Whether this is your first Fall Tax School or you have attended for years, a little preparation can help you get more out of the experience.
Fall Tax School covers a great deal of information in two days. You will hear about recent tax developments, explore issues affecting individuals and businesses, and receive practical guidance you can use during the coming filing season. The goal is not to remember every detail by the end of the event; it is to recognize what matters to your clients, know where to find the information later, and leave with a clearer sense of what deserves your attention.
Here are a few ways to make the most of your time.
Before Fall Tax School begins, review the agenda (in-person or online) and identify the topics most relevant to your practice. Consider what has come up in recent client conversations and what questions you expect to face in the months ahead.
Fall Tax School attendee Aliza Kaim Faber shared one of her strategies in the Tax School’s private Facebook group:
“I like to scan material ahead of time and jot any questions down. I use the sticky notes provided to flag important pages and highlights.”
That is a useful approach even if you only have a few minutes beforehand. As you look through the materials, mark topics that relate to a client situation, an issue you want to research or something you want to hear explained in more detail.
During the program, continue adding notes and flags. Your workbook is meant to remain useful long after the event ends, so make it your own.
If you are attending online, treat the program as you would an event away from the office. Block the time on your calendar, let coworkers know when you will be unavailable, and limit email and other notifications as much as possible.
We know your clients don’t stop having tax questions just because you’re attending Fall Tax School. But if you can give yourself permission to step away from your inbox, you’ll have a better chance of absorbing what you came to learn.
It can also help to prepare your workspace before the program begins. Have your workbook, notes, and any other materials within reach so you are not searching for them once instruction starts.
If you are attending in person, arrive with enough time to get settled and organize your materials before the first session begins. You can also use breaks and the end-of-Day-1 Connect & Unwind gathering to chat casually with fellow attendees.
Write down questions as they occur to you during each session. You can submit them in one of two ways:
Tax School staff organize the submitted questions for instructors to review and address during the Q&A sessions on both days. Although time may not allow instructors to answer every question, submitting yours gives them an opportunity to identify issues that would be helpful to discuss with the larger group.
Pay attention to the questions other attendees raise, too. Someone else may describe a situation you have encountered or point out an issue you had not yet considered. For that same reason, don’t hesitate to submit your question, even if it seems too basic. You may be asking exactly what someone else in the room, or on the other side of the screen, is wondering.
If your question is not addressed, consider posting it in the private Tax School Facebook Group. With more than 4,600 members, the group is an active community where tax professionals exchange ideas, share experiences, and help one another work through tax-related questions.
Not every topic will affect every practice in the same way. As instructors work through the material, keep a running list of clients or types of returns that may be affected.
Rather than writing only general notes, record the connection:
These notes turn what you learn into practical next steps.
Some subjects will require more attention than the schedule allows. Instead of trying to resolve every question during the program, develop a simple system for marking items to revisit.
You might use one color of sticky note for client-related questions, another for office procedures, and another for subjects that need additional research. A symbol in the margin can work just as well. What matters is being able to find those items again without rereading the entire workbook.
Do not let a missed administrative detail interfere with receiving your continuing professional education credit. Review the attendance and participation instructions for your format before the program begins, and make sure you understand what is required.
If you have questions, contact Tax School before the event so you can focus on the program once it starts.
Choose a manageable number of follow-up actions, such as:
Even one or two actions can help you use what you learned before the usual demands of your job start competing for your attention again.
Fall Tax School provides two full days of information, but its value extends well beyond those two days. Come prepared to ask questions, connect the material to your clients, and identify the issues you want to explore further. You will leave with more than a set of notes. You will have a practical resource and a plan for putting what you learned to work.
If Fall Tax School is part of your plans this year, early registration ends Oct. 9. Explore the agenda and choose the in-person or online option that works for you.
Disclaimer: The information referenced in Tax School’s blog is accurate at the date of publication. You may contact taxschool@illinois.edu if you have more up-to-date, supported information and we will create an addendum.
University of Illinois Tax School is not responsible for any errors or omissions, or for the results obtained from the use of this information. All information in this site is provided “as is”, with no guarantee of completeness, accuracy, timeliness or of the results obtained from the use of this information. This blog and the information contained herein does not constitute tax client advice.
