I know it’s hard to believe, but tax season is right around the corner! With that being the case, it is imperative that you renew your PTIN so you can start the upcoming 2021 filing season smoothly. All current PTINs will expire Dec. 31, 2020, so you may as well renew it now and have one less thing to worry about during the holidays.
As a reminder, anyone who prepares or helps prepare a federal tax return for compensation must have a valid PTIN from the IRS before preparing returns, and they need to include the PTIN as the identifying number on any return filed with the IRS.
Tax preparers with a 2020 PTIN should use the online renewal process, which takes about 15 minutes to complete.
To renew a PTIN online:
- Start at IRS.gov/tax-professionals.
- Select the “Renew or Register” button.
- Enter the user ID and password to login to the online PTIN account.
- Follow the prompts to verify information and answer a few questions.
Once completed, users will receive confirmation of their PTIN renewal.
To apply (first time) for a PTIN online:
- Start at IRS.gov/tax-professionals.
- Select the “Renew or Register” button and select “Create Account” in the New User box.
- First time users are issued a temporary password and will be prompted to change their password upon logging in.
- Select the appropriate “PTIN Sign Up” option once logged in.
- Follow the prompts to obtain the PTIN online.
