tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6318055043707993918.post1246095065832854080..comments2024-02-20T02:12:18.090-05:00Comments on THE WANDERING TAX PRO: DEAR IRSRobert D Flachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06034127763662917220noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6318055043707993918.post-13172293251051031642009-08-10T08:23:51.777-04:002009-08-10T08:23:51.777-04:00Mary-
I was talking about federal background chec...Mary-<br /><br />I was talking about federal background checks of applicants, as apparently are required for those applying for Enrolled Agent status.<br /><br />We are talking about the licensing of about 1 Million individuals. The FBI, or whatever government agency, has better things to do fighting crime and terrorism to waste time checking out tax preparers. <br /><br />If licensing is to be successful we need the cooperation of these 1 Million tax professionals. Having the FBI, or again whoever, do invasive background checks does not encourage cooperation. <br /><br />And I do not want the government to tell a person who has been preparing taxes successfully and without incident for many years that he/she can no longer make a living because of some youthful “indiscretion”.<br /><br />Past criminal records should not automatically prevent one from current employment. What about the concept of “rehabilitation”?<br /><br />If Congress wants to deny licensure to individuals who have been convicted of identity theft, embezzlement or related financial crimes then the “background check” should be limited to an online database search by IRS employees, and the applicant should be able to rebut or respond to any findings. <br /><br />As for credit report checks – one’s financial situation, good or bad, has nothing whatsoever to do with one’s ability to prepare tax returns ethically and competently. There is absolutely no need for any kind of credit check. <br /><br />TWTPRobert D Flachhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06034127763662917220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6318055043707993918.post-15492643457776925742009-08-09T14:50:55.397-04:002009-08-09T14:50:55.397-04:00Kelly-
So with what do you NOT agree?
TWTP
And ...Kelly-<br /><br />So with what do you NOT agree?<br /><br />TWTP<br /><br />And Mary-<br /><br />Just back from a brief vacation. Will respond to you when I get organized.<br /><br />TWTPRobert D Flachhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06034127763662917220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6318055043707993918.post-45322521800926736022009-08-07T15:22:30.312-04:002009-08-07T15:22:30.312-04:00Good for you! While I don't agree with everyt...Good for you! While I don't agree with everything in your letter, I think it's extremely important to speak up when the IRS is looking for feedback in these matters (and sometimes, even when they're not). If you don't offer solutions, you shouldn't complain.Kellyhttp://www.taxgirl.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6318055043707993918.post-85892214555340479892009-08-06T09:56:11.821-04:002009-08-06T09:56:11.821-04:00I'd like to understand more about why you obje...I'd like to understand more about why you object to running criminal record checks and credit reports on would-be tax preparers.<br /><br />A professional tax preparer routinely prepares hundreds of documents per year which often result in the movement of large amounts of money from the US Treasury into other people's bank accounts.<br /><br />In addition, a professional tax preparer routinely has access to vast amounts of sensitive information provided by clients, including SSNs, bank and brokerage account numbers, statements that may list balances in those accounts, etc.<br /><br />It seems to me that the public has an interest in making sure that individuals with criminal records, especially those involving financial crimes, are either not allowed to be licensed tax preparers, or, at the very least, are subject to special monitoring by the IRS. <br /><br />I understand the civil liberties and privacy concerns, but nobody is forced to become a commercial tax preparer. <br /><br />A license to prepare tax returns is a license to prepare documents that potentially move a lot of government money around. <br /><br />It seems to me that there is a clear public interest served in criminal record checks on prospective applicants who want to hold themselves out to the public as "licensed tax preparers."Maryhttp://bedbuffalos.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com