You may have noticed your tax professional uses the designation “NTPI Fellow®.” This designation is evidence of significant expertise in the representation of taxpayers before the IRS. Becoming an NTPI Fellow isn’t easy. To fully appreciate what it says about your tax professional, here’s a rundown of the prerequisites and requirements to achieve this distinction.
In order to enroll in the National Tax Practice Institute™ (NTPI®), your tax professional must be an enrolled agent*, CPA, or tax attorney. These are the only three professional groups that have full rights of representation before the IRS. That means that not only can they speak directly to the IRS regarding your taxes without you being present, they can represent you in an IRS audit, collection, or appeal. If you find yourself in tax trouble, you’ll want one of these professionals by your side.
NTPI Fellows have completed a stringent, three-level program of study that covers all facets of representing clients before the IRS. They have learned to guide their clients through the often challenging maze of IRS codes, internal regulations, and agency structure. Once enrolled in NTPI, attendees study a broad range of applicable topics, including:
- Communicating with the IRS
- Assisting Non-Filers
- Examination (introduction and advanced)
- Appeals (introduction, exam appeals, collection appeals, and advanced appeals)
- Tax Research and Resources
- Collections
- Criminal Investigation (introduction and advanced)
- Form 1040 Audits
- Innocent Spouse
- Freedom of Information Act
- Case Resolutions
- Trust Fund Recovery Penalty
- Liens and Levies
- Correcting Bad Actions of Clients
- Bankruptcy
The process of becoming an NTPI Fellow often takes several years, but the learning doesn’t stop there. As a whole, NTPI Fellows are individuals who exceed IRS’ minimum standard for continuing education and are dedicated to staying on top of the latest changes to the tax code. Many Fellows participate annually in NTPI’s Graduate Level courses in Representation because they don’t want to miss a thing.
Now that you’re aware of what the designation represents, you’ll notice many of the nation’s top tax practitioners have earned it. Is your tax practitioner an NTPI Fellow?
*Enrolled agents are the only tax professionals licensed by the US Department of Treasury.
View the NTPI Fellow List
