Fall Tax School (In-Person)
Elevate Your Tax Practice
Practical guidance to help tax professionals strengthen skills, refine planning strategies, and better understand the real-world implications of today’s tax issues.
This year we’re pleased to bring you three in-person locations for Fall Tax School. Be sure and scroll down to check dates, locations, and all the details.
What’s Included with Registration?
- 16 CPE credits for 2-day Fall Tax School (includes 2 hrs of ethics)
- Federal Tax Workbook (print + digital)
- Access to seminar recordings
- Bonus: Free Ag Issues webinar (2 CPE)
- Connect & Unwind at the end of Day 1 (more information below)
When you attend Fall Tax School, you’ll not only earn CPE and receive quality instruction, you’ll be attending a program with a long-standing reputation for excellence and integrity. The University of Illinois Tax School has been providing high-quality continuing education for 86 years. More than 4,500 tax professionals attend Fall Tax School annually to learn the latest and greatest on new tax laws and regulations and new strategies for existing laws.
Stay up-to-date on all educational events!
Register Here
To mail or fax registration, download and print this form.
Seminar Materials
The University of Illinois Federal Tax Workbook is the source material taught at all Fall Tax School sessions. Both printed and digital versions are included with registration.
Books are shipped directly to you weekly starting in mid-October, and delayed registration may result in you not receiving the printed book before your Fall Tax School session. To ensure you receive your book in time, please register by Oct. 9 and make sure your address is correct in your Tax School account (we cannot ship to P.O. boxes).
Workbook Topics
- Limits on losses and deductions
- Transactions between related persons and partnerships
- Depreciation
- Like-kind exchanges
- Installment sales
- Review and examples of various aspects of Circular 230
- Allocation of items to shareholders
- Compensation issues
- Retirement plans for shareholders
- Basics of trusts as S corporation shareholders
- Dealing with debt
- Distributions
- Reporting
- Revocable trusts
- Trust & estate charitable deductions
- Basis in gift property
- Basis of inherited assets
- Consistent basis reporting
- Estate & gift tax on nonresident aliens
- Reverse mortgages
- Charitable giving
- Strategies for reducing capital gains
- Foreign individual taxation
- Penalty issues
- IRS MATH Act
- Dirty Dozen
- Retirement of FIRE system
- Business tax accounts
- Implementation of OBBBA (including Trump Accounts, tips, and overtime)
- No mailbox rule
- Genius Act
- Significant rulings and cases from August 2025 and beyond
- IRCE §754 strategy
- Holding period for raised heifers
- Gifting farm equipment to a child
- Retirement planning issues for farmers
- Residency and filing classification
- Income exclusions
- Deductions
- Retirement, disability, and survivor benefits
- Employer tax credits
- Estate and tax planning
- Qualified state and local benefits
- Employee tax issues
- EBLs/NOLs
- QBI refresher
- Equity compensation types, including incentive stock option, employee stock purchase plans, restricted stock awards and units, stock appreciation rights, phantom stokcs
- Equity compensation life cycle
- Planning considerations
- Amending individual returns
- Amending C corporation returns
- Amending S corporation returns
- Amending partnership returns
- Amending estate & trust returns
- Amending gift tax returns
Learning Objectives & Agendas
Learning Objectives and Details
Learning Objectives: At the completion of this seminar, participants will be able to:
- Apply specific concepts and strategies covered in the seminar while preparing 2026 tax returns, and
- Advise clients about planning strategies applicable to their situations.
Delivery Method: Group Live
Program Level: Overview
Field of Study: Taxes
Prerequisite(s): Professional experience in preparing tax returns and an understanding of basic tax rules and regulations.
Advanced Preparation: None
Materials: A printed copy of the University of Illinois Federal Tax Workbook will be shipped to the address on file. A digital version of the workbook, along with PowerPoint handouts, will be available in your Tax School account one week prior to Fall Tax School.
Day 1 topics to be covered include:
- New Developments
- Individual Taxpayer Issues
- IRS Update
- Rulings & Cases
- Military & First Responders
- Ethics
Day 2 topics to be covered include:
- S Corporation Operations
- Trust & Estate Issues
- Amending Returns
- Income Tax Implications of Equity Compensation
- Small Business Issues
- Related-Party Issues
Seminar Instructors
Fall Tax School instructors are practicing CPAs, EAs, and tax attorneys – active professionals who understand your daily challenges. They don’t just teach tax law; they live it. Their expertise provides practical, relevant guidance on new legislation, complex scenarios, and best practices. Click on any photo below for a brief bio.
Instructors for Champaign & Palatine Locations
Instructors for Mt. Vernon Location
CPE Credits
2-Day Fall Tax School
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Organization
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Credit Hours
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CPE credits
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Up to 16 based on attendance
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Field of Study (NASBA)
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Taxes (14), Regulatory Ethics (2)
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IRS Categories
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Federal Tax Topics (10); Federal Tax Law Update (4); Regulatory Ethics (2)
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IL Insurance
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General (14); Ethics (2)
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IL MCLE
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Taxation (11.50); Professional Responsibility (1.75)
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CFP
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Taxation (16). The ethics portion of instruction qualifies for CFP general CPE but not CFP “Ethics” CPE. Must attend entire session to obtain any CPE due to CFP Board rules.
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A certificate of attendance is emailed to participants within two weeks after the seminar concludes.
Optional additional 2 CPE credits for the Agricultural Issues & Rural Investments chapter of the workbook will be recorded separately and a separate CPE certificate will be provided.
CPE Accreditation
The University of Illinois Tax School is a sponsor of CPE for a variety of professional designations such as CPAs, EAs, attorneys, CFPs®, and insurance, etc. Agencies that typically recognize the University of Illinois Tax School as a sponsor of continuing education are:
- Illinois Department of Insurance
- Illinois Department of Professional Regulation
- Internal Revenue Service
- Iowa Supreme Court Commission on Continuing Legal Education
- Missouri Bar Association
- MCLE Board of the Supreme Court of Illinois
- Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards
- State of Connecticut Insurance Department
CPE Affiliated Organizations
University of Illinois Tax School 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. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website: www.nasbaregistry.org.
The Tax School has been approved as an IRS Continuing Education Provider. Tax preparers should always look for IRS approved providers when fulfilling their continuing education requirements. Visit www.irs.gov/taxpros/ce for more information.
For EAs and Illinois Insurance professionals, the Tax School Office submits participant credit hours directly to the accrediting agencies.
An additional fee is required for processing CPE credits for CFP®, IL insurance, and IL MCLE.
See Frequently Asked Questions about CPE.
Connect & Unwind
Connect & Unwind
New this year, included with your Fall Tax School in-person registration is a Connect & Unwind event. Immediately after Day 1 concludes, enjoy appetizers and informal conversation with fellow attendees before wrapping up the day. Come for a few minutes or stay throughout—there is no formal program.