OAR 800-015-0010: Continuing Education

The continuing education rules in OAR 800 Division 15 apply to license renewals requested by Oregon Licensed Tax Consultants and Oregon Licensed Tax Preparersand registration renewals for Registered Tax Aides under OAR 800-016-0001 (1) Except for renewal of an initial license or registration, a license or registrant shall attest on the renewal to having completed at least thirty (30) hours of acceptable continuing education since the last renewal date. (2) Each licensee or registrant shall attest on the renewal to, and shall provide verifiable proof of, having completed, within the thirty (30) hour continuing education requirement, a minimum of two (2) hours of acceptable continuing education in professional conduct and ethics since the last renewal date. The two (2) hours of acceptable continuing education in professional conduct and ethics may be satisfied through any professional conduct and ethics program that meets the general continuing education requirements described in section (3) of this rule. (3) Continuing education programs in professional conduct and ethics required by subsection (2) of this rule are eligible for continuing education credit if the program is offered by a sponsor approved by the Board and includes information pertaining to at least one or more of the following topics: (a) Review of Oregon Revised Statutes and Oregon Administrative Rules pertaining to the preparation of individual income tax returns; (b) Review of examples of issues or situations that require an understanding of Federal or State statutes, rules, and case law relevant to all licensees and registrants; (c) Review of guidelines adopted by the Internal Revenue Office of Professional Responsibility and policies outlined in the Internal Revenue Treasury Department Circular 230; (d) Review of the code of professional conduct adopted by the Board and set forth in OAR chapter 800, division 010; (e) Review of recent case law pertaining to ethics and professional responsibilities for the licensed tax consultant and tax preparer profession. (4) Each licensee and registrant shall report compliance with the continuing education requirements on the license or registrant renewal document. Each licensee or registrant shall provide verifiable proof in the form of printed or digital continuing education completion certificate(s) or printed or digital continuing education provider created list(s) (from providers approved by the Board only) of courses completed by the licensee or registrant. Licensees or registrants who take continuing education courses from the Internal Revenue Service through their online PTIN account may provide a printout or digital list of their Internal Revenue Service PTIN account continuing education completion page. All licensees and registrants are subject to the provisions of OAR 800-015-0015 pertaining to the Board's periodic auditing of continuing education documents. (5) Proof of participation in required continuing education is the responsibility of the licensee. To ensure that proof of attainment of required continuing education is available for audit or investigation by the Board, licensees and registrants shall maintain certificates for at least four (4) years following each continuing education cycle and renewal period. (6) Continuing education credit will be accepted only for courses and seminars that comply with all Board rules regarding continuing education. (7) The Board may verify continuing education information submitted by licensees and registrants. (8) Education hours earned in excess of thirty (30) hours annually cannot be carried over from one renewal period to the next. However, hours earned during the month of renewal not claimed on the current renewal may be submitted with the following year's renewal. (9) Continuing education credit shall be granted only once during a license or registration year for attendance at or instruction of duplicate seminars offered by the same sponsor or instructor. (10) Continuing education credit for courses at accredited universities and colleges will be fifteen (15) hours for each semester hour credit and ten (10) hours for each quarter hour credit. For all live courses including interactive webinars, webcasts, IRS telephone forums, and seminars, one (1) fifty (50) minute education hour of continuing education credit will be granted for each hour of classroom attendance. (11) Continuing education credits are accepted for instructors of basic or advanced courses or seminars. The credit allowed will be two (2) hours for each hour of teaching, which includes preparation time. No more than half (½) total required continuing education credit can be in teaching. (12) Correspondence and online study courses are accepted if the program and sponsor comply with all Board rules regarding continuing education and: (a) The sponsor requires evidence of satisfactory completion of workbooks or examinations before certificates are issued: (b) The hours credited do not exceed the credit that would be allowed in a resident course covering the same material; and (c) Course outlines, workbooks, and exams must be submitted to the Board for approval of course content and credit hours claimed prior to offering the material to the public unless already approved by the California Tax Education Council (CTEC), or the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), or the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA). (13) "In-Company" instruction may be accepted if the course or seminar is presented to ten (10) or more people and all other requirements for continuing education sponsors are met. Portions of such educational sessions devoted to administrative and firm matters shall not be accepted. (14) If a licensee or registrant claims credit for a course or seminar in the reasonable belief the instruction qualifies as acceptable continuing education, but the Board finds all or part of the hours claimed to be unacceptable, the licensee or registrant may be granted an additional period of time, not to exceed sixty (60) calendar days, to make up the rejected hours. (15) Licensees who have extenuating circumstances and are unable to obtain all their continuing education by their license due dates may make application, by completing a form prescribed by the Board, for a waiver of continuing education hours.