IRS PTIN Updates - New Fees and Court Case Challenging Fees

The IRS has dropped the fees for PTINs to $33. However, practitioners should watch for a case in DC District Court called Steele v. US. The other day, the court certified a class action challenge to the authority the IRS has to charge a fee for PTINs.


It should be noted that not all forms requiring a PTIN have a spot for the preparer's PTIN. For example, a practitioner must have a PTIN if they prepare any of the Form 433s. However, the IRS does not have a space on the form for the practitioner to put the PTIN, so some practitioners assume one is not needed.


These are the only forms a practitioner can submit to the IRS without needing a PTIN:


Form SS-4, Application for Employer Identification Number;
Form SS-8, Determination of Worker Status for Purposes of Federal Employment Taxes and Income Tax Withholding;
Form SS-16, Certificate of Election of Coverage under FICA;
Form W-2 series of returns;
Form W-7, Application for IRS Individual Taxpayer Identification Number;
Form W-8BEN, Certificate of Foreign Status of Beneficial Owner for United States Tax Withholding;
Form 870, Waiver of Restrictions on Assessment and Collection of Deficiency in Tax and Acceptance of Overassessment;
Form 872, Consent to Extend the Time to Assess Tax;
Form 906, Closing Agreement On Final Determination Covering Specific Matters;
Form 1098 series;
Form 1099 series;
Form 2848, Power of Attorney and Declaration of Representative;
Form 3115, Application for Change in Accounting Method;
Form 4029, Application for Exemption From Social Security and Medicare Taxes and Waiver of Benefits;
Form 4361, Application for Exemption From Self-Employment Tax for Use by Ministers, Members of Religious Orders and Christian Science Practitioners;
Form 4419, Application for Filing Information Returns Electronically;
Form 5300, Application for Determination for Employee Benefit Plan;
Form 5307, Application for Determination for Adopters of Master or Prototype or Volume Submitter Plans;
Form 5310, Application for Determination for Terminating Plan;
Form 5500 series;
Form 8027, Employer’s Annual Information Return of Tip Income and Allocated Tips;
Form 8288-A, Statement of Withholding on Dispositions by Foreign Persons of U.S. Real Property Interests;
Form 8288-B, Application for Withholding Certificate for Dispositions by Foreign Persons of U.S. Real Property Interests;
Form 8508, Request for Waiver From Filing Information Returns Electronically;
Form 8717, User Fee for Employee Plan Determination, Opinion, and Advisory Letter Request;
Form 8809, Application for Extension of Time to File Information Return;
Form 8821, Tax Information Authorization;
Form 8942, Application for Certification of Qualified Investments Eligible for Credits and Grants Under the Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project Program