OSU Extension tax schools and webinar coming soon

By Barry Ward and Julie Strawser, Ohio State University Income Tax Schools

How to deal with the new tax law (Tax Cuts and Jobs Act) for both individuals and businesses are among the topics to be discussed during the upcoming Tax School workshop series offered throughout Ohio in late October, November and December.

The annual series is designed to help tax preparers learn about federal tax law changes and updates for this year as well as learn more about issues they may encounter when filing individual and small business 2019 tax returns.

The tax schools are intermediate-level courses that focus on interpreting tax regulations and changes in tax laws to help tax preparers, accountants, financial planners and attorneys advise their clients. The schools offer continuing education credit for certified public accountants, enrolled agents, attorneys, annual filing season preparers and certified financial planners.

This is another important year for tax education as the new tax law continues to create some challenges for tax practitioners to prepare tax returns. We have an excellent set of instructors with a great deal of experience and training along with a top reference workbook to prepare tax practitioners to best serve their clients during this ongoing process of incorporating recent tax law changes in completing tax returns.

The workbook alone is an extremely valuable reference as it offers over 700 pages of material including helpful tables and examples that will be valuable to practitioners. Sample chapters of the reference workbook can be found at: https://go.osu.edu/WorkbookChapters.

In addition to the tax schools, the program offers a separate, two-hour ethics webinar that will broadcast Dec. 11 at 1 p.m. and again on Dec. 13 at 10 a.m. The webinar is $25 for school attendees and $50 for non-attendees and is approved by the IRS and the Ohio Accountancy Board for continuing education credit

Register two weeks prior to the school date and receive the two-day tax school early-bird registration fee of $375. This includes all materials, lunches and refreshments. The deadline to enroll is 10 business days prior to the date of each school. After the school deadline, the fee increases to $425.

Participants can also choose to attend just day one of the workshop for $250. Additionally, the 2019 RIA Federal Tax Handbook is available to purchase by participants for a discounted fee of $40 each. Registration information and the online registration portal can be found online at:

http://go.osu.edu/taxschools

The schools run from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on the following dates and locations:

• Oct. 30-31 — Ole Zim’s Wagonshed, 1387 State Route 590, Gibsonburg.
• Nov. 4-5 – Sheraton Suites, 1989 Front St., Cuyahoga Falls.
• Nov. 6-7 — Ashland University Convocation Center, 820 Claremont Ave., Ashland
• Nov. 12-13 — Presidential Banquet Center, 4548 Presidential Way, Kettering.
• Nov. 14-15 — Old Barn Out Back, 3175 W. Elm St., Lima.
• Nov. 19-20 — Der Dutchman Restaurant, 445 S. Jefferson Rt. 42, Plain City.
• Nov. 21-22 – Christopher Conference Center, 20 N. Plaza Dr., Chillicothe.
• Dec. 2-3 — Ohio University, Zanesville Branch Campus Center, 1425 Newark Road, Zanesville.
• Dec. 5-6 — The Ohio State University, Nationwide & Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center, 2201 Fred Taylor Dr, Columbus.

A daylong webinar on Ag Tax Issues will be broadcast Dec. 16 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.  If you are a tax practitioner that represents farmers or rural landowners or are a farmer or farmland owner that prepares your own taxes, this five-hour webinar is for you. It will focus on key topics and regulations of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act related specifically to those income tax returns.

You can choose to attend a host location or participate at home or in the office. Host locations will provide a facilitator, refreshments and lunch. You are encouraged to bring your computer as there will be real-time Q&A. If you choose not to attend a host location, a web address will be e-mailed to you prior to the webinar.

Registration, which includes the Ag Tax Issues workbook, is $150. Register by mail or on-line at http://go.osu.edu/AgIssuesReg

More information on the workshops, including how to register, can be found at go.osu.edu/2019taxschools. Participants may contact Ward at 614-688-3959, ward.8@osu.edu or Julie Strawser 614-292-2433, strawser.35@osu.edu for more information.