Certificate of Tax Practitioner
Crystal Lake, USA
Certificate
DURATION
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2026
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
Key Summary
About: The Tax Practitioner Certificate at McHenry County College includes four tax courses — individual, corporate, IRS practice and procedures, and either the Enrolled Agent review or Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) clinic. Courses run through the year so you can prepare for the Enrolled Agent (EA) Examination. MCC's programme goes beyond exam prep with intensive taxpayer representation training, VITA site experience, and internships with community employers.
Career Outcomes: You can pursue roles as a Enrolled Agent, tax preparer, IRS representative, tax consultant, compliance specialist, or VITA coordinator; other paths include payroll, corporate tax, accounting firms, or government tax offices.
The Tax Practitioner Certificate consists of four tax courses: individual, corporate, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) practice and procedures and the Enrolled Agent Review course or Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Tax Clinic participation. These four courses are spread out throughout the calendar year enabling you to prepare for your Enrolled Agent (EA) Examination.
An EA is a federally-authorized tax practitioner with technical expertise in the field of taxation, who is empowered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury to represent taxpayers before all administrative levels of the IRS for audits, collections, and appeals. As an EA, you'll prepare and/or review tax returns and represent taxpayers before the IRS and state governments.
MCC pioneered the Tax Practitioner Certificate program that is now being duplicated at other institutions and by the National Association of Enrolled Agents.
MCC's program delivers content beyond what is necessary for you to successfully pass the Enrolled Agent (EA) exam, offering intense training on taxpayer representation.
Student internships are available with community employers and the opportunity to work at the VITA tax site at MCC each filing season.
Careers: Tax preparer, taxpayer representative, tax planner.
