The Internal Revenue Service has issued a notice restricting the use of the term “registered tax return preparer” until tax preparers can be officially tested and checked.
Notice 2011-45 sets forth the restrictions on the term. The IRS also issued TD 9527 containing final regulations governing practice before the IRS for tax preparers. To become a registered tax return preparer, an applicant must pass a competency examination and tax compliance and suitability checks.
The IRS has selected a vendor to develop and administer the competency examination, but the examination is not yet available. In addition, the IRS is currently in the process of developing the suitability check. Because the conditions for becoming a registered tax return preparer are not yet able to be satisfied by any individual, no individual may represent that he is a registered tax return preparer. An individual with a provisional Preparer Tax Identification Number, or PTIN, may not represent that he is a registered tax return preparer or has passed the competency examination. Once the competency examination is available, only an individual who has met all of the conditions to becoming a registered tax return preparer, including passing the competency examination and the tax compliance and suitability checks, may represent that he is a registered tax return preparer.
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The IRS also noted that Section 10.30 of Circular 230 will be amended to require a registered tax return preparer using any paid advertising involving print, television or radio, in which the individual represents himself or herself to be a registered tax return preparer, will be required to display or broadcast the following statement: “The IRS does not endorse any particular individual tax return preparer. For more information on tax return preparers go to IRS.gov.”
4 Comments
I am 100% for regulation of preparers. Thought suitability checking was done - think they just need to get it in writing.
Now can we please get regulation of IRS personnel - what education do they need to perform their job?
Posted by: Lenore | June 4, 2011 11:02 AM
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I've always suspected that the required payment of $60+ was to generate additional revenue. Otherwise, why didn't the IRS have all of the requirements in place first? Certainly they didn't need the additional money to register the PTINs since we've had those numbers since forever. This latest information does nothing to increase public trust in them.
Posted by: hrellis | June 3, 2011 4:35 AM
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I say good for the IRS. Too many incompetents around. An it's these same people who complain.
Golly, a whole $60. Geez, the Guvment (sic) is taking all my money.
What does FASTTAX mean, quickie tax returns? thoughtful ones take a bit of time.
Posted by: Tedego | June 1, 2011 10:14 PM
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Give me a break, the IRS has all Tax Preparers register with them and pay over $60.00 each and then they don't want a Tax Return Preparer to use the term (Registered Tax Return Preparer). Are they for real? What ever happened to free speach? I guess that the IRS does not adhere to US Constitution. They just do anything that they want as long as it suits them. If you do want to use that term you must take a competency examination that they don't have yet and a tax compliance test which they also don't have yet,also a suitability check which they have not yet set up. Of course don't expect the IRS to endorse you. What a bunch of phonies. They don't even trust their own exams,test and suitability checking.
Posted by: FASTTAX | June 1, 2011 4:59 PM
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