Consumer trust is not established through regulation alone. It is earned through transparency, accessibility, and confidence that reliable resources are available before financial harm occurs.
This principle has guided the California Tax Education Council (CTEC) throughout the past two years.
Chairperson
Impact At A Glance
More Californians Found CTEC Online This Tax Season
Californians Are Responding to Fraud Prevention Messaging
Independent research confirmed strong public awareness across English-, Spanish-, and Mandarin-speaking audiences. About one-third of LA respondents recalled CTEC campaign messaging within 12 months — indicating lasting brand equity beyond seasonal advertising.
AI Tools Delivering Faster,
More Accurate Taxpayer Support
CTEC implemented AI-assisted support tools to handle routine inquiries more efficiently, freeing staff to focus on complex cases while improving response times for the public.
Strong Screening Upholds
Professional Standards in California
CTEC maintains a comprehensive application review process designed to verify qualifications, strengthen accountability, and prevent unqualified individuals from entering the profession. All new applicants must complete fingerprinting and background checks before registration approval.
Expanding Public Access Through Digital Transformation
Guided by stakeholder feedback and recommendations identified in the State’s 2023 Sunset Review, CTEC completed a major modernization of its digital infrastructure focused on improving accessibility, transparency, operational efficiency, and public trust.
CTEC launched a redesigned multilingual, ADA-compliant website intended to simplify navigation and improve access to registration, compliance, and taxpayer protection resources. Key upgrades included mobile-friendly functionality, enhanced search capabilities, secure online payment options, expanded access to Board and enforcement information, and improved account access.
CTEC also expanded multilingual educational resources, taxpayer guidebooks, FAQs, blogs, and simplified navigation tools designed to help users easily locate accurate information online. These efforts, supported by an expanded SEO strategy, contributed to significant increases in digital visibility and
public engagement during the January–April 2026 tax season.
These improvements helped more Californians access information related to tax preparer registration, fraud prevention, and compliance requirements during the filing season.
Evolving Digital Access
As online search behavior continues evolving, more taxpayers are increasingly receiving information through AI-generated summaries, conversational tools, and modern search experiences before visiting websites directly.
To improve visibility within these changing environments, CTEC expanded educational content, improved website organization, enhanced FAQs, and strengthened digital resource pages focused on compliance and consumer guidance.
Following the 2025 modernization launch, CTEC.org also demonstrated strong alignment with Google’s EEAT principles, which evaluate experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness of online information.
Making Taxpayer Protection Visible
For many Californians, tax preparation remains confusing, difficult to navigate, and vulnerable to fraud. Many taxpayers do not realize they are victims of ghost preparers until significant financial harm has already occurred. In response, CTEC expanded its public awareness efforts to help Californians identify legitimate tax preparers and avoid fraudulent activity.
In 2025 and 2026, CTEC launched a comprehensive multilingual public awareness campaign focused on fraud prevention, ghost preparer risks, preparer verification, and taxpayer education. Messaging encouraged Californians to verify preparer credentials before filing returns and emphasized the importance of using California approved tax preparers.
During the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires, CTEC also launched a targeted digital awareness campaign warning taxpayers about fraudsters and ghost preparers that often emerge following major disasters. CTEC further partnered with the Franchise Tax Board (FTB) to expand public education through bilingual podcast public service announcements in both English and Spanish—providing taxpayers with fraud prevention guidance and trusted tax-related resources during a period of heightened financial uncertainty.
Independent research conducted by CA Walker Research Solutions demonstrated strong public awareness and engagement results. Approximately one-third of surveyed Los Angeles respondents recalled seeing or hearing CTEC campaign messaging within the previous 12 months, while 51% reported familiarity with the organization.
“Since the fire outreach occurred before our study was fielded, these results likely represent a degree of long-term brand equity rather than a pure temporary campaign spike. The high recall indicates that the disaster protection message anchored CTEC’s relevance in the minds of Los Angeles residents more effectively than standard seasonal advertising.”
Fraud prevention and legitimacy-focused messaging consistently emerged as the strongest-performing themes across English-, Spanish-, and Mandarin-speaking audiences. As awareness increased, more Californians actively searched for preparer verification tools, fraud prevention guidance, and consumer protection information.
From January through April 2026, Google campaigns generated more than 543,000 website clicks, while the verification tool saw a major spike in activity in April, producing over 11x the engagement compared to March. Overall, paid advertising campaigns delivered more than 179 million impressions, with an average frequency of 8 to 12 exposures per reached person, further amplified by approximately $78,000 in bonus media placements and nonprofit discounts.
Media coverage, multilingual outreach, and affiliate pickup further expanded public access to fraud prevention and preparer verification information, generating an estimated earned media audience reach exceeding 241 million.
These trends indicate that more Californians are discovering CTEC resources at the moment they are actively seeking taxpayer protection, fraud prevention guidance, and compliance information.
PAID ADVERTISING
EARNED MEDIA
multilingual outreach & affiliate pickup
Real Californians.
Real Impact.
CTEC continued expanding taxpayer education through a growing library of podcasts, vodcasts, and digital content designed to help Californians navigate complex tax issues, identify fraudulent activity, and make informed decisions when selecting a tax preparer.
Across Seasons 4 through 6, CTEC’s bilingual podcast programs generated more than 222,600 downloads, while educational video content attracted millions of additional views across multiple platforms. Content focused on fraud prevention, taxpayer rights, disaster-related scams, and preparer verification consistently ranked among the most-engaged topics.
Audience engagement exceeded typical industry benchmarks, with average episode consumption exceeding 60 percent in both English and Spanish. Several episodes performed within the top 10–25 percent of national podcast benchmarks, demonstrating strong audience interest in taxpayer protection and consumer education content.
Strengthening Accountability Across California’s Tax Preparation Industry
Protecting taxpayers requires more than public awareness alone. It also depends on strong oversight systems, regulatory compliance, and coordinated enforcement efforts that help deter unregistered activity and reinforce
accountability within California’s tax preparation industry.
CTEC continued working closely with the FTB during the 2025 and 2026 enforcement cycles to support broader
taxpayer protection and compliance efforts. Statewide enforcement activity included investigative outreach,
compliance contacts, field visits, corrective notices, and penalties involving unregistered or noncompliant
individuals.
According to FTB reports, 2024/25 and 2025/26 enforcement efforts included:
While penalties are not the primary goal of enforcement activity, these actions play an important role in promoting accountability, protecting taxpayers, and supporting confidence in California’s regulated tax preparation framework.
Ensuring High Standards for CTEC Registrants
Protecting taxpayers also requires strong oversight, accountability, and registration standards that help maintain integrity across California’s tax preparation industry.
As part of its taxpayer protection mission, CTEC maintains a comprehensive application review process designed to verify qualifications, strengthen accountability, and prevent unqualified individuals from entering the profession.
In addition to confirming required education and bonding, all new applicants must complete fingerprinting and criminal background checks through the California Department of Justice Live Scan system before registration approval.
2025/2026 Application Outcomes
- 4,599
- 48.6%
- 4,810
- 50.9%
- 10
- 0.1%
- 8
- 0.1%
- 2
- 0.0%
- 12
- 0.1%
- 15
- 0.2%
Applicants with potential compliance concerns were provided opportunities to submit additional documentation or participate in hearings before final determinations were made.
Applicants who fail to respond to requests for information or whose denials become final are prohibited from reapplying for three years, helping reduce repeated or unresolved compliance risks.
Growing Participation, Strong Oversight
Total Active CTEC Registered Tax Preparers
Strategic Priorities
As taxpayer fraud schemes continue evolving and Californians increasingly rely on digital services, CTEC remains focused on expanding access to trustworthy information, strengthening oversight systems, and helping taxpayers protect themselves before financial harm occurs.
Increase Digital Visibility
Expand educational content and first-page search placement.
Strengthen Compliance Awareness
Reach prospective preparers with targeted education and compliance messaging.
Multilingual Engagement
Increase multilingual engagement across Spanish and Mandarin platforms
Stay Ahead of Fraud
Enhance fraud prevention education focused on ghost preparer activity
AI-Assisted Support
Continue expansion of AI-assisted support tools
System Security
Continue investment in proactive website security reviews and system monitoring
Building on the progress of the past two years, CTEC remains committed to strengthening public trust, increasing transparency, improving public access to reliable information, and safeguarding the millions of Californians who rely on tax preparation services each year.
Over the past two years, CTEC continued expanding its role as both a regulatory oversight organization and a public-facing taxpayer protection resource — helping more Californians access trusted information, identify legitimate preparers, and better understand how to protect themselves from fraud.
These efforts demonstrate that effective taxpayer protection depends not only on regulation, but also on visibility, accessibility, education, and public trust.
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P.O. Box 2890, Sacramento, CA 95812-2890
