CFP Board Announces Continuing Education Credit for IRS VITA/TCE Volunteer Training

Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (“CFP Board”), today announced that CFP® professionals can now report continuing education (CE) when taking part in the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)’s free tax preparation program. Those who volunteer for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) or Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) program may earn and self-report CE credits.

These CE credits can now be reported to meet CFP Board CE requirements. Candidates for CFP® certification are also eligible to report volunteer hours to help fulfill their Experience requirement.

“We are very pleased to have the IRS as a partner in offering the VITA/TCE program for continuing education opportunities,” said Elizabeth Stewart, CFP Board’s Chief Operating Officer. “This cooperative arrangement will benefit financial planning firms, our CFP® professionals, candidates for CFP® certification and the communities they serve.”

In general, individual volunteers can earn CE credits by completing the required tax law certifications and serving as an IRS tax law-certified volunteer instructor, tax return preparer, and/or quality reviewer in the VITA or TCE Program. However, individuals interested in volunteering and earning CE credits should refer to the IRS Fact sheet for all requirements.

“Our partnership with CFP Board will have a positive impact on the thousands of communities we serve across the nation,” said Frank Nolden, Director of Stakeholder, Partnerships, Education and Communication at the Internal Revenue Service. “CFP® professionals who volunteer with the VITA/TCE program will be a great asset in helping to maintain the quality, integrity and credibility of our free tax prep sites.”

Current CFP® professionals who meet the VITA/TCE volunteer requirements can log into their secure CFP Board account and follow instructions to self-report and claim their continuing education credit. Professionals may view the CFP Board video to obtain step-by-step guidance on how to self-report registered CE program credits to CFP Board.

Candidates for CFP® certification can report their volunteer hours to help fulfill their Experience requirement. Experience can be reported to CFP Board at any time through the online Experience Reporting Profile available in their CFP Board account by clicking on the Experience section.

For more information on the VITA/TCE program go to www.irs.gov/vita.