Is there a accountant/tax preparer union out there?

[ILLMAS]

Union

Electrician or plumber:  This repair is going to take 3-4 hours and its going to cost you $2,000.  Client: I guess I'll pay it.

VS

Non-Union

Accountant or Tax Preparer:  This return is going to take 3-4 hours and its going to cost you $400.  Client:  What #$!@, $400 to punch in numbers on the computer %$#$!, give me my papers I'll find somebody else for cheaper.

 

 

[FDNY]

Where's today's Samuel Gompers now that we need him.   The public could also use some education about what, how, and what it takes to do what we do.

[Elrod]

                           ...................Unions.....................

                         Some plumber's are good...some are bad, at what they do.

                                                                                                           

 

          And then there is the union leader making big bucks, doing nothing.

                                             

                                                                                                       

 

[BulldogTom]

6 hours ago, ILLMAS said:

Accountant or Tax Preparer:  This return is going to take 3-4 hours and its going to cost you $400.  Client:  What #$!@, $400 to punch in numbers on the computer %$#$!, give me my papers I'll find somebody else for cheaper.

Try this reply next time (ps, I saw something like this on a linkedin post).

If I do a job in 3 hours, it is because I have spent 20 years learning how to do that job in 3 hours.   You owe me for the years, not the hours.

Tom
Modesto, CA

[Edsel]

If we had a union, the first group I would exert union influence would be the IRS.  For telling us we aren't expected to audit, then requiring Form 8867.

[jklcpa]

The AICPA does some work on behalf of tax preparers.  It's legal department provides support for lobbying activities and it did file a lawsuit against the IRS back in 2014 regarding the IRS' regulating of preparers through its "voluntary" program. It's "Legal" page is here:  https://www.aicpa.org/advocacy/legal.html

Similarly, the NAEA has a PAC that works on behalf of EAs in a variety of ways. See here:  https://www.naea.org/advocacy

My state society also asks for donations to a PAC fund, so there is some involvement at the state/local level from that group as well.