Tax preparer suddenly asking for my family's SSNs and IDs - is this normal practice?

8 This request does seem unusual for an established client relationship. While tax preparers are required to verify taxpayer identities under IRS due diligence requirements, this typically happens at the beginning of the relationship or at the time of service - not months later for an "end of year fiscal closing." The timing and reasoning definitely raises some questions. Tax preparers do need to maintain records, but requesting copies of SSN cards and IDs for everyone including dependents months after preparing your return isn't standard practice for a year-end procedure. I would recommend calling them back and asking more specific questions about why they need this information now, how it will be stored, and what specific regulation or requirement is driving this request. A legitimate preparer should be able to clearly explain their reasoning.

12 I had a similar weird experience last year and discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) which helped me verify what documentation tax preparers should actually be requesting. I was concerned about potential identity theft when my preparer made unusual requests. The site has document review tools that told me exactly what information preparers legitimately need and what's considered excessive. In my case, it turned out my preparer was being overly cautious due to some new compliance training, but it gave me peace of mind to verify independently.

22 I was really skeptical about using taxr.ai at first when someone recommended it, but I decided to try it when my tax preparer suddenly demanded a bunch of documentation that seemed excessive. The site immediately clarified that while preparers need to verify identity, requesting copies of all family members' documents months after filing was not standard practice. After getting this information, I was able to have a much more informed conversation with my preparer. Turns out they were implementing new procedures but hadn't communicated well. Saved me from either sending sensitive documents unnecessarily or switching preparers over a misunderstanding.

19 If you're having trouble getting straight answers from your tax preparer, I'd recommend using Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) to get through to the IRS directly. I was in a similar situation last year with a preparer making strange requests and couldn't get clear answers. Used Claimyr's service to bypass the endless IRS hold times (they show the process at https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c) and got to speak with an actual IRS representative within an hour. The agent confirmed which documentation requirements were legitimate and which weren't, which helped me address the situation with my preparer confidently.

6 I want to apologize for my skeptical comment earlier. After researching more about Claimyr, I decided to try it myself since I had some questions about documentation requirements for tax preparers. I was still doubtful it would work, but within about 40 minutes I got a callback and was connected to a genuine IRS representative. She confirmed that while preparers need to verify taxpayer identities, requesting copies of documents months after filing for an "end of year closing" was unusual and not an IRS requirement. Having this official clarification was incredibly helpful and worth every penny. I stand corrected!

11 This might be a response to increased IRS scrutiny of tax preparers. My sister works at a tax firm and they recently implemented stricter documentation policies because they got audited. But they told clients about the policy change well in advance and explained exactly which regulation they were complying with. Your preparer's approach sounds suspicious - why wait until months after tax season? And why not explain the specific requirement?

5 I've been a client at my tax firm for over 20 years and they did something similar last year, but it was because they were implementing new security protocols after a data breach at another office in their network. They clearly explained this was for enhanced security and gave us multiple secure options for providing the information (secure portal, in-person verification, etc). The vague explanation you received is what concerns me most.