CPE Providers

[Koss]

Anyone have any experience with something called APlusCPE?

I got a postcard in the mail today. They are currently offering 24 hours of CPE for enrolled agents for $59.95. Seems like a very good deal.

The offer appears on their website:

https://www.apluscpe.com

What I haven't yet tried to figure out is when the courses expire, which is extremely important.

They also offer a preparation course for the RTRP exam for $99.95.

BMK

[S T]

Have Not Received

I have not recieved the postcard or email you referred to , but 24 hours at $ 59.95 looks attractive! Of course I need 30 plus Ethics!

So if we add up 24 hours at $ 59.95 plus an additional 6 hours of your choice - another
$ 30 - $ 40 plus module that meets ethics at $ 15 - it arrives at close to the same cost $ 30-$ 40 difference depending

My most current is CPE Depot at $ 129 plus $ 20 for Ethics, then another firm contacted me to meet the CPE Depot cost at
$ 149 (includes ethics) annually Professionals Publishing Group at info@cpecredit.com]

Now at the last 2 months I am probably going to stay with CPE Depot as I do like the material from Danny Santucci one of the authors { Gear Up Speaker from the Old Gear Up Company with Heydon Wisdom, Sharon Kreider, Claudia Hill, etc.)

Sandy

[Koss]

CPE Requirements

S T wrote:

Of course I need 30 plus Ethics!

Isn't the 2 hour ethics requirement included in the 24 hours that are required by the IRS and the 30 hours that are required by NAEA?

I have always thought that the requirement was 24 hours (or 30 hours), and that two of those hours need to be on the topic of ethics.

This year I got my CPE from a variety of sources:

- Live instruction at monthly meetings of the Ohio State Society of Enrolled Agents
- Lots of hours from The Tax Book CPE courses, which I found to be very good
- a couple hours from CCH, and
- a couple hours from the EA Journal, on the NAEA website

BMK

[S T]

Always been unclear

on the issue of the 24 or 30 required and the 2 hour Ethics - so have erred on the side of the additional hours.

Not really an issue for me - as I always take more hours that more than meets the EA requirements (IRS) and also NAEA.

It was also somewhat unclear to me on the reporting of 24 hours and 2 hours Ethics each year when I completed the Recent EA Renewal Cycle Form. Again - I had more than enough hours on each year including each of the annual 2 hour Ethics.

Sandy

[Koss]

CPE Requirements

I decided to look it up.

The IRS doesn't really require 24 hours per year. That's just how most of us think about it. The IRS requires 72 hours in each 3 year enrollment cycle. The IRS requires 16 hours per year. So under IRS rules, you can take less than 24 hours in one particular year, as long as you get a total of 72 hours during the 3 year cycle.

The language of Circular 230 is as follows:

Requirements for enrollment cycle. A minimum of 72 hours of continuing education credit, including six hours of ethics or professional conduct, must be completed during each enrollment cycle.

Requirements for enrollment year. A minimum of 16 hours of continuing education credit, including two hours of ethics or professional conduct, must be completed during each enrollment year of an enrollment cycle.

To me, it's clear that the ethics hours are built into the total.

NAEA policy reads as follows:

6.10.1 NAEA bylaws require members and associates to earn 30 hours of CPE per calendar year. Members and associates must attest to the completion of the NAEA CPE requirements prior to or concurrent with renewing. NAEA will have a CPE attestation form available on the NAEA website and will include information on the CPE renewal process with the renewal information sent to members and associates.

6.10.4 In accordance with IRS requirements for enrollment renewal, members must earn at least 2 hours of Ethics in each calendar year.

This language might be a little ambiguous. But the words "in accordance with IRS requirements," to me, mean that the NAEA is simply aligning their ethics requirements with the IRS. It is clear that NAEA requires 30 hours per year. But I don't think NAEA requires two hours of ethics in addition to the 30 hours.

BMK

[S T]

Clarification

Perfect
Thanks for that clarification!
I always meet the NAEA as I am still a member - so I will go with that and my hours more than meets my needs for the IRS EA needs.

That then in relation to your prior post on the apluscpe.com post makes it way cheaper than what I am paying now for the CPE Depot.

Burton you entered a notation of when course expired for apluscpe - they have a letter dated June 21, 2011 from Dept of Treasury on their website, that says they are authorized to provide up to 49 hours to a "GROUP" of courses listed only ------ then page 2 of the letter, subject ot the requirements and restrictions of Circ 230 ------ and ----- will qualify for CPE credit for Enrolled Agents effective through 12/31/11. ****This sponsorship terminates at that time, You (apluscpe) may apply for renewal pursuant to any revised provisions in Circ 230)

Is that what you are referring to? click on the IRS EA Spoonser Approval link ?????

Sandy

[Koss]

Sponsor Approval

What you found is interesting. But I'm not really concerned about it. Technically, what you found means that APlusCPE will no longer be an approved sponsor for EA CPE after 12/31/11. But I'm sure they've renewed their sponsorship agreement, or that they will do so before the end of the year.

What I meant was:

After I purchase courses, how many months do I have to take the courses? I'm sure it's not forever.

The CPE courses offered by The Tax Book state that you have to take the exam by a certain date in order to get the qualifying CPE. For most of the CPE that is currently offered by The Tax Book, I think you have to take the exam by 12/31/2012. But I took one course last year where the expiration date was in June.

It has to do with the content of the course getting stale, or obsolete. The CPE provider cannot award CPE credits for courses that do not have current content.

The key here is that The Tax Book is offering CPE that is considered current through 2012.

I've got all my CPE for this year. I may or may not make a purchase from APlusCPE. I sent them an e-mail asking about the expiration dates.

I certainly wouldn't want to buy CPE from them right now, based on the attractive pricing, only to discover that the courses have to be completed by 12/31/2011.

But the Sponsorship Letter doesn't mean anything. I'm sure they'll get that renewed for 2012. I know something about that process. It is remarkably easy for an organization to get approved as a sponsor to offer CPE for enrolled agents.

BMK

[S T]

More info

Thanks

Will you keep us posted on the info you receive from aplus and the expiration - I know that my sign on and fee either at TTB or CPE Depot is good for a year - so that is a really good point that you made.

Sandy

[Koss]

Expiration

Just to be clear--

The CPE that I purchased from The Tax Book in late 2010 said that I had to take the exam by 12/31/2011.

The CPE that The Tax Book is selling right now will say that you have to take the exam by 12/31/2012.

TTB starts offering new material late in the year. There are some courses available right now that can be applied to your CPE requirements for 2011 or 2012, depending on when you choose to take the exam.

But the CPE courses sold by The Tax Book earlier this year have an expiration date of 12/31/2011.

BMK

[Ross]

Apexcpe.com

I've used www.apexcpe.com the past few years. They have some good prices. For example; 20 CPE hours for $87.

[RNuse09]

The tax School

I just ordered through the tax school. It is under 100 dollars for 24 hrs of CPE plus 2 hrs of ethics.