IRS.gov offers useful tips and information to find a qualified tax professional, the Internal Revenue Service said in a press release. This year’s tax-filing deadline is Tuesday, April 18.
Taxpayers can use the IRS.gov/chooseataxpro website that includes a list of consumer tips for selecting a tax professional. There is also a page with IRS Tax Pro Association Partners that includes links to national nonprofit tax professional groups which can help taxpayers seeking the right type of qualified help, the release said.
IRS offers basic tips when selecting a tax professional:
• Select an ethical preparer. Taxpayers entrust vital personal data with the person preparing their tax return, including income, investments and Social Security numbers.
• Review the tax return and ask questions before signing. Taxpayers are legally responsible for what’s on their tax return, regardless of whether someone else prepared it.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
• Make sure the preparer signs the return and includes their Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN). The vast majority of paid preparers are required to have a valid PTIN.
• Never sign a blank tax return. It’s a clear red flag when a taxpayer is asked to sign a blank tax return. The preparer can put anything they want on the return — even their own bank account number for the tax refund.
In 2015, the IRS launched a Directory of Federal Tax Return Preparers with Credentials and Select Qualifications on the IRS website to help taxpayers verify credentials and qualifications of tax professionals.
Details: IRS.gov.