Tax Law and News PTIN Rules You May Not Have Known Read the Article Open Share Drawer Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) Written by Mike D'Avolio, CPA, JD Modified Jul 28, 2016 1 min read Anyone who prepares, or assists in preparing, substantially all of a federal tax return, or claims for refund for compensation, must have a valid PTIN (Preparer Tax Identification Number) from the IRS and must have the PTIN used as the identifying number on the return. The annual fee is $50. First time or renewal registration takes about 15 minutes, and can be done online or on paper by filing Form W-12 (takes four to six weeks to process). There are more than 715,000 federal tax return preparers. All PTINs expire on Dec. 31 and must be renewed for the following year. The IRS has established a new Annual Filing Season Program to encourage non-credentialed tax return preparers to voluntarily take continuing education courses to increase their knowledge and improve their filing season readiness. More information on the types and amounts of CE required for the program is available at www.irs.gov/Tax-Professionals/Annual-Filing-Season-Program. For additional PTIN information, click here. Previous Post February 2016 Tax Compliance and Due Dates Next Post IRS.gov, E-File and ID Theft Tax Fraud Highlight 2016 Tax… Written by Mike D'Avolio, CPA, JD Mike D’Avolio, CPA, JD, is a tax law specialist for Intuit® ProConnect™ Group, where he has worked since 1987. He monitors legislative and regulatory activity, serves as a government liaison, circulates information to employees and customers, analyzes and tests software, trains employees and customers, and serves as a public relations representative. More from Mike D'Avolio, CPA, JD Comments are closed. Browse Related Articles Practice Management How market competitors have become firm predators Tax Law and News Accountant’s guide to secure file sharing Practice Management Consultant spotlight: Jason Tritle Practice Management Consultant spotlight: Corey Spear Practice Management Consultant spotlight: Drew Hickman Practice Management Top 7 advantages of choosing a firm niche Advisory Services Your firm: Maximizing value over volume Practice Management ProSeries® Tax spotlight: Nayo Carter-Gray, EA, MBA Practice Management Consultant Spotlight: Katherine Weiler Webinars Technology and Your Clients: Dec. 19