Cross References
• www.irs.gov

RTRP Exam. As of September 2012, 17,000 tax return preparers have become Registered Tax Return Preparers (RTRP) by passing the special RTRP exam. The IRS is sending letters to 312,000 additional preparers who are required to take the RTRP exam but have yet to do so. The IRS urges such individuals to take the exam as soon as possible to avoid congestion at exam testing locations prior to the deadline for taking the exam.

PTIN Directories. The IRS is warning tax preparers not to provide their PTIN to online PTIN directories. These sites are private for profit organizations that have obtained PTIN lists from the IRS under the Freedom of Information Act. These sites have obtained PTIN lists legally and there is nothing the IRS can do to prevent them from creating these sites. However, the IRS says these sites could lead to fraudulent use of a PTIN if the preparer provides the site with his or her PTIN.

These sites are not associated with the IRS. The IRS will have its own secure online PTIN directory in the future that will be used to provide taxpayers with a list of qualified tax return preparers in their area.