How tax preparers can get the most value from industry conferences & trade shows

Today, tax preparer conferences have never been more important or more scrutinized. For many professionals, the decision to attend comes with real trade-offs. Registration fees, airfare, hotel costs, and several days away from clients during critical periods can quickly add up. For solo practitioners and small tax prep businesses, that investment can feel even more significant.

At the same time, the tax landscape continues to shift at a rapid pace. Regulatory updates, IRS procedural changes, evolving client expectations, and new technology are reshaping how tax businesses operate. So, are conferences still worth attending? The difference comes down to approach. Getting the most out of tax conferences requires a strategy.

In this article, readers will learn about:

• Why tax conferences are still worth attending
• The top tax conferences to consider based on your practice
• A word about vendor-hosted customer events and virtual conferences
• 8 ways to maximize your conference ROI
• Your pre-conference game plan: a simple framework
• How to turn tax conferences into a competitive advantage
• TaxWise® has exciting news to share with conference attendees in 2026! 

Why tax conferences are still worth attending

Despite the rise of virtual training and on-demand education, in-person tax preparer conferences continue to deliver distinct advantages.

Continuing education and compliance

For most tax professionals, continuing education is mandatory. Conferences provide a concentrated way to earn CE credits while staying up-to-date on tax law changes, IRS guidance, and compliance. In short, the ability to complete a significant portion of annual CE requirements in a single event is a big benefit.

Real-time industry awareness

Tax industry conferences provide direct access to updates from subject matter experts, both in formal presentations and in discussions afterward. This can help provide insight into what’s changing and how changes are being interpreted in the real world.

Peer-driven problem solving

Tax preparer networking remains one of the most valuable aspects of attending conferences. It’s often the connections made and side conversations with other professionals that can help find solutions, such as how similar tax practices are handling staffing challenges, managing workload during peak season, or implementing new service offerings.

Vendor and technology discovery

Tax trade shows also allow firms to evaluate tools side by side. Whether evaluating tax software vendor events, workflow automation platforms, or client communication tools, the ability to see demonstrations and ask direct questions can provide hands-on exposure to different tools.

Getting out of the day-to-day grind

Stepping away from daily production work can also help encourage creative thinking. Many preparers find that conferences provide clarity on what is working, what is not, and where a tax and accounting business should focus next.

Top tax conferences to consider based on your practice

What are the best tax preparer conferences? It depends on the structure of one’s business, client base, and professional goals. So, don’t look at this as a ranking but more of a guide to what’s available in the industry.

IRS Nationwide Tax Forums

Best for compliance-focused preparers, procedural updates, and direct IRS interaction.

The IRS Nationwide Tax Forums are among the most widely attended tax preparer conferences in the United States. Hosted directly by the Internal Revenue Service, these events focus heavily on compliance, new regulations, and procedural guidance.

2026 locations and dates include:

• Chicago, IL: Jul 7-9
• New Orleans, LA: Aug 4-6
• New York City, NY: Aug 18-20
• Orlando, FL: Sep 1 -3
• San Diego, CA: Sep 15 -17

Early bird registration is available through June 15, 2026, for $275. After that, the standard rate is $329, with the registration price increasing to $409, in the immediate weeks before the conference.

While the 2026 locations are set, year to year the IRS typically makes changes to venues to include other high population metro cities such as Washington D.C., Atlanta and Baltimore, to name a few. IRS Forum events are almost always scheduled throughout the summer months. Pricing each year generally includes early-bird discounts for those who register in advance.

IRS Tax Forum website

AICPA National Tax Conference

Best for CPAs, firm owners, and advisory-focused professionals

Organized by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, this conference is one of the largest gatherings of accounting professionals, combining technical tax sessions with broader discussions around firm management, advisory services, and emerging trends. It is particularly valuable for firms looking to expand into advisory services (which is an extremely hot growth area in today’s tax profession.)

The AICPA National Tax Conference is set this year for November 9-10 in Washington, DC, and offers between 9 and 18.5 CE credits. Early bird registration is good through September 25, and registration fees vary depending on whether firms are AICPA or CIMA members. Fees range from $1,275 to $1,875. There are also online options to view content at a lower cost.

AICPA National Tax Conference website

NAEA Tax Summit

Best for enrolled agents, representation, advocacy, and CE

The National Association of Enrolled Agents hosts the Tax Summit as its flagship event, designed specifically for EAs and focusing on representation rights, IRS engagement, and continuing education. The 2026 event will take place July 27–29, 2026, in New Orleans, LA, at the New Orleans Marriott.

The early bird pricing deadline has already passed. Regular pricing for NAEA members is good through May 31^st at $1,000 per attendee. Late pricing for June and July is $1,200. Non-member attendance fees are $1,200 for regular pricing and $1,400 for late pricing.

NAEA Tax Summit website

NATP Taxposium and Tax Forums & Expo

Best for small firms, solo tax practitioners, and practical application

The National Association of Tax Professionals offers multiple in-person events throughout the year, the biggest being the annual Taxposium. Held in Cleveland, OH from July 13-15, 2026, Taxposium features 40 speakers, 60 sessions, and 75 exhibitors highlighting IRS insight, strategies for automation and AI, efficiency and advisory services.

Registration is $1,495, although there are discounts available for NATP premium members, professional members, and basic members. Prices increase after June 1^st.

NATP will also host its tax forums and expo in three locations this year:

• Minneapolis: Sep 21-22
• Philadelphia: Sep 30-Oct 1
• Las Vegas: Oct 21-22

The cost for the fax forums and expo is $380 before member discounts.

NATP Taxposium and Tax Forum website

Latino Tax Fest (Latino Tax Pro conference)

Best for bilingual professionals, Latino-owned firms, and community-driven networking

Organized by Latino Tax Pro, Latino Tax Fest focuses on supporting Latino tax professionals and bilingual practices. The conference offers CE sessions, business development insights, and networking opportunities. More than 2,500 tax professionals attend each year and have the opportunity to earn up to 21 continuing education credits.

This year’s conference will take place in Las Vegas, NV, at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino from June 22-25. There are three different pricing packages available:

• $1,200 for an all-access pass
• $549 for a Tax Pro Plus pass
• $299 for a one-day pass

There is also an option to attend remotely. Live stream passes are available for $399. Costs increase if you register after June 1^st or on-site.

Latino Tax Fest website

National Society of Tax Professionals Programs

Best for broad tax compliance education and EA preparation

The National Society of Tax Professionals provides a range of educational events, including Tax Education Forums and EA Bootcamps. These programs are designed to support professionals at different stages, from those entering the field to experienced preparers seeking advanced training.

2026 Federal Tax Update and Review Course
$309 for members, $399 for non-members

• Fort Lauderdale, FL: Dec 11
• Houston, TX: Dec 11
• Long Beach, CA: Dec 15
• San Antonio, TX: Dec 16
• College Park, TX: Dec.18
• Phoenix, AZ: Dec 18

2026 EA Boot Camps
$1,850 for members, $2,050 for non-members

• Las Vegas, NC: Oct 26-30

2026 Tax Education Forum
$825 for members, $995 for non-members

• Nashville, TN: Jun 9-11
• Temecula, CA: Jul 21-23

NSTP website

A word about vendor-hosted customer events and virtual conferences

In addition to traditional tax preparer conferences, many tax software providers and service companies host their own events. These include user conferences, customer advisory sessions, and regional roadshows.

Tax software vendor events

Vendor events often provide deeper insight into specific tax software platforms, including upcoming product enhancements and new technologies. Attendees also gain direct access to product managers, support teams, and company leadership.

While broader tax industry conferences provide a wide view of the market, vendor-hosted events offer a more focused, in-depth experience.

Virtual conferences

Virtual training and trade shows became significantly more common during the Covid-19 lockdown years, which proved to be successful, offering convenience, lower cost, and flexibility.

However, virtual formats have limitations. They cannot fully replicate the spontaneous conversations, networking opportunities, and hands-on demonstrations that occur at in-person events. A brief conversation over coffee or a discussion during a session break often leads to insights that are difficult to capture in a Zoom webinar.

8 ways to maximize your conference ROI

The real value of tax trade shows is often realized after the conference ends. Simply attending sessions is not enough, but taking a structured approach can turn time away from the office into results worth the investment.

Here are eight tips for maximizing your attendance.

1. Define goals before registering

Clarify whether the focus is on CE, technology evaluation, workflow improvement, client communication, or growing your revenue base. Once goals are established, tax businesses can better target the right conferences.

2. Review the agenda early

Take a look at the agenda to make sure sessions fit your goals, but also to identify the ‘must-attend’ sessions. Popular ones can fill up quickly. Allocate time for exploring the exhibit hall, but pre-book demos if there’s something that is important, to avoid getting shut out.

3. Be intentional in the exhibit hall

Focus on vendors that address current challenges. For example, conferences are one of the most efficient ways to compare tax software and tax preparation tools side by side. Take advantage of swag and giveaways, too. There are real winners for drawings, and there are often free items that have practical uses throughout the year.

4. Ask real-world questions

Engage tax technology vendors and expert speakers with real-world scenarios, such as peak season performance, support, and how other tax businesses, like yours, use their products. In some instances you may get to speak directly to department leaders on the spot, for first-hand knowledge.

5. Network with purpose

Prioritize meaningful conversations over collecting business cards. Relationships built at conferences often become long-term resources. For example, in cases where you are unable to reach a support representative via a tax support line, a new peer-to-peer connection (made at a trade conference) could be your life-line for a hard to find answer. On the flip-side you may be the one to periodically provide critical answers or advice to these same peers.

6. Attend after-hour social events for networking and collaborative meetings

Some of the best business tips come up in informal business settings. Peers with similar challenges are a great source of information on areas for improvement. In many cases, through informal business conversations, one tax pro may provide a solution to a problem that has left a fellow tax peer flummoxed.

7. Capture actionable notes

Document specific ideas, improvements, and follow-up actions at the end of each day. Consider writing down one idea to test this upcoming tax season, one process improvement to explore, and one follow-up action. This provides a blueprint for putting what’s been learned into action.

8. Schedule post-conference follow-up

Block time after returning to review notes, follow up with contacts, and evaluate potential changes. This is where the real ROI happens.

Once meaningful improvements are realized in a piloted environment, a tax pro can then expand said knowledge to others in the office to really unleash greater productivity across the tax business.

Your pre-conference game plan: A simple framework

A structured plan increases the likelihood of turning conference attendance into ways to improve your tax business.

Consider the following checklist:

Before you attend

• What are the top three challenges I need to address for my tax business next tax season?
• What types of technologies or solutions would best address my challenges?
• Who are some of the people I want to meet at the conference?
• What vendor solutions do I wish to demo, while at the conference?

During the conference

• Which of the learning sessions do I wish to attend?
• Which technology / software vendors do I wish to visit with?
• Do I need a vendor booth appointment to see a live demo? If so, take action on day one to reserve a time.
• What after-hour meet-and-greet receptions are planned for each day?

After the conference

• What are the top three takeaways I want to implement from my conference experience?
• Who are the vendors I need to follow up with post conference?
• What ideas do I want / need to share with my team?

Turn tax conferences into a competitive advantage

Tax preparer conferences remain one of the most effective ways for professionals to stay informed, connected, and competitive. However, the key is approaching each event with a clear strategy. By selecting the right tax industry conferences, preparing in advance, and following through afterward, tax preparers can convert time away from the office into long-term improvements for their business and their clients.

TaxWise® has exciting news to share with conference attendees in 2026!

Wolters Kluwer Tax & Accounting is committed to the success of tax preparers across the US. And with the introduction of new Expert-AI powered workflow enhancements coming in 2026, our flagship tax preparation software, TaxWise® Online, is the solution tax pros can count on to achieve business success, now and into the future.

So when making your pre-conference planning list, be sure to block off time to stop by our Wolters Kluwer / TaxWise booth. There you will have the opportunity to learn first-hand how our Expert AI-powered tax software, TaxWise Online and CCH® AnswerConnect, can make many of your most tedious and manual tax prep tasks a thing of the past. Additionally, visitors will get the opportunity to learn about special product offerings in 2026, best pricing, meet with company leadership, and pick up some cool swag to boot. Come learn first-hand why TaxWise truly is the Smart Tax Office solution. See you at a conference soon!