The IRS Practitioner Priority Service (PPS) is a wonderful tool for tax professionals. It allows us an easy way to obtain information on clients, set up installment agreements, and for practitioners to deal with the IRS. This morning I called PPS to order transcripts for a client. During the conversation, the helpful woman informed me that as of this coming Monday, January 27th, PPS will no longer accept requests for transcripts.
Supposedly you will now have to fax the Power of Attorney (IRS Form 2848) to the CAF unit, wait one week for the POA to be entered into the computer system, and then download the transcript from IRS eServices. The woman stated that this new policy is on the IRS website (I couldn’t find it) and that she was told this was going into effect by her supervisor.
I’m hoping the information I received is wrong, but I suspect it isn’t. This new policy is bad for a number of reasons:
– You can no longer use a Tax Information Authorization (IRS Form 8821) to obtain transcripts even though a Form 8821 authorizes a tax professional to receive transcripts and a tax professional is supposed to use Form 8821 when the goal is only to receive a transcript. You cannot order transcripts with an 8821 through eServices.
– It will delay getting taxpayers into compliance with the IRS.
– It will take even longer to resolve issues with the IRS.
In any case, this was a surprise I could have done without.
UPDATE: I asked the NAEA if they knew anything about this. Robert Kerr emailed me back stating he suspects the staffer was misinformed but that he sent it to the National Office for clarification.
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I was just on the Practitioner’s Priority Line and was told the same thing. They still processed me request, but said that they are soon going to start allowing practitioners to start ordering transcripts online without having to register for E-Services, which is an ordeal.