IRS Help Directory

[oceanlovin'ea]

Did any of you get an email today from the IRS Help Directory? What is this about? This is the first I have heard of this. It appears that IRS will have an online directory of everyone with PTINs. If you pay you get a better listing. I clicked the link at the bottom to verify the accuracy of your listing. My phone number is wrong. So I am thinking that no one will ever call me with the wrong phone number so I need to correct it. I just didn't want to be signing up for something that would lead to a lot of crazy phone calls and mail and email.

Linda, EA

[FEDUKE404]

Just another sales pitch

Did any of you get an email today from the IRS Help Directory? What is this about? This is the first I have heard of this. It appears that IRS will have an online directory of everyone with PTINs. If you pay you get a better listing. I clicked the link at the bottom to verify the accuracy of your listing. My phone number is wrong. So I am thinking that no one will ever call me with the wrong phone number so I need to correct it. I just didn't want to be signing up for something that would lead to a lot of crazy phone calls and mail and email.

Linda, EA

FE's long-standing guideline: "Don't contact me....I'll contact you."

Likely another business wanting to put your public information into a directory, charge you something for it, and also probably subject you to further spam. I am somewhat intrigued by what might constitute a "better" listing.

IIRC, the "real" IRS already has and/or will have a public listing of all folks holding PTINs.

I just would have hit "delete"....wait, make that "junk"....immediately upon receipt.

FE

[taxea]

I totally agree...this is a company trying to make money...this did not come from the IRS and I don't understand why the IRS allows such businesses. Do you still have the site address? I would be curious to look at it. Could you email it to me at taxea@hawaii.rr.com

[kpangelinan]

I received the same email and like you, wondered about it.....anytime I get something like that, my first inclination is "junk/spam email". I'll forward you the email if you want. I received it on 9-24-12. It's still in my trash.

[Lion]

FOI allows companies to get our public information. Then (just like the "Yellow Pages companies" trying to get us to purchase ads in their telephone books) they try to get us to "update" our information and purchase a better listing. Free enterprise at work. I seldom respond to a company that I did not engage.

The IRS does not release our PTINs.

The IRS has been telling us for some time that companies were using FOI and would be gaining access to our business information and urging us to make any changes before information was released, suggesting not using our home addresses but a PO box # if we are a home-based business. IRS liaisons communicated via NAEA and NATP and maybe even notices on the IRS Tax Pros page and....