FAQ - IBFD International Online Tax Courses

Study material

What study material do I get when following an online course?

Each course consists of a minimum of 8 hours of core study (including interactive multimedia lessons, quizzes, case studies and assignments), as well as additional (optional) further reading.

• Access to course material is provided to each registrant for 8 weeks (recommended 3-4 hours of study per week).
• Course contents are divided into lessons covering topics in a logical and systematic way.
• Key topics are complemented by video interviews and discussions with international experts.
• For ease of reference, an electronic binder of course material is available for download.

What is the difference between a course and a lesson?

A course is made up of a number of lessons covering the topic.

Which courses are currently available?

ITA101 Fundamentals of Tax Treaties
ITA102 Residence
ITA103 Permanent Establishments
ITA104 Employment and Related Income
ITA105 Passive Income
ITA106 Business Profits
ITA107 Fundamentals of Value Added Tax
ITA108 International Tax Planning
ITA109 Fundamentals of Transfer Pricing
ITA110 Double Taxation Relief

Are the courses available in other languages?

Yes, the following courses are available in Chinese:
ITA101 Fundamentals of Tax Treaties
ITA102 Residence
ITA103 Permanent Establishments

The following course is available in Spanish:
ITA101 Fundamentals of Tax Treaties

Are the courses kept up to date?

To ensure accuracy of content, IBFD International Online Tax Courses are updated, when necessary, and submitted for review by a qualified online course assessor for technical accuracy.

Is it possible to ask questions during the course?

The online courses are interactive by nature with quizzes and self-study assignments. On each question you will receive immediate feedback. If, however, on completion of the course you are still unclear about a certain point covered in the course you may send your question via email. A tax specialist from IBFD will address the question and within 5 working days you will receive a response.

Please note that the response may be slightly delayed depending on the availability of the tax specialist at that time.

Evaluation and accreditation

Can I obtain CPE (Continuing Professional Education) credits?

Course participants will receive a certificate of completion that includes the recommended CPE/CPD points/credits and the topics covered during the course. Participants should submit this certificate and any other information required to their relevant professional bodies to obtain CPE/CPD credits. More information on CPE points and accreditation for International Online Tax Courses.

If participants from our company complete a course, we would like to have evidence of what they have learned. Is there a final test?

All courses include revision quizzes covering the main course topics. Participants are given feedback throughout the test and final results can be printed on completion. In addition, on completion of the course, participants can take a final test to assess what they have learned. They can then print out a personalized certificate of completion indicating the final test grade obtained.

Is a certificate provided?

Yes, a personalized certificate of completion can be printed by participants on completion of the course and the final test. The certificate indicates the hours spent on study and additional reading included in the course and can be used to submit to professional bodies for CPE/CPD points/credits, where applicable.

Pricing and access

How much does it cost?

• IBFD Members: 20% discount on standard price
• Global Tax Explorer / Global Tax Explorer Plus: 10% discount on standard price
• Single-course subscription: EUR 499 / USD 674 standard price
• 5 subscriptions (or more): 20% discount on standard price

For larger orders, an enterprise deal can be arranged. Please contact Customer Support for more information. Note: discounts are not cumulative.

A subscription is valid for 1 year from the month of purchase. Each course registration is valid for 1 course for 1 user and includes 8 weeks' access to complete the course, once started.

Do users have access to the courses for the entire year that the subscription is valid? 

Your subscription is valid for 1 year from the month of ordering. At any time during the year, you can register a user for an online course and select a start date. Each user then has 8 weeks' access to complete the course. (This means a recommended 3-4 hours of study per week to complete all the course material.) For ease of reference, an electronic binder of course material is available for download. 

Can I apply for an extension to the standard 8-week access period?

Yes, an extension of up to 2 weeks can be requested if users have not completed the course material in the allotted time. The user will receive a reminder email before the access expires, with instructions on how to request an extension, should they wish to do so. 

If I buy now, do I have to use my course registrations immediately?

Your registration is valid for 1 year from the month of ordering. During these 12 months you can register users to start a course at any time. For example, you can register for 2 users to each start a course in July, then another one in October, etc. 

How do I manage my subscription?

On receipt of payment, you will receive an Administrator password to International Online Tax Courses, which will enable you to manage your subscription. Once the site is accessed, you can register your users' details, which course(s) they will follow and when their 8-week access to the course should start. Individual users will then be issued with a unique username and password allowing them to access their chosen course. 

Please note that details of course participation are kept in our database system for a minimum of 5 years. Be assured that this information is for our files only and will not be issued to a third party. It may be that for quality audits participants are requested to answer a few questions about their experience with the courses. In such cases, participants will be contacted in advance and asked to give their permission.

Can I cancel an online course and be refunded?

Once you have been given access to an International Online Tax Course, a refund will no longer be possible.

IBFD Online Course Lessons

Study material

What are the IBFD Online Course Lessons?

Online Course Lessons offer short, practical narratives and illustrations on how to understand and solve specific tax issues. Online Course Lessons are selected from the IBFD International Online Tax Courses.

What study material do I get when following an Online Course Lesson?

Each Online Course Lesson consists of an interactive multimedia lesson of 30-55 minutes on a specific issue in international taxation.

What is the difference between an online course and an online lesson?

An online course is made up of a comprehensive set of lessons covering the topic, combined with additional reading material.

Which Online Course Lessons are currently available?

Online Course Lessons – Fundamentals of Transfer Pricing

• Comparability – 40 min.
• Transfer Pricing Methods – 55 min.
• Applying the Arm's Length Principle – 35 min.
• Transfer Pricing Adjustments – 30 min.
• Dispute Avoidance and Resolution – 30 min.
• Transfer Pricing Documentation – 30 min.

Are the Online Course Lessons kept up to date?

To ensure accuracy of content, IBFD Online Course Lessons are updated when necessary and submitted for review by a qualified online course assessor for technical accuracy.

Pricing and access

How much does it cost?

An online lesson costs EUR 65/USD 85.

For how long do I have access to the Online Course Lesson?

Access is granted via the IBFD Tax Research Platform for one month.

Technical concerns

What software/hardware do I need?

In order to access the website and materials for the International Online Tax Courses, you need a computer with the following:

• Internet connection (recommended speed 256Kbps or higher)
• Internet Explorer 7.0 or later (other browsers, such as Firefox 3.0 or later, can also be used, but certain functions may be limited)
• Adobe Acrobat Reader (can be downloaded for free at http://get.adobe.com/uk/reader/)

Additionaly, for the IBFD Internaitonal Online Tax Courses you will need:

• Adobe Flash Player 6.079 or later (can be downloaded for free at http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/)
• Sound card and speakers in order to render the audio in the presentations 

What if I need technical assistance?

Should you need technical assistance, please contact IBFD Customer Support.

We have bandwidth constraints in our country; will we have problems following the online courses?

The interactive online lessons may take a bit long to load on lower internet bandwidths. 

General

Who can I contact if I have questions?

For questions regarding the content, you can contact IBFD Online Tax Courses at onlinecourses@ibfd.org.