Tax Planning Certification
The American Institute of Certified Tax Planners teaches qualified tax professionals how to save their clients millions of dollars.
Most tax professionals simply trade their time for money.
The problem with this is, like it or not, tax preparation is a commodity business. Clients can always find someone faster, cheaper, or more convenient. This makes it difficult to charge premium fees. Becoming a Certified Tax Coach™ allows you to get paid for your expertise by shifting your focus to tax planning.
AICTP offers a full-service solution and a supportive community to assist you as you transition to tax planning Client Advisory Services (CAS) in your firm. We offer proven methodology, guidance, and expert training that accounting firms need to develop and implement a tax planning approach to attract and engage clients.
When you become a Certified Tax Coach you can leave the world of 70-hour work weeks behind, double your income, and experience your dream practice! We provide you with all you need to not only grow your practice, but build a dream business, better serve your clients, an increase your productivity.
Valuable ongoing training
Q&A Sessions
Case Studies
Mastermind
The American Institute of Certified Tax Planners membership program offers year-round training and continuing education to help you access every opportunity for your clients. Enjoy monthly Q&A Sessions, Case Studies and peer Mastermind Groups to give you support as you grow, to help you keep up to date on the latest developments in the field, and help you to provide the highest level of service.
- AICTP 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.
- AICTP is an IRS-Approved Continuing Education Provider for Enrolled Agents, Enrolled Retirement Plan Agents and other tax return preparers.
A proven system to help you transform your tax planning practice
Tax Planning Academy
Learn in-depth our proactive tax reducing concepts and techniques. Follow our roadmap as a guide to our process. And receive access to all the available tools and resources needed for high-level tax planning.
Complete a Proactive Tax Plan Case Study
Apply your new skills to satisfactorily complete a presentation case study where you use our resources to create and sell a Proactive Tax Plan
Upon completion, you are a Certified Tax Coach!
Ongoing Education & Support
Put your knowledge into action. Using our strategies, resources and mentoring, transform your business and wow your clients. Advance in skill from Certified Tax Coach, to Planner, and finally Strategist, while your income and value increases!
You must be a licensed professional CPA, EA, or tax attorney in good standing, free from previous
financial crime convictions and free from professional license suspensions or revocations.
Questions? We have answers.
Why should I start now instead of waiting until after tax season?
Because every day you wait is money left on the table — for both you and your clients. Starting now means you’ll walk into tax season ready with proven planning strategies that set you apart from “just another tax preparer.” You’ll spot savings immediately, package planning into profitable services, and elevate your role from compliance worker to trusted advisor. If you wait until after April, you’re just putting off the growth and missing the chance to deliver high-value results, even during tax season.
How does AICTP compare to other tax planning certifications?
Other certifications often give you more theory, more letters, and more exams. AICTP gives you what matters: a practical, profitable system. The Certified Tax Coach program is built on real-world strategies that have saved clients millions — and generated six-figure revenue increases for firms. Plus, we show you exactly how to sell, price, and deliver tax planning services. You won’t find that combination of tax strategy and business growth training anywhere else.
Why doesn’t a master’s in taxation or accounting fully prepare me for real-life tax planning?
Advanced degrees are fantastic at teaching compliance, case law, and rules — but they rarely cover what clients actually pay for: creative, legal ways to reduce taxes. A master’s program won’t show you how to design an entity structure that saves a business owner $50K, or how to explain that strategy in plain English so a client says “yes” on the spot. That’s the difference with AICTP: we bridge the gap between theory and practice, giving you actionable strategies and client-ready tools you can use immediately.
How is AICTP different from software like CORVEE or Intuit?
The differences are like apples and oranges. We are an education organization, not a software company. Our focus is on helping you truly understand the tax code so you know exactly what’s behind the strategies you present to clients. Our software supports your exploration and presentation, instead of offering pre-determined solutions.
Where software is confined to its programming, our approach combines analysis and creativity, giving you the flexibility and nuance that only human insight can provide. Knowledge—paired with integrity—is what builds trust with clients. By mastering the tax code through education, you gain the confidence and credibility to handle even the most challenging questions from financially sophisticated clients. And you’ll have the ability to confidently defend your plans before the IRS, without having to say “the software told me to.”
100% guaranteed.
Our guarantee: we will refund 100% of your registration fee and reimburse you for your travel expenses if, by the end of the third day of our LIVE Academy training, you are not fully convinced you will at least earn back your registration fee as a result of what you learned.
Set your business apart as a Certified Tax Coach
Certified Tax Coach, Planner and Strategist are advanced designations available to CPA and EA tax professionals and tax attorneys.
Tax planning is the perfect way to establish a profitable, consultative practice and eliminate your competition. Clients don’t want to just file their taxes, they want to SAVE taxes! Most tax professionals don’t offer the kind of proactive planning and advice clients really want.
Becoming a Certified Tax Coach™ can dramatically increase your income and reignite your passion for your work at the same time! Certified Tax Coaches can charge an average of $15,000 in fees per client, per year. How many clients would you need to accept if you were charging more than $15,000 each per year?
