Cancellation of POA

[erchess]

Assuming a POA has been filed with a Taxing Agency and that the taxpayer has fired the representative or vice versa, we all know that in many cases what will happen is that the taxpayer will get new representation and a new POA will be filed without including a copy of the old one which will therefore no longer be in force. But if for some reason that is not going to happen, can the client decide or the professional decide to cancel the agreement so that in the future the Government does not contact the professional about the case? If this can be done, how is it done? Also what should a Professional do if he receives a letter or phone call from the Government about a matter for which the representative - client relationship has been terminated?

[Bert73]

Check out Publication 947. Revocation of POAs.

[MLINDER42]

Cancellation Of Poa

Write revoked on POA and fax it to the IRS at the same number you use to register POA's. You can also thru FOIA receive a list of all outstanding POA's and revoke them in bulk.

[luke]

after POA revoked

In my experience, if I receive a letter from IRS for taxpayer no longer my client, I write "Refused" on the envelope and return it unopened (they are usually sent certified in which case I tell Post Office I do NOT want to accept this letter). I would also REFUSE to accept phone call (or simply state that taxpayer is NOT my client and therefore I am NOT authorized to discuss anything!)

[Kurly]

Foia

What do these initials stand for? Not all of us have all the initials vs names memorized.

Thanks

Kurly

[MLINDER42]

Foia

Freedom of Information Act you can receive a total list of outstanding POA's .IRS web sight will give you the form.

[JohnH]

Next thing you know, we will all be getting two POA's from each client. One will be a POA to represent the client, and the second will be a limited POA which only authorizes us to cancel the original POA.

[taxmandan]

Write revoked on POA and fax it to the IRS at the same number you use to register POA's. You can also thru FOIA receive a list of all outstanding POA's and revoke them in bulk.

Also, sign and date next to "REVOKED". I had a revocation denied once because it was unsigned & undated at the top.

[ChEAr$]

In my experience, if I receive a letter from IRS for taxpayer no longer my client, I write "Refused" on the envelope and return it unopened (they are usually sent certified in which case I tell Post Office I do NOT want to accept this letter). I would also REFUSE to accept phone call (or simply state that taxpayer is NOT my client and therefore I am NOT authorized to discuss anything!)

And I do the same, under the theory that only one who grants a POA may revoke it,
IRS procedures notwithstanding.

[Lion]

Revoke

I had a couple of POAs still standing when I left Block so no longer had those clients nor access to the original POAs. IRS told me to write a letter listing the clients for which I was revoking my acceptance of their POAs, sign it, and mail/fax it to them. I and the clients were notified that I no longer represented them.

[JG EA]

But when you revoke a current client's POA (which I now no longer do) the IRS sends them a letter with their tackful message that you no longer represent the client. It sounds like you are firing them.

__________
I was going to edit tackful but I think I'll leave it that way.

[ChEAr$]

But when you revoke a current client's POA (which I now no longer do) the IRS sends them a letter with their tackful message that you no longer represent the client. It sounds like you are firing them.

.

Well.............. yeah. And what's wrong with that?

"Firing" is just another way of saying "no longer associated with...."

[erchess]

Reason

The reason I would revoke a POA is that the client and I have parted ways regardless of who fired who.

[Lion]

No longer my client

The clients were no longer my clients, so there are probably confidentiality issues with my receiving copies of their IRS correspondence. I needed to revoke the outstanding POAs. I didn't care that former clients received letters from the IRS saying I was no longer representing them; they already knew that but had not followed up with paper.

[DaveO]

But when you revoke a current client's POA (which I now no longer do) the IRS sends them a letter with their tackful message that you no longer represent the client. It sounds like you are firing them.

__________
I was going to edit tackful but I think I'll leave it that way.

You are correct about that. I revoked a POA for some long time and very dear clients. I don't think they really understood the limited nature of the POA and asked me to do so.

They called and aplogized profusely when they got the letter. It was quite upsetting to them.