Study AFSP Live @ Tax Max Software · 2027 filing season
The AFSP course is 18 hours, the deadline is December 31, and most preparers end up cramming it alone in the last week. In two live Zoom classes we study the course work together and you take your test with us on the call, so you finish on time and get listed on the IRS website.
Save your seat for $45 and leave with the 100 Referral Partners Playbook.
I build tax offices that get certified, get found and get booked. It starts with your name on the IRS list before December 31.
Why this matters right now
The Annual Filing Season Program is voluntary. It's also what sets you apart from every other preparer in your city, and the window closes on December 31.
Listed on the IRS website
Your name goes in the IRS public directory of preparers with credentials and select qualifications. People looking for a preparer find you there, and the listing comes from the IRS itself.
Represent your clients
With a Record of Completion you can represent clients before the IRS on returns you prepared and signed, in limited situations. Without it, you can only prepare.
One deadline
All 18 hours and the refresher test must be done by midnight your time on December 31, 2026.
How we'll do it
Class 1 · Study
Class 2 · Test
After this class, new groups meet Mondays (study) and Wednesdays (test), 6–9 PM ET. Your test is yours: you answer your own questions on your own Drake Software account, and we keep you on schedule.
Before class 1
Tick each one as you finish. 0 of 4 done
You need an active PTIN for the year you participate. The IRS fee is $18.75, it takes about 15 minutes online, and 2027 renewals are open now. Do this before you buy your course: Drake Software needs your PTIN to report your hours to the IRS.
Non-exempt preparers need 18 hours: the 6-hour Annual Federal Tax Refresher with its test, 10 hours of federal tax law and 2 hours of ethics. Drake Software's 18-hour Non-Exempt AFSP Bundle covers all of it for $210 through December 31, 2026. Exempt preparers need the 15-hour Exempt AFSP Bundle for $199.
After your hours post and your 2027 PTIN is renewed, the IRS emails you from taxpros@ptin.irs.gov. Sign the consent in your PTIN account to receive your Record of Completion and your IRS directory listing.
A real street address for business mail keeps your home address off your paperwork and marketing. Search "virtual business address" plus your ZIP code, or use a provider's location map.
| Provider | Starting price | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Anytime Mailbox | about $5.99/mo | Price depends on the location you pick |
| PostalBridge | from $7.99/mo | At participating mail centers |
| iPostal1 (business plan) | from $14.99/mo | Online notary for Form 1583 is $25 |
| Northwest Virtual Address | $29/mo | Reviewers rate it highly overall |
| Stable | from $49/mo | Fewer locations, fewer add-on fees |
What to look for
Prices change by location. Confirm the final price at checkout.
The offer
$45for both classes
Bonus: the 100 Referral Partners Playbook, so you leave with a plan for clients as well as your course done.
Pick your group
Questions? (844) 558-0600 · info@taxmaxsoftware.com
Why study with me
When I opened my doors, I didn't have a client list. What I had was a habit: study it, learn it, and use it the same day. Every rule I learned went straight into the next return or the next conversation. I didn't wait until I felt ready.
That habit took me from 0 to 360 clients in my first year. I'm sharing that because the same habit is what this class runs on, and it works best when you're not doing it alone.
We'll study the course work together, you'll take your test with us on the call, and you'll leave with a plan to grow your own client list.
Romona Jones, The Tax Office Builder
Questions
No. The $45 covers the two live Tax Max classes and the 100 Referral Partners Playbook. You buy your AFSP course from Drake Software at DrakeCPE.com.
Yes. You need an active PTIN for the 2027 filing season, and Drake Software needs it to report your hours. It takes about 15 minutes and costs $18.75.
No. We help you study and stay on schedule. You answer your own test on your own account, and the result depends on your work.
Some preparers, such as certain state-registered preparers and VITA volunteers, need 15 hours instead of 18. Use Drake Software’s 15-hour Exempt AFSP Bundle and join us for the study and the 100 Client Play.
After your hours post, your 2027 PTIN is renewed and you sign your Circular 230 consent, the IRS issues your Record of Completion and adds you to its public directory.
All coursework and the refresher test must be finished by midnight your local time on December 31, 2026.