Frequently Asked Questions

What is the IRS Nationwide Tax Forums Online?

The Nationwide Tax Forums Online (NTFO) is a product of the IRS Communications and Liaison Office.

It is a website which provides current information a tax professional needs, as well as information on IRS procedures and processes through a series of videos (with accompanying PowerPoint presentations) of selected IRS seminars from the IRS Nationwide Tax Forums that are held each year throughout the U.S.

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Who is responsible for the Nationwide Tax Forums Online?

NTFO is the sole property of the Internal Revenue Service, and it is managed through the Office of National Public Liaison.

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Can I receive continuing education credit for viewing a seminar?

Continuing education credit is available for certain seminars. Please check the seminar's individual home pages to determine if credit is offered. The IRS accepts certain seminars for one (1) continuing education credit for Enrolled Agents (EA) and Annual Filing Season Program (AFSP) participants. IRS Communications and Liaison is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors.

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How do I receive continuing education credit?

To receive credit, you must first create an account on NTFO by creating a username and password. It is recommended that your password be at least six characters in length, and it can be any combination of letters, numbers, and punctuation that you choose.

You will also be asked to provide your first and last names, Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN), and email address. If you do not have a PTIN or do not want to provide it, please check the box in order to complete this step in the registration process. Your name and PTIN will only be used to provide a record of your continuing education credit to the IRS Return Preparer Office. Note: If you do not provide a PTIN, then your continuing education credits will not be uploaded to the IRS PTIN system. Please ensure your PTIN is nine (9) characters in length: it should begin with "P" followed by eight (8) digits. If your name and PTIN do not match the information in the IRS PTIN system, then the IRS Return Preparer Office will not accept your continuing education credit. Ensuring your name and PTIN are accurate will prevent delays in uploading your continuing education credits.

Please check your email after creating your account. This check is done to verify your email address. Until you have completed your email address verification, you will not have access to the review questions or the final examination, and therefore will not be able to receive continuing education credit.

You will use your username and password to log in to your account on NTFO. When you log in to the site, you will be directed to your status page. From the status page, you can take any seminar you have purchased, resume any purchased seminars that are in progress, download the PDF files of the Certificates of Completion earned for passed seminars, and review completed seminars.

Once you purchase a seminar, it will appear under the “In Progress” tab on your status page. Start the seminar by clicking on “Chapter one.” Once you complete a chapter, navigation will appear at the top of the screen and take you to the first review question, followed by the next chapter, etc. A review question follows each chapter. After you have completed the video and review questions, you must take and pass a final examination. The seminar may be viewed repeatedly; however, the final examination can only be attempted two times. You must achieve a passing rate of 70% on the final examination to receive continuing education Credit. You have one calendar year from the date of purchase to complete the course.

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How do I purchase a seminar for continuing education credit?

To purchase a seminar, first create an account on NTFO. After logging in, you can purchase seminars either one at a time, or add seminars to a shopping cart and make a single purchase transaction for multiple courses. After completing the purchase through PayPal, you will be returned to your status page on www.irstaxforumsonline.com.

When you click the button to buy a seminar or to checkout the shopping cart, you will be taken to PayPal. Users will be asked to log in with an existing PayPal account, or to create a new PayPal account. The PayPal account is separate from the irstaxforumsonline.com account. The payment transaction occurs through PayPal, and once it is complete you can click the button and return to your status page on www.irstaxforumsonline.com. NOTE: Purchasing a course via PayPal e-check can take up to 10 business days to post. Your course will only appear in your Status Page after your e-check has cleared.

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What can I do on my status page?

You can:
- Take a new seminar
- Resume previously started seminars
- Review previously completed seminars
- Review/download Certificates of Completion

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What is the cost for a continuing education credit?

Each continuing education credit costs $29.00. There is no additional charge if the seminar is repeated. You will not receive additional credit for taking the same seminar. The seminars are purchased through PayPal.

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What if I lose my password?

If you lose or forget your password, you can request a new password. Just click on "Request New Password" at the bottom of the NTFO home page.

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What is the cost to view a seminar if I do not want continuing education credit?

There is no cost to audit or view a seminar without receiving continuing education credit.

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How do I view a course without receiving credit (audit)?

All seminars are able to be viewed without cost and for no continuing education credit. You do not need to create an account to audit a seminar. You will have access to the video, PowerPoint and transcript. You will not have access to the Review Questions or the Final Examination and will not receive continuing education credit.

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How long is a seminar?

Each seminar is approximately 50 minutes long, but is broken into chapters for easier viewing. Each seminar is available online whenever you need it and includes a speaker presentation as well as any audience questions and answers from the seminar.

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What seminars are available?

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Who do I contact if I have questions or need more information?

Please use the "Contact Us" tab in this website to submit your comments or questions. Please note that we will not respond to tax-related issues or personal inquiries. For more information, please check IRS Tax Map, Tax Topics, Frequently Asked Questions, Interactive Tax Assistant (ITA), or Tax Trails. You may also call the IRS toll-free tax assistance line at 1-800-829-1040 for individuals or 1-800-829-4933 for businesses.

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What equipment do I need to access this site?

You need a computer with internet access. The site also requires Adobe Acrobat 8and Flash Player 8.

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I get an error message when trying to access video content

In order to view the videos, your computer must have the latest version of Flash Player 8installed. You must also have a computer connection that does not block video content. If your network blocks video content, please contact your network administrator.

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I get an error message when trying to open the video transcripts

In order to view the videos, your computer must have the latest version of Adobe Acrobat 8installed.

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What do I need to know about this site to view it properly?

This site is optimized to view at 1024 x 768 pixels resolution.

This site is optimized for Internet Explorer 6, Internet Explorer 7, Internet Explorer 8 and Firefox.

This site is optimized to view at 1024 x 768 pixels resolution.

This site requires Flash Player 8.

This site requires Adobe Acrobat 8.