The Tax Cousins Practice Tax Return Scenario Workbook

Train on “real cousins,” not fake textbook people.

If you’ve ever tried to train a new tax pro using dry, unrealistic examples… you already know it doesn’t stick.

The Tax Cousins Practice Scenario Workbook gives you predictable and relatable client scenarios for hands-on training, featuring the exact type of people who actually walk into your office: single parents, side hustlers, rideshare drivers, messy Schedule C filers, SSI elders, and separated couples arguing over kids and filing status.

Each scenario includes:

• A full client profile (name, contact info, demographics)

• Dependents and living situation

• Income details (W-2s, 1099s, SSI, self-employment, tips, etc.)

• Deductions, credits, and key facts

• A Due Diligence Prompt that forces the preparer to think like a real pro, not a button pusher.

Perfect for team trainings, bootcamps, new hires, and self-study if you want to sharpen your skills on real-world tax situations before you touch a live return.

Meet Your “Tax Cousins”

Inside the workbook, you’ll practice returns for scenarios like:

• EITC Earner with Increasing Income – A Walmart cashier turned manager, single mom with three kids, childcare expenses, and a big income jump coming next year. How do you handle credits now and plan for that raise?

• The “Not So Organized” Hairstylist – Self-employed stylist with 1099-K income, cash tips, booth rent, supplies, ads, and partial records. You’ll work through Schedule C, EITC eligibility, and documentation needs.

• Elderly with SSI Income – Retiree living on SSI and a little bank interest. Do they even need to file? What key questions are you required to ask?

• The “Let Me Claim My Kid” Filer – Non-custodial parent paying child support who “just knows” he gets to claim his child. You’ll navigate dependency tests, support, and expectations around refunds vs. liabilities.

• Full-Time Rideshare Driver – Young driver with Uber/Lyft/DoorDash 1099-Ks, mileage logs, self-employment tax, and no estimated payments. You’ll calculate the return and plan properly for next year.

• Working College Student – Full-time student with W-2 income and parents paying tuition. You’ll determine dependency status and who actually gets to claim the education credit.

• Entrepreneur with Underpaid Estimated Taxes – Service-based business owner who made payments but still owes. You’ll practice reading income, net profit targets, and safe harbor planning.

• The “Not So Happy” Family – Married but separated couple with a child, rent, and separate households. You’ll determine filing status options (MFJ, MFS, Single, HOH) and document “considered unmarried” correctly.

• Side Gig with Comingled Expenses – A W-2 employee/teacher selling food plates with poorly tracked business vs. personal expenses. You’ll clean up Schedule C and categorize expenses the right way.

Each case ends with a Due Diligence Prompt so you’re training tax law and tax ethics at the same time.

What You Can Use This For

• Live team trainings and roleplay sessions

• New hire onboarding

• Practice labs for tax courses or academies

• Study material for preparers transitioning from “data entry” to true tax professionals

• Self-paced practice if you want to tighten up before taking on clients

What’s Inside

• A full-color digital workbook of “Tax Cousin” scenarios

• 9+ complete tax client profiles with: income, dependents, deductions, and prompts

• Built-in due diligence questions for each scenario

• A mix of W-2 only, self-employed, rideshare, education, SSI, and complex filing status situations

• Perfectly suited for current-year practice (2025-style income numbers and docs)

Use this workbook to move your people from “I only know simple W-2s” to “I can confidently handle real clients and ask the right questions.”