PTIN Renewal Extension?

[zeros]

Have been reading on another thread how many renewals have been approved. On another thread I read that there are approximately 1 million tax preparers. It would seem that the IRS has a big job ahead renewing the PTIN numbers of the remaining tax preparers before 1/1/11. Is an extension likely?.

[JohnH]

Either that or else we professional procrastinators will crash the system on Dec 31.

[taxxcpa]

Ptin

If I didn't get mine until Jan 10, it wouldn't matter since no one shows up Jan 1. But, being an eager beaver, I got mine already.

[joanmcq]

I wouldn't wait until the last minute on this one.

[JohnH]

Why not...?

[zeros]

Why Not?

Why not...?

If you wait to the last minute and there's problems and you don't get your PTIN number until February 1st, I would think that would be a major problem.

[JohnH]

If there are problems due to IRS's inability to process properly submitted paperwork just because they created a bottleneck for themselves, then I'll let them figure out how to correct it.

[Burke]

If you wait to the last minute and there's problems and you don't get your PTIN number until February 1st, I would think that would be a major problem.

Not for me. The only clients who show up before 2/1 are W-2 onlies. Haven't seen any of them in years. I am lucky if my people get everything by 2/15 any more.

[Lion]

Not in a hurry

Maybe I'll renew my PTIN after Thanksgiving. But, I'm in no hurry. I need it before I can file any returns. Most of my clients have to wait for brokerage forms that don't have to be mailed until 15 February and then end up being corrected/revised a month later and wait for K-1s that might or might not even arrive during tax season. I did have one ready to e-file 3 February this year, but she's moving to FL and will have to send her information up to me after dealing with forwarded mail. My next soonest was 11 February.

[erchess]

Erroneous Post

If I am not mistaken unenrolled preparers who get PTINs by 12/31 don't have to pass the test until 2013 in order to keep preparing while those who get PTINs after the end of this year have to pass the test in order to prepare 2011 returns in 2012. I am an EA without employees so I only casually follow the situations of the unenrolled. I still got my number early because I don't think the process is going to get any easier as we move toward the end of the year. The glitches people are experiencing are irritating but they do not imho constitute an excuse for anyone letting the date they wish to file their first return catch them without a PTIN.

Lion corrected me (see below) on the deadline to get a PTIN and be able to work without passing the test until 2013.

I still don't think the process of applying will get any easier and I still don't think that technical problems as they exist now are a valid excuse for not obtaining a PTIN by the time you want to do returns.

[Lion]

Testing

If you wait until after testing is available, mid 2011 per the IRS, then you have to pass the test to obtain or renew a PTIN. If you get your PTIN prior to the IRS offering testing, mid 2011 per the IRS, then you have until 31 December 2013 to pass the test before the IRS deactivates your PTIN. Of course, that matters only if you must test at all, unenrolled preparers.

[joanmcq]

I had no problems going through the system to get my PTIN. I waited until Oct 30. If you wait until the last minute, there may be a bottleneck. If you have an unusual situation (like my coworker with a hyphenated last name), phone support may be difficult to get because of procrastinators. I see no reason to bellyache & wait just because you don't like the idea of having to go through the process and then complaining some more when the system goes down or a bottleneck ensues from people waiting until the last minute.

I had no desire to be a beta-tester of the process, nor try to deal with it during the last few weeks of filing season. But there is no reason to not take 10 minutes now to do it. So JohnH, if you wait until 12/31 just for the heck of it and something goes wrong, I certainly don't want to hear a bunch of complaining!

[JohnH]

Aw, come on now.
You're taking all the fun out of it!

[dsi]

Have they fixed the email problem yet? e.g., must have either hotmail or yahoo account -vs- using gmail or some other email address?

[erchess]

At&t

I don't honestly remember giving them an email address as part of this process but if I did I am sure I gave them my professional address which is an AT&T address. All I can tell you is my process went off without a hitch and I got my old PTIN.

There will be procrastinators and if there are so many that the system crashes, each one in my opinion will be entitled to exactly zero sympathy if unable to do returns until some time in February or March. Of course for some that isn't a gigantic scare. It should take ten minutes if someone does it this coming week but then if you do encounter problems there will be time to call and/or write to resolve the problem. Waiting until two weeks before you want to file your first return just strikes me as risky. I seriously do not think that between now and 12/31 the probability of getting it done smoothly in ten minutes will increase. If anything, I think it will decrease.

I expect that many procrastinators are remembering the time a few years ago when the IRS extended the 4/15 filing deadline because one or more of the major e-filers crashed and had many returns that would have been deemed late. I don't think that case was at all relevant to this because the upcoming possible crash involves individual tax professionals and the IRS with no intermediary and with only a tiny number of voters mad enough to contact their congressional representatives. I truly believe that if the IRS computer crashes on 12/26 and is down until the third week of February the service will do and should do nothing to alter its determination that as of 1/1/11 one must have a PTIN to sign a return as paid preparer.