Certified Tax Advisor (CTA)

The Certified Tax Advisor (CTA) is a tax advisor who comes from a financial planning or accounting background and goes through an intensive training program to become skilled at analyzing and providing expertise on tax planning. The CTA helps clients to identify areas in their finances and tax returns where there are opportunities to apply tax-saving and/or tax-sheltering strategies.

The Role of the CTA
  • Coach on short-term and long-term tax planning strategies
  • Understand and effectively communicate tax implications of savings vehicles
  • Apply the historical trends of income, capital gains and other U.S. taxation
  • Compare and contrast current income taxation to future retirement taxation
  • Educate about the role of tax diversification within a well-planned financial portfolio
  • Determine the role taxation will play in personal financial strategies
  • Project taxation as it relates to various retirement, healthcare and legacy planning strategies
  • Communicate the impacts of Federal legislation on individual’s financial goals
How to Become a CTA

A Certified Tax Advisor, CTA, is a designation awarded to individual educators who have:

  • Minimum 5 years of experience in the tax industry
  • Maintained good standing with all regulatory bodies
  • Completed 18-hour initial CTA course instruction
  • Passed the Certified Tax Advisor written exam
  • Demonstrated strong history of and willingness for community outreach
CTA Renewal

Each CTA must renew their designation every two years through the following actions:

  • 12 hours of approved CTA continuing education online or in person
  • Exemplify highest standards of ethics and excellence of achievement in relevant industries
List of Disciplined Designees

The Financial Education Partnership can take four types of disciplinary action, three of which are public and one of which is private:

  • A private letter of censure
  • A public censure
  • A suspension of the individual’s certification
  • A termination of an individual’s certification, depending on the severity of the violation and the individual’s cooperation with the investigation
  • For a list of individuals whose CTA certification has been censured, suspended, or terminated, please CLICK HERE