Yes it started off voluntary and free I believe, remember that? They claimed by using a PTIN it would be more safe for identity theft and so forth. Now it is mandatory and they charge us a fee. And those who have a PTIN are on a list I believe, on a disc, and it is public information that companies can buy, is that why we now get bombarded with Spam and/or scam? How did that safety angle turn out? Just like e-filing, it started off voluntary too, and then they mandated it. It was supposed to be so great and so safe. See a pattern here?