners who want a guided, affordable path to preparing individual returns and starting a seasonal tax side business.
At a glance
Beginners learning to prepare individual returns are the audience for Easy Tax Academy’s Professional plan. Forms, demonstrations, and practice give it a fuller instructional purpose than a short compliance update. The accessible structure and stated refund window are strengths, although the provider’s relatively brief history and private completion certificate limit its credential standing.
Pros & cons
- Beginner-friendly: no experience required
- 10 modules with real IRS forms, mock returns and software walkthroughs
- PTIN registration guidance included
- 30-day money-back guarantee and payment plans
- Three tiers from $297 to $997
- Not IRS-approved continuing education; certificate is not an IRS credential
- Small, newer school (based in Schenectady, NY) with limited track record
- Business launch support is reserved for the $997 VIP tier
What you’ll learn
The published syllabus covers filing requirements and status, dependents, income types, deductions, tax credits, and individual-return work involving Form 1040, W-2, and 1099 information. It also includes due diligence, software instruction, mock returns, and PTIN-related guidance. These are concrete beginner topics, but coverage in a course should not be interpreted as authority to handle every complex client situation independently.
Format, schedule and time commitment
The course is self-paced and online, organized into ten modules with more than forty video lessons and over twenty practice exercises. You can enroll without prior experience, making the exercises and demonstrations especially important for building an initial foundation.
The ten-module structure includes more than forty video lessons and over twenty practice exercises. The pricing page states lifetime access, which allows return to the material, but a learner should verify how tax-year updates are handled. Practice returns deserve time beyond watching demonstrations, because recognizing a form on screen differs from accurately working through a new set of documents.
Accreditation and what the credential is worth
The outcome is an Easy Tax Academy certificate of completion, with no external accreditation identified. The school expressly says completion does not constitute IRS endorsement, licensing, or professional certification. That disclosure is useful when deciding whether the purchase meets an educational goal or a credential requirement.
The provider expressly states that completion is not IRS endorsement, licensing, or government professional certification. Its certificate follows the course’s own assessment and should be described that way. PTIN guidance is an instructional topic, not a substitute for completing any registration or jurisdiction-specific requirements applicable to the work a graduate intends to perform.
Price, payment plans and refunds
On October 5, 2026, Starter was $297, Professional was $497 and labeled most popular, and the VIP Tax Professional Program was $997. Flexible payment plans were offered for all courses. A free webinar and a thirty-day, no-questions-asked money-back guarantee gave prospective students ways to assess the offer before a longer commitment.
Professional sits $200 above Starter and $500 below VIP. Since business-launch support belongs to VIP, inspect what actually distinguishes Professional before relying on its most-popular label. Check the current refund policy and full installment total alongside the advertised thirty-day guarantee and flexible payments.
30-day money-back guarantee, no questions asked
Flexible payment plans offered for all courses
No public discount was listed on the official site when we checked. We never publish unverified coupon codes.
Who it’s best for — and who should skip it
The course suits a beginner who wants a guided introduction to individual returns and can practice independently. An established preparer looking for approved CE should choose an appropriate CE provider instead. Someone whose priority is EA examination preparation should also compare an exam-review product, because a beginner return-preparation curriculum and an EA question bank serve different stages of development.
Pros and cons in detail
Real forms, mock returns, and software walkthroughs give the program a practical focus. No prior experience is required, and a free webinar or introductory lesson offers an initial look at the teaching. The tiered structure and refund statement provide clearer buying information than a program that reveals neither price nor cancellation conditions.
The school’s relatively short history and provider-issued certificate are its clearest limitations. Business-launch support is not uniform across the tiers. Also check which tax year the materials cover and how updates work: lifetime access alone does not promise that every example stays current indefinitely.
How it compares
Easy Tax Academy’s $497 Professional plan is a beginner return-preparation purchase, so it should be judged on teaching and practice rather than on whether another provider sells fewer hours for less. The tax-preparer category also includes EA exam review and approved continuing education. Those are legitimate alternatives when your goal changes, but they do not automatically replace the ten-module introduction and practice exercises offered here.
Surgent Premier Pass is $499, just $2 above Easy Tax Academy Professional. That close price hides the major difference: Surgent prepares candidates for the three-part EA examination, while Easy Tax Academy teaches preparation from scratch and explicitly says its certificate is not IRS endorsement or professional certification. Choose Easy Tax Academy if you need instruction in individual returns and guided practice before thinking about an exam pathway. Choose Surgent if preparing for the EA examination is already the defined next step.
Their access and guarantee terms also answer different needs. Surgent Premier provides access until you pass and a conditional money-back pass guarantee; Easy Tax Academy states lifetime access and a thirty-day, no-questions-asked refund policy. An until-pass arrangement supports exam preparation, while lifetime access may support later reference, subject to confirming tax-year updates. Neither should be interpreted as a promise that watching the content alone establishes professional competence.
Tax IQ Academy is the better alternative for a working preparer who needs approved CE. Its individual self-study courses are approximately $29.99–$79.99, with IRS and CTEC provider approval and live webinar options. Easy Tax Academy’s $297 Starter, $497 Professional, and $997 VIP offers concern broader beginner instruction and, at the upper tier, business-launch support. Pick Tax IQ for a matching approved update or CE requirement; pick Easy Tax Academy for building the initial practical foundation its forms and mock returns address.
Tax IQ’s separate refund policy needs to be read for the chosen course, rather than borrowing Easy Tax Academy’s thirty-day promise. Likewise, an inexpensive CE lesson may be a sensible purchase for an experienced preparer and a poor substitute for a beginner’s full sequence. Start with your present skill level, then compare the exact curriculum, current-year coverage, and credential purpose before deciding which price represents useful value.
Easy Tax Academy vs alternatives
How Easy Tax Academy stacks up against other tax preparer programs we reviewed, on the facts published by each provider.
Swipe sideways to compare all 4 programs →
| Criterion | This review | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Our score | 8.3/10 | 8.8/10 | 8.7/10 | 8.7/10 |
| Price | $297 – $997 | $499 – $699 | $299 – $699 | $29.99 – $79.99 |
| Format | Self-paced | Self-paced | Self-paced | Self-paced |
| Duration | Self-paced online: 10 modules, 40+ video lessons, 20+ practice… | Self-paced; unlimited course access until you pass; Surgent cites 61… | — | Self-paced online courses; live webinars also available |
| Accreditation | None; the site notes completion does not constitute IRS endorsement, licensing or… | — | — | IRS Approved CE Provider; CTEC approved (California) |
| Free trial | Free webinar | — | Free trial offered (sign-up on the Surgent site). | — |
| Best for | Complete beginners who want a guided, affordable path to preparing individual returns and… | Enrolled Agent candidates who want adaptive, data-driven exam prep with videos and… | Tax preparers preparing for the IRS Enrolled Agent exam who want adaptive,… | Tax preparers and EAs who need IRS or CTEC continuing education, AFSP hours or a beginner… |
| Full review | You are here | Surgent (EA Exam Review) review | Surgent (EA Review / Income Tax School) review | Tax IQ Academy review |
“—” means the information was not published or not yet checked. See all 5 tax preparer programs.
How to enroll
Review the official curriculum and use the free first lesson or webinar before selecting View Plans & Enroll. Compare Starter, Professional, and VIP inclusions, ask about the current tax year and updates, and read the refund policy. Confirm the final-exam and certificate conditions and the full payment-plan cost before completing the enrollment checkout.
Compare the three plans on the official program page. Our methodology covers curriculum, credibility, value, flexibility, and support, separating useful beginner practice from a professional credential or approved CE offering.
Score breakdown
Covers Form 1040, W-2, 1099, deductions and software with practice returns.
Newer provider; certificate is not an IRS credential.
$297 to $497 with a 30-day guarantee.
Self-paced online lessons.
Email support; more support in higher tiers.
Weighted average of five criteria. Read our methodology.
Key facts
FAQ
Do I need experience to join Easy Tax Academy?
No. The site states no experience is required.
Is the certificate IRS-approved?
No. The site notes completion does not constitute IRS endorsement, licensing or professional certification.
Is there a refund policy?
Yes. The pricing page advertises a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Sources
- https://www.easytaxacademy.com/
- https://www.easytaxacademy.com/pricing
- https://www.easytaxacademy.com/courses
- https://www.easytaxacademy.com/support
- https://www.easytaxacademy.com/enroll
- https://taxiqacademy.com/
- https://taxiqacademy.com/self-study-courses/
- https://taxiqacademy.com/irs-courses/
- https://taxiqacademy.com/irs-approved-instructor/
- https://taxiqacademy.com/live-webinar-trainings/
- https://www.taxce.com
- https://www.taxce.com/annual-filing-season-program
- https://www.taxce.com/enrolled-agents-continuing-education/introduction-to-ethics-for-tax-preparers
- https://www.taxce.com/career-central/taxce-review
- https://www.taxce.com/california-tax-preparer-continuing-education
- https://www.surgent.com/exam-review/ea-exam-review/
- https://www.surgent.com/exam-review/ea-review/product/enrolled-agent-review-premier-pass/
- https://www.surgent.com/exam-review/ea-review/product/enrolled-agent-review-ultimate-pass/
- https://www.surgent.com/exam-review/pass-guarantee/
- https://www.surgent.com/income-tax-school/become-a-tax-preparer/
Information checked on October 5, 2026. Prices and offers can change; confirm on the official site.





