Tax preparers on LinkedIn discussion groups and in response to our August 29 story on this year’s IRS tax forums have reported that the IRS has not granted proper credit for continuing education courses taken at those forums.
A thread on the LinkedIn discussion group “Electronic Return Originators, IRS e-file” discusses how preparers who took CE at this year’s IRS tax forums in Las Vegas have received neither notification of the credits due them for the CE nor word back after contacting the IRS about their credits. Other preparers reported that they received inadequate credit for CE seminars.
Similar problems were reported on the discussion groups “Tax Business Owners of America,” where preparers also reported being shorted credits at the 2011 forum in San Jose, Calif., and at this year’s Chicago and Atlanta forums.
Preparers commenting on our story, “IRS Wraps Up Tax Forums,” also said they had not received credit for CE taken at forums in Las Vegas and San Diego earlier this year.
“I may ask for a refund or stop attending IRS forums going forward,” one preparer wrote on LinkedIn.
In response, the IRS said in a statement, “The IRS has well-established procedures to correct any errors in documentation of CPE credits. Tax Forum attendees receive proof of attendance and credits earned in about three weeks after a forum, via e-mail. Any errors in documentation can be corrected by e-mailing taxforumcpe@irs.gov.”
One EA reported receiving a response about the problem from the IRS, which requested the day, time, room and name of the CE seminar in question, as well as the instructor’s name.
“I had already given the first four in my initial e-mail and told her I did not have the names of the instructors since their names were only given in the verbal introduction at the beginning of each session. I didn't write down the instructor names for each session I attended, and I couldn't find their names on any of the printed material I downloaded from the Web site prior to the forum or on any of the printed materials in the forum bag I obtained at the beginning of the forum,” the preparer wrote on LinkedIn.
One preparer said she had received an e-mail and call from the IRS after reporting her problem, and was told that this was “a common problem” possibly caused by the hand-held scanners used at the forums, and that the IRS was “working on it.” Preparers also reported success after contacting the IRS Return Preparers Office.
10 Comments
I attended Las Vegas and was also shorted 3 hours, one being ethics. I sent an email but do not hold much hope for a response. I am going to keep my CPE certificate (which I corrected), my session notes and a copy of this article in the file for substantiation. I have been attending the Forum for over 10 years and this is the first time I have had issue with the certificate.
Posted by: dmaixner | September 13, 2012 11:59 AM
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I attended the Vegas forum and when I got my Credit Form & Certificate of Completion a month later. I was missing 3 seminars but was given credit for a seminar that I didn't attend. The class I didn't attend, I was given correct credit for other seminars each day in it's time slot. I couldn't have been at both classes at the same time? My wife also didn't receive proper credit for sessions she took. I took notes at the missing session and emailed the tax forum of the mix-up and am waiting for a response.
Posted by: sethy | September 13, 2012 11:54 AM
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Both my husband and I attended the Las Vegas Forum. Neither of us have gotten our CEU email either. We have attended the Forums for 10 years and have never had a problem until this year. We always go to the max for the sessions. I emailed on Mon. to IRS. The women said she would get back to me that day but has not. This is bad news if we do not get proof.
Posted by: Phyllis70 | September 11, 2012 9:37 PM
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Iattended the Las Vegas tax Forum this year and received a certificate, but was missing 3 of the CPE credits. I emailed them immediately with the date time and class and after 3 weeks did not receive any kind of response. I then emailed this to the address on the bottom of the certificate(also an IRS email) and still have not had a response from anyone. With so many people not getting the proper credits or even acknowledgements for attending, I feel there needs to be a better way to record that someone has attended the seminars.
Posted by: TaxGuyinMD | September 11, 2012 6:05 PM
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My partner and I attended the Las Vegas forum. We both took the same seminars. Both of us received credit for a seminar we did NOT take and no credit for 3 seminars we did take. I sent an email to taxforumcpe@irs.gov as they have indicated in the above article. My email was returned as undeliverable and no such email address. What now?
Posted by: Amaized1 | September 11, 2012 4:02 PM
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I attended the forum in Las Vegas and got some but not all of my credits. One of our employees attended and did not get ANY of his credits.
Posted by: maureenhopkins | September 11, 2012 1:09 PM
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This is not unusual when bureaucracy starts policing the compliant. Is it time for the policy makers within the IRS to rethink all this excessive monitoring of tax professionals? It seems to me that with limited funds and resources the IRS should actually train personnel to focus on the primary mission of the IRS. Prior to the new regulations for tax preparers the IRS had the ability (and still has the ability) to weed out non-compliant tax preparers through various program which could include specific preparer projects. In addition if a preparer was found to be negligent the IRS has always had the ability to impose a penalty on the preparer. Also if during an audit of a tax return the agent learns from the taxpayer that he/she actually paid someone to prepare the tax return and that person did not sign the return the IRS has the ability to pursue that tax preparer for failing to sign the return and any errors made by that same person on the tax return. I do understand the need to have licensed tax preparers and I do respect that. However, I do question the effectiveness of this new IRS internal bureaucracy to monitor the program. How does this program change the fact that returns will still be prepared by unlicensed preparers who fail to sign tax returns, fail to get licenses and fail to take any CPE classes?
Posted by: daperc | September 11, 2012 12:26 PM
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I wonder why some people are not getting their certificates. I attended the Las Vegas forum in July, went to seminars and took the RTRP test, and I got my CPE credits back by email, and also my certificate.
I do have a question, though: I have all my certificates for CPE credits, but where do I go to verify that they have been logged in?
Posted by: MizLiz | September 11, 2012 12:05 PM
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I attended the July tax forum in Las Vegas, and also took the RTRP test, since it was on-site and I just wanted to get it over with. By August, I had received not only my CPE credit certificate via e-mail, but also my RTRP certificate. This is very strange, I wonder what the problem is.....
Posted by: MizLiz | September 11, 2012 12:03 PM
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I have attended both the Orlando and Las Vegas forums and have not received any of my credits. I need them for my 72 hours. I spoke to them in Vegas and was promised I would have them. I will follow up.
Posted by: SKDEFOE | September 11, 2012 11:47 AM
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