Best AFSP Courses

Best Annual Filing Season Program (AFSP) Courses Reviewed & Rated in 2026

Filing season moves fast, so your AFSP course should not make things harder.

The IRS has clear education requirements, but the actual course options can feel all over the place.

Some are simple self-paced bundles. Some give you more CE choices. Others add form practice or a more traditional tax prep feel. As an expert exam prep reviewer, I’ll walk you through each course to see which is really your best match. Let’s dive in!

Fast Picks: Which Top AFSP Course Fits You Best?

• Lambers AFSP: Best For Straightforward Tax Prep CE
• Gleim AFSP Course: Best For A Simple 18-Hour Bundle
• Surgent AFSP: Best For Flexible CE Options
• Fast Forward Academy AFSP Course: Best For Simple AFSP Completion
• WiseGuides AFSP Course: Best For Tax Form Practice

#1 Lambers AFSP: Best For Straightforward Tax Prep CE

Good for: preparers who want a simple AFSP course without digging through a huge catalog
Main strength: federal tax law, ethics, and filing season review
Course style: self-paced online CE
Watch out for: package names and prices can change by filing season

When I went through Lambers, the main thing that stood out was how simple the AFSP setup felt. It is not one of those course pages where you have to click around forever just to figure out what you need. The course is built around the filing season basics: federal tax law updates, ethics, and the AFTR material for non-exempt preparers.

I also liked that Lambers feels more like a normal tax prep refresher than a huge CE marketplace. That makes it easier if you already know you need AFSP hours and just want to get through the course without overthinking every option. The lessons are self-paced, so you can work through the material when you have time instead of planning around live sessions.

For me, Lambers makes the most sense for preparers who want a direct AFSP course from a tax education brand that has been around for years. It is not the flashiest option, but that is kind of the point. It keeps the process clear, covers the filing season material, and gives you a straightforward path to finishing the requirement.

Best Features

• Self-Paced Lessons: let you work through the course on your own time
• AFSP Coverage: helps cover the filing season education requirements
• Tax Law Review: good for brushing up before preparing returns
• Ethics Content: covers the required ethics side of the program
• Simple Setup: better if you want a direct course, not a huge course catalog

Pros

✅ Clear path for AFSP CE requirements
✅ Better for preparers who want a no-fuss course
✅ Good fit if you already know basic tax prep
✅ Works well for finishing hours before filing season

Cons

❌ Not the flashiest course platform
❌ Fewer extras than bigger CE catalogs
❌ Package details can change by tax year

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#2 Gleim AFSP: Best For A Simple 18-Hour Bundle

Good for: preparers who want the AFSP hours in one clean package
Main strength: clear 18-hour and 15-hour bundle options
Course style: self-study CE with online access
Watch out for: it is more basic than the bigger CE platforms

Gleim is the one I would use if I wanted the AFSP process to feel simple. When I checked the course setup, it was easy to tell what the 18-hour bundle included: the 6-hour AFTR course, 2 hours of ethics, and 10 hours of federal tax law CE. That is exactly the kind of clarity you want when you are just trying to meet the IRS requirement without hunting through random courses. 

The course does not feel like it is trying to be a giant tax CE library. It is more direct than that. Pick the bundle that fits your status, work through the self-study material, and finish the hours before the deadline. That makes Gleim a better fit for someone who wants a clean AFSP option, not a platform full of extras they may never use.

Best Features

• 18-Hour AFSP Bundle: includes AFTR, ethics, and federal tax law CE for non-exempt preparers
• 15-Hour Bundle: gives exempt preparers a shorter option without the AFTR course
• Self-Study Access: lets you complete the course without live class times
• Mobile Browser Access: works from a computer or mobile device with internet access
• IRS Requirement Focus: built around finishing the AFSP Record of Completion education

Pros

✅ Easy to understand before buying
✅ Good fit if you want one clear bundle
✅ Less cluttered than larger CE catalogs
✅ Works well for preparers who just need the AFSP hours

Cons

❌ Not the best pick if you want lots of course variety
❌ Fewer extras than a bigger CE platform
❌ Self-study can feel plain if you prefer live teaching
❌ Not built for deep tax training beyond the AFSP requirement

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#3 Surgent AFSP: Best For Flexible CE Options

Good for: preparers who want AFSP inside a bigger CE platform
Main strength: exempt and non-exempt packages with format choices
Course style: AFSP bundles, webinars, self-study CE, and broader tax CPE
Watch out for: it can feel like more than you need if you only want the cheapest AFSP path

When I tested Surgent, it felt less like a basic AFSP course and more like a full CE library that happens to include AFSP packages. That can be a good thing, but it also makes the experience feel a little heavier than Gleim or Fast Forward Academy. I had to spend more time looking through the setup because there are more formats, categories, and course options to sort through.

The part that worked best was the catalog layout. Surgent makes it pretty easy to filter by topic, format, credit type, and instructor, which helps if you already know exactly what CE you need. I also liked that the course cards show key details without making you open every single page. That saves time when you are comparing options.

The downside is that Surgent may feel like too much if you only want to finish AFSP and move on. It is better for preparers who want flexibility or may need other CE later. If you want the simplest checkout-and-finish option, this probably is not the smoothest pick.

Best Features

• Exempt and Non-Exempt Packages: give different options based on whether you need the AFTR course
• AFTR Coverage: includes the refresher course that non-exempt preparers usually need
• Tax Law CE: covers the federal tax law side of the AFSP requirement
• Ethics CE: includes the ethics hours required for the program
• Automatic IRS Reporting: sends completion details without making you handle that part yourself
• Format Choices: better if you do not want one fixed course style

Pros

✅ Better if you already need more tax CE
✅ More flexible than a basic bundle
✅ Good fit for preparers who want format options
✅ Clearer than trying to build an AFSP hours course by course

Cons

❌ Not the cheapest AFSP route
❌ Can feel like too much for a simple requirement
❌ A bigger catalog means more comparing before buying

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#4 Fast Forward Academy AFSP: Best For Budget-Friendly AFSP Prep

Good for: preparers who want the AFSP hours done without paying Surgent-level prices
Main strength: low-cost exempt and non-exempt bundles
Course style: online CE, open-book exams, multiple attempts, automatic IRS reporting
Watch out for: the platform is simple, so do not expect a super deep classroom feel

Fast Forward Academy felt more like a checklist course than a classroom. That is not a drag, just the vibe. I could tell this was built for preparers who already know why they are there and want to knock out the AFSP requirement without sitting through a dramatic course experience. The layout does not feel fancy, but the path is pretty obvious once you’re inside the bundle.

The best part was the actual completion flow. Open-book exams, multiple attempts, and IRS reporting take some pressure off, especially if you are doing this around filing season work. The downside is that it may feel too light if you want detailed teaching or a more polished dashboard. I would use Fast Forward Academy when the goal is finishing the requirement cleanly, not when you want a deep tax training course.

Best Features

• Non-Exempt AFSP Bundle: includes the AFTR course, ethics, and federal tax law topics
• Exempt AFSP Bundle: cheaper option for preparers who do not need AFTR
• Open-Book Exams: can make the CE process feel less stressful
• Multiple Attempts: gives some breathing room if you miss something
• Automatic IRS Reporting: sends completion details for you
• 35+ IRS-Approved Courses: gives a little room to choose without turning into a huge catalog

Pros

✅ One of the easier pages to understand
✅ Good price for the full AFSP bundle
✅ Nice pick if you want to finish fast
✅ Less overwhelming than bigger CE sites

Cons

❌ Not the most polished course experience
❌ Feels more functional than memorable
❌ Course depth may feel light for newer preparers
❌ AFTR release timing still needs to match the filing season

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#5 WiseGuides AFSP: Best For Tax Form Practice

Good for: preparers who want AFSP CE with more hands-on tax form review
Main strength: tax form workshops, practice materials, and video lessons
Course style: online AFSP CE with workshop-style review
Watch out for: the course setup takes more sorting than a basic bundle

WiseGuides stood out because it is not just plain CE slides and a quiz at the end. The tax form workshops make it feel more connected to the work preparers actually do during filing season. That matters because AFSP can get boring fast when the course only talks through rules without showing how they connect to returns.

When I went through the course options, the workshop-style material was the most interesting part. It gives the section more of a “let’s walk through this” feel instead of just reading tax updates and moving on. That makes WiseGuides a better fit for preparers who want more form-based review, especially if they learn better by seeing examples tied to actual filing work.

The tradeoff is that WiseGuides does not feel as clean as a one-bundle provider. You have to pay more attention to what is included, especially if you are comparing individual courses against bundles. But the course itself has a different purpose than Gleim or Fast Forward Academy. Those are better for a straight AFSP path. WiseGuides is better if you want the CE to feel more practice-based. 

Best Features

• Tax Form Workshops: add practical form review instead of only rule-based CE
• Video Lessons: give the course more movement than a text-only study
• Practice Materials: help reinforce the filing season topics
• AFSP Course Options: give preparers different ways to complete the required education
• Bundle Choices: works if you want more than one course area covered together

Pros

✅ Better for hands-on tax form review
✅ Less passive than basic CE-only courses
✅ Good fit for visual or example-based learners
✅ Stronger if you want practice material with the AFSP content

Cons

❌ Takes more checking to know what each bundle includes
❌ Not as direct as a single 18-hour package
❌ May be more courses than you need for basic AFSP completion
❌ The layout can slow you down before you even start

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How To Choose An AFSP Course

Start with your status. Non-exempt preparers need AFTR. Exempt preparers usually do not. That decides which bundle you should buy.

Check these before paying:

• Right status: exempt vs. non-exempt
• IRS-approved provider: otherwise, the hours do not count
• Correct CE hours: tax law, ethics, and AFTR if needed
• Current filing season: no old tax-year course
• IRS reporting: saves you extra hassle
• Deadline fit: enough time to finish
• No useless extras: do not pay for a huge CE library you will not use

Pick the course that gets the right hours done without making the process harder than it needs to be.

My Final Thoughts on the Best AFSP Courses

After going through the AFSP course pages, I cared most about how fast I could figure out the right bundle, what hours were included, and whether the course made filing season CE feel harder than it needed to be. Some providers gave way too much to sort through, which is annoying when you just need the right hours done.

Lambers makes the most sense if you want a normal self-paced AFSP course without a bunch of extra noise. Fast Forward Academy is the one I’d check if you want the process to feel quick, clear, and not overly dressed up. Pick the one that matches your status, finish the CE, and do not overpay for extras you will never use.

FAQs

Is The AFSP Worth It For Tax Preparers?

AFSP can be worth it if you prepare returns but are not an enrolled agent, CPA, or attorney. It gives you a Record of Completion, helps you show clients you completed annual IRS education, and gives limited representation rights for returns you prepared and signed.

What is the difference between an AFSP and an enrolled agent?

AFSP is a yearly IRS education program for tax preparers. Enrolled Agent is a higher credential with broader IRS representation rights. AFSP can help non-credentialed preparers look more professional, but it does not replace the EA credential.

Do I need an AFSP course every year?

Yes. AFSP is tied to the filing season, so preparers have to complete the required CE each year if they want a new Record of Completion. It is not a one-time program.

What should I look for in an AFSP course?

Look for the right course path for your status, clear CE hours, current filing season material, IRS-approved CE, and provider reporting. Do not buy a bundle just because it is cheap if it does not match what you need.

Can I take AFSP courses online?

Yes. Most AFSP courses are online and self-paced. That makes it easier to finish the hours around tax season work, especially if you do not want live classes or scheduled webinars.

What happens after I finish my AFSP course?

After you finish the required CE and renew your PTIN, the IRS can issue your Record of Completion if you meet the program rules. Many providers report your CE completion for you, but you should still confirm before buying.