PTIN Renewal

[Brian EA]

Has anyone renewed their PTIN?

brian

[Uncle Sam]

PTIN Renewal for 2014

Due to IRS budget cuts and the recent government shutdown - PTIN renewal is being delayed.
IRS will inform us via e-mails when the system will be up and functioning for 2014 renewals.
It presently is not available.

[ATSMAN]

I am in no rush to renew as long as it gets done before I do the first return next year.

[FEDUKE404]

Paying the PTIN renewal fee

I am in no rush to renew as long as it gets done before I do the first return next year.

I'll try to snag the renewal fee as a 2013 business expense, but otherwise you are quite correct!

FE

[ATSMAN]

Signup between Christmas and New Years if you need the deduction for 2013.

[WTorres]

PTIN Renewal for 2014 is available

PTIN Renewal for 2014 is available. I was just able to renew my PTIN.

[DaveinTexas]

Buggy Website

PTIN Renewal for 2014 is available. I was just able to renew my PTIN.

Typical Govt. website, each time I try to pay it logs me out and I have to start all over.

Check that, it works now, but it took about 30 minutes; awesome.

[FEDUKE404]

OK here

Just went through the online PTIN renewal/payment and the entire process took less than ten minutes. Quite frankly, it probably took longer for my $63 credit card payment to process than for all the other stuff.

I did find it rather interesting that I got logged out twice since my 15-minute time limit had expired. One such "session" was no more than three minutes of being logged in.

"Time flies when you're having fun" ?????

FE

[Roberts]

Be very aware

I received an email today to renew my PTIN.
When I clicked the link it took me to a non-IRS website.

[FEDUKE404]

Avoiding scams for PTIN renewal

I received an email today to renew my PTIN.
When I clicked the link it took me to a non-IRS website.

This is the "correct" website:

https://rpr.irs.gov/datamart/mainMenuUSIRS.do

FE

[appelman]

This is what I just got.

IRS Newswire October 31, 2013

Issue Number:****IR-2013-85

Inside This Issue

2014 PTIN Renewal Period Underway for Tax Professionals

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today reminded the nation’s almost 690,000 federal tax return preparers that they must renew their Preparer Tax Identification Numbers (PTINs) for 2014. All current PTINs will expire on Dec. 31, 2013.

Anyone who, for compensation, prepares or helps prepare any federal return or claim for refund must have a valid PTIN from the IRS. The PTIN must be used as the identifying number on returns prepared.

“We ask that you renew your PTIN as soon as possible to avoid a last-minute rush. It’s easy to let this slip as the holiday season approaches,” said Carol A. Campbell, Director, IRS Return Preparer Office.

The PTIN system is ready to accept applications for 2014.

For those who already have a 2013 PTIN, the renewal process can be completed online and only takes a few moments. The renewal fee is $63. If you can’t remember your user ID and password, there are online tools to assist you. Preparers can get started at www.irs.gov/ptin.
If you are registering for the first time, the PTIN application fee is $64.25 and the process may also be completed online.

Form W-12, IRS Paid Preparer Tax Identification Number Application and Renewal, is available for paper applications and renewals, but takes four to six weeks to process. Failure to have and use a valid PTIN may result in penalties. All enrolled agents, regardless of whether they prepare returns, must have a PTIN in order to maintain their status.

There have been a number of enhancements to the online PTIN system since last year. They include:

The fully functional "Manage My Account" tool allowing preparers to self-correct almost any field at any time (including professional credentials). Previously, most changes had to be made during renewal. A phone call was required for users to make changes during the rest of the year. However, for security reasons, name changes still require written documentation.

Preparers can now view completed continuing education programs reported by IRS-approved providers beginning with 2013 courses. Providers report completed CE programs to the IRS based on your PTIN number. Enrolled agents must have a minimum of 16 CE hours annually and a total of 72 hours every three years. Others can also view voluntary programs completed. If something is missing, contact your provider directly as we only display what providers send to us.

Planning to take a year off for any reason? A new function allows certain preparers to inactivate their PTINs voluntarily and then reactivate the same number when they return to work. This is only for those preparers who plan to take a full year off. If you are paid to prepare tax returns during any part of a year, you must have a valid PTIN. Note: Enrolled agents must maintain a valid PTIN each year in order to maintain their EA credential and therefore are not eligible to inactivate their PTIN.

For more information about requirements for federal tax professionals and access to the online PTIN system, go to www.irs.gov/for-Tax-Pros.

[Brian EA]

Took less than 10 minutes.
Done for another year

[Uncle]

Paper

I spent an hour trying to make the website work and another 25 minutes waiting in the support queue and a final 15 minutes on hold while support tried to make my account work. She failed. Total waste of time. It took 10 minutes to fill out the paper form, cut a check, and throw it in the mail.

[FEDUKE404]

No problems encountered

I spent an hour trying to make the website work and another 25 minutes waiting in the support queue and a final 15 minutes on hold while support tried to make my account work. She failed. Total waste of time. It took 10 minutes to fill out the paper form, cut a check, and throw it in the mail.

My experience was exactly the same as Brian EA. Piece of cake. $63 is already charged to my credit card.

As mentioned previously, I went in on the IRS website https://rpr.irs.gov/datamart/mainMenuUSIRS.do

Entered my name/password, and off to the races. It really could not have been simpler, considering the government is involved.

You may wish to see if your browser/firewall/whatever are all up to date?

FE

[S T]

Ugh! I couldn't find my signins - just don't even ask! So managed to receive those re-sets via mail - that part of the system is working

Got through the renewal application on PTIN okay - but the payment just hung up forever! Same issue happened to me last year on the payment and receiving the confirmation for the "Welcome Letter"

So never received the online confirmation, but did receive a confirmation # via email and charged to my credit card. So I do have the payment! After about 4 hours I could re-sign back in and the PTIN Welcome Letter was there to print, so all is good.

Not sure if it is on overload with all of us being so anxious to accomplish this and asap, or their system on the credit card payments and the acknowledgements.
At any rate still not a great experience, but I have paid confirmation and retrieved after some effort the Acceptance through 2014 - My sign in Stuck in la-la land - so just had to close it out and had to hope for the best and re-signed back in and found the PTIN Welcome Renewal Letter.

What was interesting was viewing my CE Credits - CE Credits were up to date except for the last 7 hours that I just completed and submitted on 10/31 and have not been posted yet. So that part is working and seems to be timely and properly reported.
So I can check back in the next few days to see those


Sandy