Uncle Sam is just beginning a national effort to regulate tax professionals, but Oregon has had an oversight system in place since 1973.
Beaver State law requires residents who prepare, advise or assist in the preparation of personal income tax returns for a fee, or represent that they do so, be licensed.
Licensing is handled by the Oregon Board of Tax Practitioners. Around 4,000 individuals have been issued one of two types of licenses:
- Apprenticeship license that allows a person to prepare personal income tax returns under supervision of a licensed tax consultant, and
- Licensed tax consultant status, obtained by testing and experience.
All income tax preparation businesses must be registered and must have a licensed tax consultant providing services or supervising licensed tax preparers.
Taxpayers can check a preparer's license via the Licensee Look-Up search engine or by calling the Oregon Board of Tax Practitioners at (503) 378-4034.
The Board also accepts and follows up on complaints about unlicensed income-tax preparers and consultants.
Tax trip around the United States: This post is part of our series highlighting tax information from the 50 U.S. states and Washington, D.C. You can read other state tax blurbs at our Complete menu of tasty state tax tidbits.
The State Tax Departments page provides links to official state and District of Columbia revenue Web sites so that you can find out more about your home's tax laws and filing requirements.
As we work through the 2010 tax season, a different state will be featured each day as noted in Don't forget your state taxes! Check back to see what tax tidbit we share about your home.
Related posts:
- State Tax Tidbits
- State Tax Departments
- Don't forget your state taxes!
- Picking a tax pro
- Tax pros, prepare for more IRS oversight
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Kay
Tom, very good question. From what I heard while on the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel, the IRS was leaning toward letting states that already have systems in place continue as is. No need to reinvent the wheel so to speak. So the IRS regs would be for the states without any tax preparer qualifications/regulations. But I’ll double check what the latest position is on the matter. Kay
TomK
So will the national IRS tax preparer regulations superceed the state license requirements? like they have in Oregon, California? Or will they have to obtain both?