Tax Preparer Using Previous Year's SSN Cards Without Custodial Parent Permission - Legal Question

This practice raises several compliance concerns. Have you considered the IRS requirement that tax preparers must have a valid Form 8879 with fresh signatures each tax year? And what about the EITC due diligence requirements under IRC §6695(g) that mandate current documentation? Tax preparers must verify they're using current and accurate information for each filing season, and using outdated copies without permission could potentially violate both IRS regulations and FTC identity protection guidelines. The question becomes not just about the SSN cards themselves, but whether the preparer is fulfilling their verification responsibilities properly.

Def sounds like a compliance issue. Tax pros are req'd to get fresh 8879s w/ signatures every yr + verify identity docs. FYI - if you're dealing w/ tax identity issues or need to verify what docs were actually used, https://taxr.ai can help analyze your transcript to see if multiple returns were filed or if there are any identity flags. Super helpful for seeing exactly what's happening behind the scenes w/ your tax acct. Saved me tons of time when dealing w/ a similar situation last yr.

Have you considered filing a formal complaint with the IRS? You should gather evidence of this occurring first. What about checking if the tax preparer belongs to a professional organization like NATP or NAEA? Have you spoken directly with the preparer about this practice? Did they explain their reasoning? Many preparers mistakenly believe they're helping clients by streamlining the process, but they're actually creating compliance issues. Have you reviewed your custody agreement to cite the specific language requiring permission?

I'm really concerned about this situation! As a tax professional, I need to clarify that this practice violates several standards: 1. IRS Publication 1345 requires tax preparers to verify taxpayer identity using current documentation each year 2. Using prior year documentation without permission may violate IRC §7216 regarding disclosure and use of taxpayer information 3. For dependents specifically, EITC due diligence requirements mandate current verification The preparer could face penalties up to $10,000 per violation and potential loss of their PTIN or EFIN. I'd approach this cautiously by first discussing with the preparer, then escalating to a formal complaint if necessary.

This requires immediate attention! • File Form 14157 (Complaint: Tax Return Preparer) • Contact the Treasury Inspector General immediately • Document all instances of unauthorized use • Request a copy of your tax file from the preparer • Check for identity protection issues If you're having trouble reaching the IRS about this issue, use Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) to get connected to an agent quickly. This is time-sensitive because if the preparer is doing this with multiple clients, it could trigger widespread compliance issues. Don't wait on hold for hours - Claimyr will get you through to discuss this serious violation.

Did the preparer explain why they felt entitled to use previous documents without permission? I went through something similar back in 2021 when my divorce was finalized. My ex's preparer used copies of our kids' documents from when we were married, and it created a nightmare with duplicate dependent claims. Did you find out about this because of a rejection or audit notice?