Dealing with an incompliant Tax preparer
When dealing with an incompliant tax preparer, the first thing to keep at the back of your mind us that even though tax preparers are trained and experienced in tax laws and processes, they are not perfect or without idiosyncratic flaws. However, the question now becomes: what do you do when your tax preparer does unscrupulous things with your tax payments and tax filings?
Dealing with taxes is a dynamic process. For some people, it is simple and straightforward because of their sources of income and financial history; while for others, this is simply not the case. Some people’s tax situation is quite a complicated one, which they may not be able to handle themselves, therefore, they will need to enlist the services of a tax preparer.
Tax preparers are supposed to make your tax journey easier and less demanding on you. If your tax preparer is doing anything other than working tirelessly to ensure that you come out on top of your tax situation, then it may be a cause for worry.
We should mention here that it is very important to be wise in your search for a tax preparer. There are lots of tax preparers out there that simply do not care so much about improving the state of your finances. Many taxpayers have been unfortunately ripped off by unscrupulous tax preparers.
Before choosing a tax preparer, be sure to double-check a lot of things. Ask about the tax preparer’s reputation, get referrals from friends and family, and most importantly, go with your gut. You should also check with the Better Business Bureau online platform to see if the agency is accredited, and how many complaints they have had leveled against them. You must also guard against being blinded by their false promises of huge refunds. Check through their credentials to verify their certifications; more importantly, make sure that they have a Tax Identification Number.
According to the IRS, you are responsible for everything on your tax return even if you do not file it yourself, so you must be vigilant when choosing someone to file your taxes on your behalf. Do not blindly put your financial future into the hands of an unqualified tax preparer, be an active part of the process.
For someone to be a tax professional or a tax preparer, they must have gone through some competency tests and gotten approved. However, if along the way, your tax preparer becomes incompliant by refusing to send you a copy of your return or other pieces of vital information, you can do something about that.
Dealing with an incompliant Tax preparer is never an enjoyable experience, and one way to end this issue is to simply cancel their services. But you can only do this if the tax preparer has only prepared but has not yet filed your tax with the IRS.
If the tax preparer has filed the taxes already, then you can not cancel their services and you should not go to file somewhere else because doing so could have some negative implications for you.
You are entitled to a copy of your tax return and if your tax preparer is refusing to send it to you, you should make few more attempts at reaching them (You may, for example, call them or write to them.)
If all else fails, then you should file a complaint with the IRS.
How to file a complaint against a tax preparer
If your tax preparer is being unprofessional, you can report them to the IRS by filling out a form 14157 and sending it together with other supporting documents to the IRS by fax or mail.
If you are sending these documents by fax, then send it to 855-889-7957, and if by mail, send it to the following address: Attn, Return Preparer Office, 401, W. Peachtree Street NW, Mail Stop 421-D, Atlanta, GA 30308.
If, on the other hand, you do not believe that you are simply dealing with a case of an incompliant tax preparer, but rather one of identity theft, then you should not be filing a Form 14157. If you believe that your identity has been stolen by a fraudster posing as a tax preparer, then you should file Form 14039 instead. The form 14039 is an identity theft affidavit, and it will prompt the IRS to look into the filing of your returns with extra scrutiny.
Additionally, you may want to report a non-compliant tax preparer to professional licensing or disciplinary boards. You can do so by contacting the disciplinary board or state bar association within your state to report an attorney. In the case of a Certified Public Accountant, contact the state agency responsible for licensing CPAs in your state. If your non-compliant tax preparer is an enrolled agent, then there is no need to report them to a state accountancy board or bar association; filling out and submitting the form 14157 will suffice.
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