Tuesday, August 3, 2010

MAKE EM ALL PASS THE TEST!

I seem to recall back when the IRS review of tax return regulation began a year ago a fellow tax professional and, at the time, tax blogger (known as The MTBiking Tax Pro) had this to say -

BUT if and when this comes about I want it to be across the board. I want ALL who are associated with preparing; examining, questioning, auditing, etc of individual, business, estate, etc. tax returns should have the same license or classification. Doesn't that just seem fair?

That includes CPAs, public accountants, bookkeepers, foreign country tax sweat shops, McHenry workers, tax store franchise owners, etc. Also EVERYONE that works for the IRS from Mr. Tax Cheat himself Timothy Geithner down to that lonely telephone tax answer person be required to get licensed also
.”

I also believe somewhere else, perhaps in a comment to one of my TWTP posts on the subject, he added members of Congress on the tax-writing committees to the list.

It is very clear that the members of Congress do not know their arse from a hole in the ground when it comes to the details of the federal Form 1040. At times I think that this is even more so with the members of the tax writing committees. Former House Ways and Means Committee chair Chuck Rangel, for example, pleads ignorance when faced with his multiple tax error and omission FUs.

The Mountainbiker has a good point. If tax preparers must show competency via testing and continuing education (except for CPAs and attorneys – which is ridiculous) then those who audit returns and answer tax questions over the phone and who supervise these individuals at the IRS, and those who administer the tax laws at Treasury, and especially those who write the oft illogical and ridiculous tax laws should also prove that they, too, are competent in taxes by becoming the equivalent of a Registered Tax Return Preparer.

TTFN

FYI – I leave tomorrow (Wednesday) for a 5-day “1040-Free” vacation. Tonight I go to NYC to see VIAGRA FALLS starring THE LOVE BOAT’s Bernie Kopell.