If you are among the estimated 1.2 million Americans who will be paid to help prepare tax returns for someone else next year, Uncle Sam wants you.
For the first time, the Internal Revenue Service is requiring professional tax preparers to register with the government. In response to recommendations from the Government Accounting Office, IRS officials said Wednesday they also plan to begin testing tax preparers for the 2012 tax season.
David Williams, head of the new IRS Return Preparer Office, said the regulations will help ensure the integrity of the tax returns filed by the 60 percent of Americans who get professional help.
“It’s very clear to us that, to the extent we’re trying to improve tax administration, we need to work with the tax preparation community and, as the GAO has suggested, provide better oversight,” Williams said. “Tax preparers should know that in coming years the IRS is going to take additional steps to make sure the people they select are qualified to do their tax returns and have passed competency exams.”
The first step is to require all paid tax preparers to get tax identification numbers that they will enter on returns they are paid to fill out.