Main Street Practitioner Blog

The IRS has announced it will begin issuing new and renewal PTINS at no cost beginning today.

The change follows the suspension of the PTIN program as a result of the June 1 court decision in Steele v. United States, where the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled the IRS can require tax return preparers to obtain and use a preparer tax identification number, but that it does not have the authority to make them pay for it. Furthermore, the Court ordered the IRS to provide tax professionals “with a full refund of all PTIN fees paid.”

IRS officials noted that the PTIN is now used for a number of purposes in addition to the submission of tax returns and said it would be disruptive for the tax administration system if tax professionals could not renew expired PTINs or apply for a new one.