Tax Return Preparer Oversight in Limbo on Capitol Hill: BGOV Tax

Tax Preparer Oversight Vexes Congress

One of the many questions facing lawmakers now that the August recess is over is whether this will finally be the year Congress passes legislation to give the federal government the authority to regulate paid tax preparers.

Senate Finance Committee Chair Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and ranking member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) jointly released a tax-administration proposal in January to allow the Treasury Department to revoke preparers’ tax identification numbers if they don’t meet suitability or continuing education requirements. But there seems to be little appetite for passing bipartisan tax-related legislation this fall, after Republicans excluded Democrats ...