Paid preparer on my own tax returns

[BobH]

Is there a way to blank out the paid preparer information on my returns?

 

[ILLMAS]

Override the fields, but if you are signing a return it has to show your information.

[Jack from Ohio]

Is there a way to blank out the paid preparer information on my returns?

Why?

[Lee B]

Exactly, I just leave my preparer information on all my returns business, payroll and personal.

[SaraEA]

Bob might want to block out the paid preparer info on his personal return or that of family members or others he does for free.  Can you add a new preparer to the software slot who is named "personal return" or "not completed by a paid preparer"?  That's what we do in UltraTax.

[JohnH]

That's what I do. I have a preparer set up in my software whose name is "..". That's sufficient to leave the Paid Preparer info blank. I prefer to do it that way when I'm not paid to prepare a return (personal, family, charity).

I've heard people boast "I sign all my work". I agree with them in principle. My signature is the quality of the work on free returns being the same as on paid returns - not a name scribbled at the bottom of one page. Plus, I like to follow the rules as they are written.

[Jack from Ohio]

Bob might want to block out the paid preparer info on his personal return or that of family members or others he does for free.  Can you add a new preparer to the software slot who is named "personal return" or "not completed by a paid preparer"?  That's what we do in UltraTax.

Why?

[Jack from Ohio]

I don't care to take the time to change it.  Paranoia seems to be running here in this area.

[JohnH]

I used to be paranoid.

Then I learned they really are out to get me.

[Abby Normal]

I suppose they could hit you with preparer penalties?

 

Other software I've used had a box to check if you were a nonpaid preparer and it would type 'Nonpaid Preparer" in the signature box. Not sure if that means anything.

[JohnH]

I'd select an option like that, but only IF the IRS provided an instruction to do it that way.

Right now, that isn't the instruction they provide.

[jklcpa]

John, are you doing that in Drake? When I looked at Drake's preparer setup, it requires a separate login for each preparer and must also have a PTIN for efiling. So if you are entering for preparer "..", what is the PTIN entered?  Or are you filing these on paper?   Seems like a hassle, and I agree with Jack on this and show my paid preparer info on all returns.

[BobH]

I was not as clear as I could have been.  I was asking about removing the paid preparer information when preparing my own personal returns.  It sounds like a lot of you don't bother about it.  I am a new ATX user.

 

[jklcpa]

Bob, you were clear. When I prepare my own corporate return for the office, and for my personal returns, I leave the paid preparer info on there too.

[BobH]

Bob, you were clear. When I prepare my own corporate return for the office, and for my personal returns, I leave the paid preparer info on there too.

Thanks for the info.

 

Bob

[JohnH]

John, are you doing that in Drake? When I looked at Drake's preparer setup, it requires a separate login for each preparer and must also have a PTIN for efiling. So if you are entering for preparer "..", what is the PTIN entered? Or are you filing these on paper? Seems like a hassle, and I agree with Jack on this and show my paid preparer info on all returns.

I'm paper filing with the 8944 attached.

I have a hardship waiver number.

It is quite a hassle to go to the client info screen and click on that alternate preparer, but I struggle through the ordeal. . Or I could write a macro...

[SaraEA]

But why would anyone sign as a PAID preparer when they aren't being paid to complete the return?  You don't need IRS guidance for that--the signature section specifically says "Paid preparer use only."  There was a lively discussion on another blog a few months ago about how to get delinquent clients to pay up.  Several posters threatened to write to the IRS to request that their name be removed as a paid preparer.  Most said the clients immediately paid.

[jklcpa]

It is quite a hassle to go to the client info screen and click on that alternate preparer, but I struggle through the ordeal. . Or I could write a macro...

 

Oops, I've never clicked on that field because I thought that was only for offices with multiple preparers, so I didn't realize it had a choice for 'none' to indicate self-prepared.  I would have removed the paid preparer designation from my own returns if I'd known it was that simple. I learned something new tonight.  lol  

[JohnH]

Isn't Drake wonderful?

It is just full of surprises, and it seems every one of them increases efficiency.

Increased efficiency = increased speed = increased profits.

I like that math :)