EA Failing RTRP Test

[taxmandan]

Is theIRS office that is implementing the RTRP credential the same office that maintains EA information? If you fail the RTRP exam they won't be checking the EA roster before ordering you to stop preparing returns and/or pulling your ERO ability. And you get to try to convince the bureaucracy that EAs exist. Exposing oneself to a needlessly risky bureaucratic SNAFU just seems dumb.

[lenboush]

This past August at the NTPI in Las Vegas, one of the speakers was David Williams from the IRS preparers office. He clearly stated that ALL of the options would be included in any publicity relating to educating the public about using licensed preparers.

Obviously, he was speaking to a large group of EA's so I suppose it is very possible that he formulated his statments in such a way as to reassure EA's. I know that I was not the only one who came away reassurd by his remarks.

What ends up happening, however, remains to be seen.

[AZ-Tax]

In a way this whole thing is a JOKE

The NAEA and its equilavent for the CPA should have NEVER allowed the IRS to even consider adding another designation.

[Koss]

Licensure

The NAEA and its equilavent for the CPA should have NEVER allowed the IRS to even consider adding another designation.

But what are you suggesting instead?

Would you have preferred that the IRS make no changes at all, and continue to allow unenrolled preparers, with no testing and no continuing education requirements?

No one wanted the status quo to continue.

Are you suggesting that the IRS should have simply declared that no one except CPAs, EAs, and attorneys can prepare tax returns?

This option likely would have caused a revolt in Congress. Under the law of supply and demand, this would so dramatically reduce the supply of qualified professionals that the cost of tax preparation would skyrocket.

And HRB is too influential. The lobbyists would have stopped this cold.

Would you water down the EA licensure, and make it possible to become an EA by just passing one exam?

That would be worse than adding a new designation.

BMK

[AZ-Tax]

I am all for C-Ed plus C-Ethics but was the RTRP really neccessary?

From 1984 when I sat to take my 6 to 7 hour Series 7 securities license, followed by my insurance license, then Series 24 principals license, personal lines license and complying with my CE's all the way, I am a big believer in C-Ed but also C-Ethics to maintain or increase the professionalism. If someone didn’t have time to devout yrs in college and on the job work to obtain their CPA, there is the EA. There was NO reason and NO need for RTRP designation to be created but you absolutely are correct Koss about the lobbyist. Here in AZ our personal and commercial lines (auto, homeowners and commercial insurance) use to be one license but then the Geico’s, AARP(Hartford) ins etc. got to our state politicians and they created a “personal lines license”. The test is about ½ the time of the regular P&C exam and much easier. Passing ratio the first time is in the 90% while the first time P&C exam is 60% but still I can see the use for this. If you don’t sell commercial, no need to have a Commercial license but tax preparation is different. I am ok with the RTRP only authorized to prepare 1040 and related 1040 which I thought was the case when I first heard about the RTRP as that was the case but now I am hearing after 1/2013 RTRP will be unlimited to prepare 1120s, 1065’s, 1120’s etc. with NO additional testing.

[DonPriebe]

Or you could adopt the New York State model for tax preparer registration. Phase one was to set up a requirement that all paid tax preparers (CPAs, EAs and Attorneys eventually excepted) register and send in an annual $100 fee. Phase two was to set up a committee that would explore other requirements to be met, such as education, testing, CPE, etc.

The committee may have been set up, but we've heard nothing about it. So we're now in the third year of registration and the only requirements are the ability to log into the NYS website and a valid credit card.