The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has announced the launch of its new online directory of tax professionals.
The directory, which was hyped prior to tax season, is intended to assist taxpayers in finding a tax professional for tax season.
The directory is searchable by country (for international taxpayers), zip code and last name. You can also search the directory by the following credentials: attorneys, CPAs, enrolled agents and those who have completed the requirements for the voluntary IRS Annual Filing Season Program (AFSP). All of the tax professionals listed in the directory have a valid 2015 Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN) as of the date listed on the directory search page (02/04/2015, as of the date of this article). The IRS advises that it may take up to four weeks after the IRS receives an update to make an addition or revision.
For information about the different categories of tax professionals, you can check out the IRS web site at IRS.gov/chooseataxpro.
Keep in mind that attorney and CPA credentials are self-reported to the IRS. The IRS verifies attorney and CPA credentials before including those professionals in the directory; as an attorney, I can vouch for the fact that I had to provide IRS with my bar admissions information for jurisdictions where I’m licensed. However, there may be situations where a credential becomes invalid after verification. If you have specific questions about a professional’s credentials, ask the individual for more information or ask the authorities (attorneys are generally governed by the Supreme Court and CPAs by boards of accountancy of their respective states).
More than 140 million individual tax returns were filed last year and more than half of them were prepared with the help of a paid return preparer. “This new directory,” said IRS Commissioner John Koskinen, “will be a practical tool for the millions of Americans who rely on the services of a paid return preparer.”
Be smart: finding a name on the list doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ve found your tax preparer. It means that the tax professional has a PTIN but not that the professional is preparing individual federal income tax returns for compensation this tax season. For example, a quick search reveals that my name is on the list. I have a PTIN because I need one to prepare certain kinds of federal tax returns but I no longer prepare individual income tax returns. If you’re not sure about the kinds of returns or services a professional may provide, just ask.
The opposite isn’t necessarily true either: if your tax preparer’s name is not on the list, it doesn’t mean they’re not qualified. Tax preparers with PTINs who are not attorneys, CPAs, enrolled agents or AFSP participants are not included in the directory, nor are volunteer tax return preparers who offer free services. That doesn’t mean those folks are exempt from the PTIN requirement (they still need one), it just means they’re not in the directory. The IRS continues to advise that, at a minimum, taxpayers should make sure their tax preparer has a valid PTIN and includes it on the tax return.
So perfect, it’s not. But it’s a start.
