PTIN, EFIN, EIN — new preparers drown in acronyms. Here’s the clean breakdown: what each number does, who needs which, what they cost, and why the EFIN application is the one you can’t leave until December.
Who can talk to the IRS on a client’s behalf — and about what? Here’s the precise line between limited and unlimited representation rights, which credentials grant each, and what preparers with no credential can (and cannot) legally do.
If your SSN ends in 7, 8, or 9, your EA enrollment cycle ends March 31, 2027 — and your renewal window runs October 1, 2026 through January 31, 2027. Here’s the Form 8554 process, the $140 fee, and the CE math to check before you file.
The IRS runs a public, searchable directory of tax preparers — and taxpayers increasingly check it before hiring. Here’s exactly who appears in it, how to get (and verify) your listing, and why it’s the cheapest marketing a preparer will ever do.
Every CTEC-registered preparer must carry a $5,000 surety bond — but most pay for one without understanding what it does. Here’s what the bond covers, what it costs, what happens when a claim is filed, and how to keep it from derailing your renewal.
The CTEC registration fee is only $35 all-in — but it’s not the only line item. Here is every cost a California preparer pays to renew: registration, the $5,000 bond premium, the 20-hour CE course, and the late fees that double your bill.
Circular 230 is the Treasury rulebook for everyone who practices before the IRS — and if you hold an AFSP Record of Completion, you’ve personally consented to it. Here’s what it actually requires of you, section by section, in plain English.
Non-exempt preparers need 18 hours (including the 6-hour AFTR course); exempt preparers need 15. Here are the exact category-by-category numbers, who counts as exempt, and the December 31 deadline that makes or breaks your Record of Completion.