Last year the IRS had this brilliant idea that all tax preparers need to register for a preparer tax identification number (PTIN). I already had a PTIN due to the fact I wasn’t too fond of signing each return with my Social Security number so the PTIN was not a big issue to me OTHER THAN NOW I HAVE TO PAY AN ANNUAL FEE FOR IT.
The IRS sent out reminders that we had from mid October to the end of December to pay our annual fee for the PTIN. I put it as a reminder in my Outlook calendar. It is now November and I thought maybe I should just pay the lousy $63 and get it over with. I only visit the website once a year so I have to dig out my login and password and I manage to find where I have hidden it for safekeeping. Then I receive an email and it seems that the website isn’t working very well due to the overwhelming demand to register. It is requested that I register early in the morning, late at night or on the weekends. In other words, during the time of day that the IRS is closed so that if I should need help, they are unavailable by phone. So I just put another tickler on my list for a later date. But yesterday I was in class and it was quite the discussion. It seems that if you try and logon you are made to jump through a series of hoops to only be told in the end to try another day. Today my partner diligently tried to pay her annual fee and was made to jump through a series of hoops as well. And it made me think…..only the IRS requires you to pay an annual fee and then makes it impossible for you to do it.