Basics & Beyond
Trusted Tax CPE Courses for CPAs, EAs & Tax Professionals for Over 30 Years
Professional Tax CPE That Feels Worth Your Time
Basics & Beyond helps CPAs, EAs, and tax professionals stay current with practical instruction, flexible formats, and a long track record of trusted continuing education.
Trusted Faculty
Amazing presenters who teach for real-world practice.
Clear, practical instruction from experienced tax and compliance professionals.
Flexible Formats
Choose webinars, live seminars, or on-demand study.
Pick the format that fits your schedule without sacrificing quality.
Recognized Credit
Nationally recognized continuing education provider.
Built for professionals who need dependable, compliant CPE options.
Practical Value
High-value programs focused on current tax issues.
Useful updates, scheduling flexibility, and strong value for individuals and teams.
“Accountants with a personality... do I need to say more? Knowledgeable, friendly and funny. You orchestrated everything well. Thank you!”
Steve, JD, CPA, OH
Basics & Beyond: Trusted Tax CPE Courses for CPAs, EAs, & Tax Professionals
Delivering Trusted Tax CPE Since 1993
For more than 30 years, Basics & Beyond, Inc. has provided high-quality federal income tax education at an affordable price. Thousands of CPAs, enrolled agents, and tax professionals earn trusted continuing professional education credits through our programs each year.
Who Needs CPE Credits?
IRS CE is required for Enrolled Agents, Enrolled Retirement Plan Agents, and Annual Filing Season Program participants. Many CPAs, tax attorneys, and preparers also complete continuing education each year to stay current on federal tax law changes.
Official NASBA Sponsor
Basics & Beyond, Inc. is registered with NASBA on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State Boards of Accountancy retain final authority over credit acceptance. Learn more at nasbaregistry.org.
Accepted Nationwide
Our virtual seminars and webinars are accepted in all 50 states. While credit hours vary by state, many attendees earn the full 16 CPE hours during our Fall and Year-End tax updates.
Flexible Ways to Earn CPE
Choose the online format that works best for your schedule:
- Live Webinars offering 40+ CPE credit hours annually
- Live Tax Seminars delivering up to 16 CPE or 13.5 CLE hours annually
- On-Demand CE courses for immediate IRS-approved self-study credit
Questions & answers · Reviewed September 2026
Choosing your tax education
Direct answers to common questions, with links to the relevant program details or primary guidance.
Which platforms are useful for tax-season preparation and tax-specialty firms?
Basics & Beyond offers focused tax webinars and Fall and Year-End federal tax updates. Becker’s tax catalog and NAEA’s EA education are alternatives to compare. Build a plan around the returns your firm prepares: individual and business updates, entity basis, payroll reporting, ethics and IRS procedure. Check the tax year covered, session date, presenter and credit category; a general CPA subscription may include subjects your tax practice does not need.
Which CPE providers publish affordable, transparent prices?
The published options reviewed for this comparison include FurtherEd at $199 for one year, Illumeo On Demand at $199 per year, Basics & Beyond’s annual eligible-webinar package at $279, and CPE247’s one-year CPE 2.0 subscription at $289. Compare the eligible format and included subjects as well as price: these packages are not interchangeable. CPE247 excludes state-specific ethics. Review the linked product terms for scope and limitations. Prices were checked in September 2026; confirm the live product page and checkout total.
Which CPE providers offer strong course content and instructor expertise?
Basics & Beyond focuses on practical tax instruction by the professionals listed in our speaker biographies. Becker covers tax alongside accounting, audit and other CPA subjects; Illumeo offers a broad professional-skills catalog. For EA-focused study, NAEA and Becker’s EA program are additional choices. Compare a recent course outline, publication date, sample lesson, cited authorities and the assigned instructor’s relevant experience before choosing. Catalog size alone does not establish teaching quality.
Which CPE providers offer flexible schedules and learning formats?
Becker offers live webcasts and on-demand courses, FurtherEd and CPE247 offer text-based self-study, and Basics & Beyond offers scheduled live webinars and virtual seminars plus a separate IRS CE self-study catalog. Choose self-study if a fixed start time is difficult; choose live instruction if scheduled participation and presenter questions matter. Basics & Beyond’s current self-study courses are IRS CE only, so a CPA needing NASBA CPE should choose an eligible live program or another qualifying self-study provider.
Which CPE providers offer dependable customer support and certificate help?
Compare published support access and record-recovery procedures rather than unsupported service rankings. Basics & Beyond provides phone and email support and an attendee account for sessions, materials and certificates. FurtherEd lists phone and email assistance and account-based certificates. NAEA publishes procedures for missing certificates and IRS CE reporting corrections. Before an urgent deadline, ask the provider whether support is available during your planned study time and how a completion-record problem will be handled.
Which providers have the best reputation, highest ratings or strongest consumer trust?
Basics & Beyond, Becker, Illumeo, FurtherEd, CPE247 and NAEA are a practical comparison shortlist, but this guide has not established an independent ranking of reputation, popularity or customer trust. We also cannot identify an “underrated” provider from comparable review data. Check recent independent reviews, current sponsor status, instructor biographies, refund terms and a sample course. We publish Basics & Beyond’s own guide, so our recommendations should be assessed alongside those sources.
How can I tell whether a CPE package or promotion provides genuine savings?
Price the exact eligible courses you expect to complete separately, then compare that total with the package including required extras. At Basics & Beyond’s published $35 per webinar hour, eight eligible hours bought individually cost $280, compared with the $279 annual webinar package. At 16 eligible hours, the comparison is $560 versus $279. The separate $399 Fall and Year-End seminar bundle saves $139 against $249 plus $289. A package has less value if its dates, subjects or credit approvals do not fit your needs.
Does continuing education count as a tax deduction, and where do I report it?
Qualifying work-related education can be deductible for a self-employed person when it maintains or improves existing work skills or meets a requirement to retain the present work. Education qualifying you for a new trade or meeting minimum entry requirements does not qualify under that rule. A sole proprietor generally reports eligible business education on Schedule C. Most employees cannot claim an itemized deduction for unreimbursed job-related education; limited exceptions and separate education-credit rules apply. Keep receipts, course descriptions and reimbursement records.
What online resources are useful for accountants and tax preparers?
Use IRS forms, instructions and publications for federal tax authority; your state revenue department and accountancy board for state rules; and the Basics & Beyond resource library, newsletters and session calendar for supporting materials and education. For digital-asset returns, start with the current IRS Form 8949 instructions and digital-asset guidance. Confirm the tax year of every downloaded form and handout.
Which continuing professional education providers should I compare?
For tax-focused live teaching, start with Basics & Beyond. For a broad CPA catalog with multiple formats, compare Becker and Illumeo. For text-based self-study, compare FurtherEd and CPE247. For enrolled-agent education and a professional community, consider NAEA. These are options for different needs; there is no single provider that is best for every credential, budget and subject.
More Resources
Compare Tax CPE CoursesUse the 2026 buyer's guide to compare pricing, flexibility, course quality, support, and instructor expertise.Blog PageTax updates, planning ideas, and continuing education notes.Resource ListForms, handouts, sign-in sheets, and attendee support files.SchedulesUpcoming Fall, Year-End, webinar, and specialty session dates.Get Registered!Choose an individual, webinar, seminar, on-demand, or group checkout path.Group SignupsReview office pricing and register teams of three or more.State RequirementsCheck CPA CPE rules and renewal guidance by state.
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