National Tax Training School

What National Tax Training School does

National Tax Training School (NTTS) is a private distance education institution founded in 1952 in Mahwah, New Jersey, that trains individuals to become U.S. federal income tax preparers through self-paced online courses delivered via the Canvas Learning Management System. It is the only nationally accredited distance education tax school in the U.S., holding DEAC accreditation continuously since 1965, IRS Continuing Education Provider status (3P9RV), CTEC approval for California (Provider 1025), NJ Department of Education vocational school licensure, BBB accreditation, and NCCRS recognition enabling transfer credits at more than 1,500 colleges. The core product portfolio consists of the 20-unit Federal Income Tax Course ($895 full tuition or $924 on a three-payment plan), the Advanced Course in Federal Taxation covering complex entities ($930), the combined California Tax Preparer Course, and IRS Annual Filing Season Program continuing education courses averaging $99; all products include hard-copy materials, auto-graded exams, a personal tax instructor, and one year of post-graduate consultation.

NTTS operates a direct-to-consumer, self-serve go-to-market model: students enroll online through nationaltax.edu or by phone (800-914-8138), pay tuition upfront or via a 3-payment plan, and complete coursework at their own pace within an 8-week to 6-month window. Marketing is primarily organic, relying on SEO, educational blog content, social media presence (Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Instagram), student testimonials and case studies, and accreditation body listings for top-of-funnel discovery. The school serves aspiring tax professionals, career advancers, personal tax handlers, employer-sponsored CPA firm staff, and CE-seeking registered preparers and Enrolled Agents across all 50 U.S. states and multiple foreign countries, with reported restrictions in 12 jurisdictions (American Samoa, DC, Guam, IN, MT, NM, OR, PR, UT, Virgin Islands, WI, WY). Since 1952, NTTS has trained more than 45,000 preparers under the leadership of President Robert Frankel, with no disclosed external funding, acquisitions, or headcount figures in the source data.

Name

National Tax Training School

Legal name

National Tax Training School

Website

https://nationaltax.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1952

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

National Tax Training School is a private, DEAC-accredited distance education institution founded in 1952 that trains individuals across all 50 U.S. states to become federal income tax preparers through self-paced online courses delivered via Canvas LMS, serving aspiring preparers, career changers, and CE-seeking tax professionals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Mahwah

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Federal Income Tax Course: Full tuition for the Federal Income Tax Course is $895 paid upfront, or $924 via three monthly payments of $308 each. Includes $125 registration fee and all study materials.
2. Advanced Course in Federal Taxation: Advanced course tuition is $930 paid in full, or $960 via three monthly payments of $320 each. Includes registration fee and all required texts.
3. Continuing Education (CPE) Courses: IRS Annual Filing Season Program and other CPE courses for tax professionals seeking continuing education credits
4. Average Program Tuition: Career Training: $895; Advanced Training: $930; Continuing Education: $99

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

National Tax Training School delivers self-paced, distance-based tax preparation training through the Canvas Learning Management System. Its portfolio includes a foundational Federal Income Tax Course ($895), an Advanced Course in Federal Taxation ($930) covering complex entities, a California Tax Preparer Course, and IRS Annual Filing Season Program continuing education courses. Each enrollment includes a personal instructor, hard copy textbooks, and one year of post-graduate consultation.

Product overview

National Tax Training School offers a portfolio of online tax preparation courses delivered through the Canvas Learning Management System. The core product is the Federal Income Tax Course ($895), a foundational 20-unit program covering individual and small business tax preparation with video lectures, textbooks, and case studies. This is extended by the Advanced Course in Federal Taxation ($930) for complex entity work (corporations, partnerships, trusts). State-specific training includes the California Tax Preparer Course approved by CTEC. For continuing education, the school provides IRS Annual Filing Season Program (AFSP) courses totaling 18 credit hours, meeting IRS CPE requirements for tax preparers seeking representation rights and directory listing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Federal Income Tax Course The foundational online tax preparation course teaching federal income tax law and procedures for individuals and small businesses, consisting of 20 lesson units with video lectures, textbooks, and practical case studies. Tuition is $895 paid in full or $924 via a 3-payment plan, and includes a $125 registration fee plus hard copy materials.
• Advanced Course in Federal Taxation Advanced training covering complex entity tax filings including C Corporations, S Corporations, Partnerships, Gift Tax, Estates, and Trusts. Designed for graduates of the Federal Income Tax Course or those with equivalent training. Tuition is $930 paid in full or $960 via a 3-payment plan, and includes registration fee and all required texts.
• California Tax Preparer Course A combined course approved by the California Tax Education Council (CTEC) that includes the Federal Tax Preparation Course plus California state taxation instruction, meeting CTEC's 60-hour qualifying education requirement for becoming a California Registered Tax Preparer (CRTP).
• IRS Annual Filing Season Program (AFSP) Continuing education course for tax preparers meeting IRS Annual Filing Season Program requirements. Includes the 6-hour Annual Federal Tax Refresher (AFTR) course with comprehension exam, 10 credit hours of Selected Federal Tax Topics, and 2 credit hours of Ethics CPE. Completers are listed in the IRS Directory of Federal Tax Return Preparers.
• Federal Tax Continuing Ed Courses Continuing education courses for tax preparers covering the latest IRS-approved tax law changes and annual filing season updates. Includes AFSP requirements, Federal Tax Law Updates, Selected Federal Tax Topics, and Ethics courses at an average $99 per course.

Quantifiable outcome

• Become a certified tax preparer in as little as 8 weeks
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC)coreOthersDEAC is the primary accrediting body for National Tax Training School. NTTS has been an Accredited Member since 1965 and has maintained this accreditation continuously. DEAC is listed by the U.S. Department of Education as a nationally recognized accrediting agency and is a member of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).
• National College Credit Recommendation Service (NCCRS)coreOthersNCCRS has evaluated NTTS courses and recommended them for college transfer credits at more than 1,500 accredited colleges and universities across the U.S., enabling students to potentially transfer credits toward degree programs.
• Internal Revenue Service (IRS)coreOthersNTTS is an IRS-approved continuing education provider (Provider Number 3P9RV) offering courses that meet IRS Annual Filing Season Program (AFSP) CPE requirements.
• California Tax Education Council (CTEC)coreOthersCTEC has approved NTTS as a provider for Qualifying Education training that meets California requirements for registered tax preparers (CTEC Provider Number 1025).
• New Jersey Department of EducationcoreOthersThe NJ Department of Education has granted NTTS a Certificate of Approval to operate as a private vocational school.
• Better Business BureauminorOthersNTTS meets BBB accreditation standards, providing consumer trust signal for prospective students.
• MyCAA (Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts)minorOthersNTTS is an approved school for the Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts program, enabling military spouses to receive up to $4,000 in financial assistance for tax preparation training.
• Canvas Learning Management SystemcoreTechnology or IntegrationNTTS uses Canvas LMS to deliver online courses. Students receive unique login credentials to access course materials, examinations, and interactive learning resources.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Liberty Tax Service: Liberty Tax trains and certifies seasonal tax preparers for its franchise network, providing a direct competitor channel to NTTS in the entry-level tax preparer training segment.
• Jackson Hewitt Tax Service: Jackson Hewitt trains its franchise and office tax preparers through Jackson Hewitt Tax Course, competing directly with NTTS for both aspiring and current tax professionals.
• H&R Block Tax Course: H&R Block offers its own tax preparer training and certification programs through H&R Block Tax Course, directly competing with NTTS for aspiring tax professionals seeking entry-level paid preparer credentials.
• The Income Tax School: The Income Tax School is an online tax preparer training provider offering courses in federal and state tax preparation, directly comparable to NTTS in target audience, modality, and curriculum.

Broad incumbents

• Surgent CPA Review: Surgent provides professional accounting and tax education including CPA Review and continuing education, competing with NTTS for credential-focused accounting professionals seeking continuing education.
• Becker Professional Education: Becker is a large incumbent in professional accounting/CPA exam prep; it competes with NTTS for the advanced tax career-changer segment and overlapping professional accounting education budgets.

Emerging players

• Penn Foster Career School: Penn Foster offers online vocational and career-track programs including tax preparation and accounting, comparable to NTTS as an accredited online distance education provider serving similar adult learner segments.
• Ashworth College: Ashworth College offers self-paced online career diploma programs including tax preparation and bookkeeping, competing with NTTS for adult learners seeking accredited home-study career training.
• Universal Accounting School: Universal Accounting School provides online accounting, bookkeeping, and tax preparation training, with overlap in the small-business bookkeeping and tax preparation segment served by NTTS's career-changer audience.

Others

• Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Tax Training Resources: The IRS provides free taxpayer education and PTIN/AFSP-related guidance; it is not a direct competitor but a regulatory/ecosystem actor that defines the certification requirements NTTS helps students meet.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/taxedu
• Facebookfacebook.com/NationalTax
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/national-tax-training-school
• Instagraminstagram.com/taxschool

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about National Tax Training School