EA Renewal

[erchess]

I am an EA up for renewal this year but I have not received my form to apply for renewal. Is that a problem or has the IRS not sent them out yet?

[Uncle Sam]

EA Renewal

If the last digit of your Social Security Number is either 4, 5, or 6, then IRS has temporarily suspended the renewal process.
Public notice of this was posted on the NAEA weekly EA@lert.
That's why is pays to belong to NAEA.

https://www.naea.org

[erchess]

Naea

I belong and I read e alert well most weeks but the last mention I recall seeing was before Christmas and I guess I don't see what the holdup is at this point. I gather from what you're saying that they have not even set a target date to begin the renewal process. Thank you for responding.

[Lion]

Timing

I don't remember the timing, but not yet. The public comments closed in the fall, but then there's a specified time period to write/publish and then another specified time period for the new rules to take effect (new EA renewal fee). The IRS was going to shorten that second time frame to get the window open for renewals. NAEA asked the IRS to make sure the window extends beyond 18 April to not add one more thing for EAs to do during tax season. But as of yet, the IRS has not announced when the renewal period will begin, let alone when it will end.

[erchess]

TY Lion

I didnt realize they had to go through the same process for absolutely every change in their rules. To my mind changes that affect few people all of whom can be expected to be happy with the changes should be subject to a fast track process but then I have never tried to lead more than twenty-five or so people and I wasn't great at that so I'm not qualified to carp at the IRS Commissioner too much.

[oceanlovin'ea]

me too

I am up for renewal this year also. I have not heard from IRS either. So I guess we just wait...and wait...and wait.

Linda, EA

[S T]

EA Renewal

I am also up for renewal of my EA this year - and this is making me nervous

I have weekly NAEA alerts in my email each week and keep browsing the IRS site, but so far I have found nothing

So if anyone finds something, please post

Thanks,
Sandy

[erchess]

What I am hearing from Lion

is that our Prof Org asked the IRS to make sure that the deadline to turn in the renewal application if not the sending of it out to us happened after tax season. I don't know why they did that since in the past the process of filling out the form and preparing to mail it in has never taken as much as fifteen minutes but there may be reasons I have not thought of.

[Lion]

Beats Me!

Beats me, but you can read the NAEA plea to the OPR on their site to learn their reasoning. Maybe worried that a, for example, 15 February announcement of a 60-day window to renew would be missed by busy preparers or be noticed and the application stay at the bottom of the ever-growing stack on a desk and an EA or two miss their renewal date. If it's a 90-day window starting soon, then we can catch up with our administrivia after tax season ends.

[Lion]

They don't say...

NAEA really doesn't explain, just asks for renewal window to be wide enough to end after tax season:

http://naea.org/MemberPortal/Advocacy/Comments/Comments_on_REG-1204018.htm

[iratax]

The last report said that when the approval period was over IRS would give 30 day notice to start the renewal window and it would be a 90 days long putting it past April 18.

[Lion]

From NAEA

Several areas of discussion are important for EAs. First, it appears the final regs for the EA/ERPA user fee are on track for a release sometime in February. The renewal window for EAs with SSNs ending in 4, 5, and 6 will start 30 days later and run for 90 days. It looks like OPR will not be sending reminder letters to those of you in cycle but will rely on NAEA and other venues to publicize the announcement. We will, of course, let you know as soon as the dates are set.

[S T]

Yes

Yes, was posted on NAEA News Alert issued 2/4/11 (today Friday)

RETURN PREPARER OVERSIGHT NEWS
Odds and Ends
NAEA has been in conversations with IRS officials, which possibly in and of itself isn't much news as we are always in contact with IRS officials, and continue to advocate for issues of interest to our members.
Several areas of discussion are important for EAs. First, it appears the final regs for the EA/ERPA user fee are on track for a release sometime in February. The renewal window for EAs with SSNs ending in 4, 5, and 6 will start 30 days later and run for 90 days. It looks like OPR will not be sending reminder letters to those of you in cycle but will rely on NAEA and other venues to publicize the announcement. We will, of course, let you know as soon as the dates are set.
Second, use of the RTRP term has caused some chatter amongst the membership. Of course, until the Circular 230 updates are released in final format and the RTRP test is available, no one may (legitimately) call her/himself a RTRP. After those hurdles are cleared, however, some legacy Circular 230 practitioners wonder whether they may automatically use the RTRP name in addition to EA (and/or CPA). E@lert's take is that this is unlikely. We're getting at least the preliminary sense that in order to call oneself an RTRP, anyone, including legacy Circular 230 practitioners, must pass the new test and adhere to the education requirements (admittedly, the education wouldn't be a big deal for enrolled agents, given our current requirements).

It would be helpful if all of us that have pending renewals would watch each other's back so to speak, and post any updated info as a reminder - since this is our busiest time!

Sandy

[kpangelinan]

Yes, was posted on NAEA News Alert issued 2/4/11 (today Friday)


It would be helpful if all of us that have pending renewals would watch each other's back so to speak, and post any updated info as a reminder - since this is our busiest time!

Sandy

I just saw this in my email newsletter today....I agree Sandy...thanks and thanks to everyone on here watching out. I'm in this batch of renewals.

[S T]

EA Renewal

For those of us with SSNs ending in 4,5, 6 - and we are in limbo for our EA renewal,
here is the Friday update 2/11/11 from NAEA

RETURN PREPARER OVERSIGHT NEWS
Are We There Yet?
We are still awaiting final EA/ERPA user fee regs, but a well-placed source at 1111 Constitution (aka "the big house" or IRS National Office) suggests that the week of February 21st looks like a good target for those of us who are the betting types. Again, the final regulations will state that the postponed renewal window for enrolled agents with SSNs ending in 4, 5, or 6 will commence 30 days after the date of the final regs. If the forecast is true, we should expect the window to open in the middle of the week of March 21 or the beginning of the week of March 28. NAEA will, of course, keep you posted.

At least now we might have a target date to watch for

Sandy