Cross References
• IR-2012-59, June 5, 2012

June 4, 2012 marks the third anniversary of the IRS’ return preparer initiative. The IRS is urging those paid tax return preparers required to pass the new competency test to take the test as soon as possible.

Three years ago, the IRS took its first step toward ensuring standards for competency, continuing education, and ethics would apply to all paid tax return preparers. Major facets of the initiative are now in place.

On June 4, 2009, IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman launched a six-month review focusing on the competency and conduct of paid tax return preparers. The review resulted from a recognition that paid tax return preparers were an important element in the integrity of the nation’s tax system. The review included a series of public hearings with the tax preparation community, consumer advocates, oversight groups, and taxpayers.

Six months later, the Return Preparer Review laid out a series of recommendations to extend oversight to certain areas of the preparer industry to enhance tax compliance and service to taxpayers. The following is a summary of regulations now in place as a result of those recommendations.

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