Q&a Irs Unenrolled Preparers Regulations

[taxea]

From link in your OP

"Enrolled agents currently pay $125 for enrollment and renewal. Attorneys and certified public accountants pay similar fees to their oversight organizations. Will the new IRS registration fee be applicable to all enrolled agents, attorneys, and CPAs in addition to their other fees?

Yes. All signing paid tax return preparers will have to pay a fee to register (and renew) as return preparers and to obtain PTINs. This fee is in addition to any fee paid tax return preparers must pay for any other certifications or licenses they hold."

Okay...I didn't read that the same way you did. I will research it further and see whether I can get a clearer answer.

[taxea]

Clearer Info

My original post was the IRS Q&A on this subject.

This is a quote from the IRS page that I believe is clearer:

What new regulatory requirements will result from the Return Preparer Review?

Registration: Paid tax return preparers currently have no registration requirement with the IRS, but they are required to sign the returns they prepare and provide either their Social Security Number or a Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN). The PTIN has been an optional number a preparer can apply for if they prefer not to disclose their SSN.

The IRS intends to require individuals who are required to sign a federal tax return as paid return preparer to register with the IRS and pay a user fee. Also, the IRS plans to make the use of PTINs mandatory instead of optional.

The IRS intends to develop an online registration system for paid return preparers. The IRS plans to issue PTINs to preparers who do not currently have one as part of the online registration process. The IRS also intends for the registration process to apply to those paid preparers who already have a PTIN. These individuals will be reissued their current PTIN when they register.

Registration renewals and user fee payments would be required every three years. Registration and PTIN requirements would not apply to volunteer or other uncompensated preparers

[superman]

Good

I am in Ca and we now have to the education requirments already so not much changing for us. I think though that it may be a good for anyone that wants to expand because ther may be alot of the people looking to retire to hang it up. If this is the case it could be good for business for the rest of us.

I hope that they make all the chain people to do the same as the indpendants because that is where I feel alot of mistakes occur and maybe even where most of this stems from.

Superman

[BP.]

I didn't read that the same way you did.

Alternate interpretation?

[RZellers]

@ AZ-Tax

If HRB, JH or other franchise preparers are somehow exempted, then they might as well just scrap the whole idea now. From my 25 yrs of exp in the industry, at least in my area, most of the problems with returns that I see come from them.

[taxea]

i haven't seen in this new proposal how many paid tax returns a preparer is allowed. in my case, i have been downsizing, cause i want to retire for 2010. the current tax year i have 18 returns, 13 is family and only 5 are friends who pay me. next year i will definitely will have less, i will only be doing immediate family, but , now i need to find out if i need to take this test. i have two clients who won't let me say no, so i did them again this year, i think i will have to die for them to go elsewhere.

My understanding is that if you are a paid tax preparer you are subject to these rules. 1 or a million...doesn't matter

[taxea]

I am in Ca and we now have to the education requirments already so not much changing for us. I think though that it may be a good for anyone that wants to expand because ther may be alot of the people looking to retire to hang it up. If this is the case it could be good for business for the rest of us.

I hope that they make all the chain people to do the same as the indpendants because that is where I feel alot of mistakes occur and maybe even where most of this stems from.

Superman

I'm researching verification of this issue. I will post the information when I get an answer

[taxea]

Alternate interpretation?

BP...no. The Q&A was what made that one point unclear...the quote I then posted from the IRS unenrolled preparers regulations page is clearer.

[taxdude71]

It sounds like they are going to make you renew the PTIN and charge a fee everytime.

[gkaiseril]

Just read the DOJ site about CPA's, EA's, and Attorney's being sanctioned by the DOJ for providing fraudulent advice or promoting erroneous tax schemes or the non-licensed preparers. It appears there are some individuals that should know better creating the problem.

It appears the will be an initial test, registration, continuing education, and a yearly renewal to get and keep a PTIN.

And this year there is the crack down on EIC and visits from the IRS to preparers to explain the common errors.

This maybe being pushed forward by congress and Charlie Rangel, Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means.

[taxea]

Website for full report

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-utl/54419l09.pdf

maybe this will help

[thomtax]

This maybe being pushed forward by congress and Charlie Rangel, Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means.

And we all know what a fine upstanding citizen Charlie Rangel is, now that he has been caught in all types of fraudulent activities. Of course, since he is one of the "in crowd" nothing is going to be done to him. Unfortunately, it appears as if a great majority of the Washington politicians are just a bunch of crooks, and others covering for them.

LT

[S T]

Charlie Rangel

And we all know what a fine upstanding citizen Charlie Rangel is, now that he has been caught in all types of fraudulent activities. Of course, since he is one of the "in crowd" nothing is going to be done to him. Unfortunately, it appears as if a great majority of the Washington politicians are just a bunch of crooks, and others covering for them

I sure agree with this statement, I would have hoped he would be removed from his position. What was it he didn't report - rental income - I know I report all of mine! In charge of implementing regulations and he can't even follow them for himself? Makes you wonder.

Sandy]

[travis bickle]

Let's not cast stones so casually

@ AZ-Tax

If HRB, JH or other franchise preparers are somehow exempted, then they might as well just scrap the whole idea now. From my 25 yrs of exp in the industry, at least in my area, most of the problems with returns that I see come from them.

Are you inviting me to share all the "war stories" I have about erroneous returns prepared by CPAs? I don't think that is the purpose of this board.

I currenty work with HRB. I have nine years experience there, one year with a private CPA firm, and three years with the IRS. I can honestly say that not one of the returns I have prepared has had to be examined/corrected/audited/amended due to any error on my part. And, I honestly do not say that proudly -- truthfully, it stems from always practicing "due diligence" in each area of the return. And, the reason I say all this without boasting is that I believe the vast majority of the members of this board are similar in nature and experience.

Finally, to get more or less back on topic, the HRB preparers will not be exempted [I do NOT have access to corporate policy]. I say this because HRB currently pays the $100 fee for each preparer who needs to be registered in NYS for state returns. It seems obvious then that HRB will not be exempted from IRS registration requirements if they are not exempt from NYS requirements.

Undoubtedly with the new IRS registration fee due to arrive, we will soon see a new deduction on our checkstub.

Incidentally, the new education hours proposed by the IRS will not matter for HRB. We currently have to have 30 hours of CPE each year in order to be rehired by HRB.

[taxea]

Travis-don't even get me started on the HORROR stories from my days at HRB!