Hi buddymax1, Congrats, on your decission on becoming selfemployed, this is what the Irs consider a person earning income on his or her own, youu will be consider selfemploted, preparing taxes out of your home is not be consider home base buisness unless clients comes into your  home for tax preparation. My first adviced to you is to check laws and rules in your state, as every state is has different regulation, however when it comes to federal rules they apply to the entire country. As a tax preparer myself, I can tell you that federal laws changes in a yearly bases, for instances the only requirement from the Irs was for a person to registered through the Irs website and pay a 62 dollars to a TPIN whish is a tax prepare identification number. As of 2013 all tax prepare a required to take classes which they must pay out of pocket, once this is done you must past a test, which also have a fee. Once this is scomplish you must go to continue education (cpe). Keep in mind that as a tax prepare you must also pay taxes the only different is the you pay twice the amount as an employee and as an employer, when a person is selfemployed the individual is consider to be his or her own employer. For more information you can visit www.irs.gov and click on tax preparation link. Best of luck to you

The form you need to complete to obtain a tax preparer ID number is IRS form W-7P.

It depends in what state you are located in.  In California you must be registered via CTEC before you can take money for tax preparation.  To be registered you need to be bonded and have hours of eduation.   As far as H&R Block, it is true that you learn on their system but the knowledge and material that you get from taking their classes is fabulous.  They breakdown every line item on a 1040 and related schedules.    ...and it is true that most cannot pay their bills with what H&R Block would pay you.   If you need more learning take the classes, then go on your own.  Badda Bing!   

DO NOT go to work for Block, nationwide, or anywhere else! You eill train to use there system. You may or may not get hired. If you are hired you may or may not gett apoointments as you set in a storefront somewhere. I have been doing taxes for 30 years. Your average fee should be about $125.00 for a 'long' form, Federal and State.   As to the Home Office, the IRS requires that you meet clients at a home office. So do at least 5 or 6 returns there to be safe.

Yes, you need to register your business, both the name and the legal entity type. You can still be home-based, since that is where your office will be located. You will probably find that, unless you are working with senior citizens, at assisted living centers, etc., that many clients will want you to take their file home, do the taxes, then have them sign the documents. You will need to register with the IRS as a tax professional and obtain a tax preparer number, which you will include on all tax returns. That way, the IRS knows who is responsible for the accuracy of the return, should there be a problem. Have you considered working for a tax preparation firm, such as H & R Block? They offer on-going training and their hours are reasonably flexible.