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Income Tax Preparation Certificate

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2025-2026 Edition

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17 Semester Credit Hours; Curriculum: 0007

This program provides extensive practice in general accounting procedures and tax preparation, including training in Microsoft Excel, QuickBooks, and Xero Accounting. Graduates will be eligible for jobs as tax accountants, as well as jobs in accounts payable, general ledger, and other staff accounting positions. Students will also be qualified to sit for the IRS Enrolled Agent Exam.

Course List
Code Title Hours
Courses for a Certificate
ACC 153Principles of Financial Accounting4
ACC 180Accounting with Microsoft Excel 13
ACC 188Cloud Accounting 22
ACC 244Income Tax Accounting3
ACC 255Careers in Accounting2
ACC 274Advanced Tax Accounting3
Total Hours17
1

Students who have completed ACC 164, ACC 173, and/or ACC 251 in previous terms may follow the program requirements outlined in the 2016 college catalog or contact the department chair for further information.

2

ACC 188 requirement can be satisfied by completion of ACC 250 prior to Fall 2018.

Income Tax Preparation Certificate Pathway

The following Pathway is recommended for students pursuing the Income Tax Preparation Certificate. 

Plan of Study Grid
First Year
Semester OneHours
ACC 153 Principles of Financial Accounting 4
 Hours4
Semester Two
ACC 180 Accounting with Microsoft Excel 3
ACC 188 Cloud Accounting 1 2
ACC 244 Income Tax Accounting 3
ACC 255 Careers in Accounting 2
 Hours10
Semester Three
ACC 274 Advanced Tax Accounting 3
 Hours3
 Total Hours17
1

ACC 188 requirement can be satisfied by completion of ACC 250 prior to Fall 2018.

Note: Pathway is a recommended sequence of courses. Students should contact the department chair to discuss the course sequence as well as course prerequisites and recommendations. 

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to demonstrate their knowledge of:

  1. The accounting cycle and other financial accounting topics.
  2. Topics related to individual, corporation, and partnership taxation.
  3. The RIA Checkpoint tax research software to resolve tax issues.
  4. Intermediate Microsoft Excel skills, including pivot tables, IF statements, macros, financial functions, and goal seek.
  5. Cloud Accounting platforms, including Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel Online, and QuickBooks online.
  6. Cloud Drives, including Google Drive, Microsoft One Drive, and file sharing.
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