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Tax Topic 35 - Regulations of Practice
This topic contains concepts governing the recognition of attorney, certified public accountant, enrolled agents, and other persons representing taxpayers before the IRS. Regulations such as rules relating to the authority to practice before the Internal Revenue Service, the duties and restrictions relating to such practice, prescription of sanctions for violating the regulations, the rules applicable to disciplinary proceedings and the availability of official records. Usually, attorneys, CPAs, enrolled agents, and enrolled actuaries can represent taxpayers before the IRS. Under special circumstances, other individuals, including unenrolled tax return preparers can assist taxpayers on tax matters. Special forms need to be filed to authorize an individual or certain entities to receive and inspect a taxpayer's confidential tax information.Student Instructions:Print this page, work on the questions and then submit test by mailing the answer sheet or by completing quiz online. Instructions to submit quiz online successfully: Step-by-Step check list Answer Sheet Quiz Online Most forms are in Adobe Acrobat PDF format. You will need Adobe Reader to view and print these forms. If you do not already have Adobe Reader installed on your computer, you may download the software for free.
Material needed to complete the sections in this assignment:You will need IRS Publication 470, IRS Circular 230, IRS Publication 947, and IRS Form 8275-R Instructions to complete the questions for this topic.
1. The following is a true statement regarding practitioners. A.
The practitioner must use reasonable efforts to identify and ascertain
the facts, which may relate to future events if a transaction is
prospective or proposed, and to determine which facts are relevant. 2. Any practitioner who has principal authority and responsibility for overseeing a firm's practice of providing advice concerning Federal tax issues must take reasonable steps to ensure that the firm has adequate procedures in effect for all members, associates, and employees. Any such practitioner will be subject to discipline for failing to comply with the requirements if A.
The practitioner takes reasonable steps to ensure that the firm has
adequate procedures to comply with section 10.35, and individuals who
are members of, associated with, or employed by, the firm are, or have
engaged in a pattern or practice, in connection with their practice with
the firm, fail to comply with such. 3. The Secretary of the Treasury, or delegate, after notice and an opportunity for a proceeding, may censure, suspend, or disbar any practitioner from practice before the Internal Revenue Service if the practitioner A.
Is shown to be incompetent or disreputable. 4. Incompetence or disreputable conduct for which a practitioner may be sanctioned includes A.
Willfully disclosing or otherwise using a tax return or tax return
information in a manner authorized by the Internal Revenue Code. 5. A complaint is not sufficient to just fairly inform the respondent of the charges brought so that the respondent is able to prepare a defense. True False 6. To maintain active enrollment to practice before the Internal Revenue Service, each individual is required to have the enrollment renewed. The following statement is correct regarding enrollment renewal. A.
If you don't receive notification from the Director of the Office of
Professional Responsibility of the renewal requirement it means the
individual is not required to renew. 7. To qualify for continuing education credit for an enrolled agent, a course of learning must A.
Be a qualifying program designed to enhance professional knowledge in
Federal taxation or Federal taxation related matters. 8. A practitioner may take acknowledgements, administer oaths, certify papers, or perform official acts as a notary public with respect to any matter administered by the Internal Revenue Service. True False 9. A practitioner shall not represent a client before the Internal Revenue Service if the representation involves a conflict of interest. A conflict of interest exists if A.
There is no significant risk that the representation of one or more
clients will be materially limited by the practitioner's responsibility
to another client, a former client or a third person, or by a personal
interest of the practitioner. 10. Tax advisors should provide clients with the highest quality representation concerning Federal tax issues by adhering to best practices in providing advice and in preparing or assisting in the preparation of a submission to the Internal Revenue Service. Best practice includes A.
Advising a client to take a position on a document, affidavit or other
paper submitted to the Internal Revenue Service. 12. In cases where any part of the understatement of the tax liability is due to a willful attempt by the return preparer to understate the liability, or if the understatement is due to reckless or intentional disregard of the rules or regulations by the tax preparer, the prepare is subject to a
A. $5,000 penalty. 13. A penalty will not be imposed on any part of an underpayment if there was reasonable cause for your position and you acted in good faith in taking that position. However, if you failed to keep proper books and records or failed to substantiate items properly, you
A. Can avoid the penalty by disclosure. 14. The penalty for reckless or intentional disregard of a regulation may be avoided by disclosure only if the position represents a good faith challenge to the validity of the regulation and has a reasonable basis. Generally, the accurate-related penalty of any portion of a tax underpayment attributable to negligence or disregard of rules or regulations is
A. 10%. 15. An understatement is the excess of the amount of tax required to be shown on the return over the amount of tax shown on the return for the tax year, reduced by any rebates. There is an substantial understatement if the amount of the understatement for any year exceeds
A. 10% of the tax required to be shown on the return for the tax year. 16. Any individual engaged in limited practice before the IRS who is involved in disreputable conduct may be
A. Disbarred or suspended, or censured. 17. The following un-enrolled individual can represent the specified taxpayers before the IRS, provided this individual presents satisfactory identification.
A. A family member. 18. In general, individuals who are not eligible or who have lost the privilege as a result of certain actions cannot practice before the IRS. If an individual loses eligibility to practice, his or her power of attorney will be
A. Discarded. 19. As for negotiation of taxpayer refund checks, Practitioners who are income tax return preparers (un-enrolled)
A. Can endorse any refund check issued to the taxpayer. 20. Being convicted of any criminal offense under the revenue laws or of any offense involving dishonesty or breach of trust is
A. Acceptable conduct if offense was committed in a state other than the
one you practice in. 21. Who presides over a hearing on a complaint for disbarment based on a violation of the laws or regulations governing practice before the IRS?
A. The Commissioner of the IRS. 22. An appeal from the initial decision ordering disbarment is made to which of the following:
A. The Secretary of the Treasury. 23. Individuals can lose their eligibility to practice before the IRS by
A. Not meeting the requirements for renewal of enrollment (such as
continuing professional education). 24. A practitioner who knows that his or her client has not complied with the revenue laws or has made an error or omission in any return,
A. Has the responsibility to advise the client promptly of the
noncompliance. 25. An un-enrolled return preparer is permitted to appear as your representative only before customer service representatives, revenue agents, and examination officers, with respect to an examination regarding the return he or she prepared. An un-enrolled tax return preparer can
A. Represent a taxpayer before other offices of the IRS, such as
collection or appeals including the Automated Collection System (ACS)
unit. 26. If the un-enrolled tax return preparer does not meet the requirements for limited representation he or she will be limited to receiving or inspecting your taxpayer information. True False 27. Preparing a tax return, furnishing information at the request of the IRS, or appearing as a witness for the taxpayers is considered practice before the IRS. True False 28. The following is considered practice before the IRS
A. Communicating with the IRS for a taxpayer regarding the taxpayer's
rights, privileges, or liabilities under laws and regulations
administered by the IRS. 29. A power of attorney is not required in some situations when dealing with the IRS. The following situation does require a power of attorney.
A. Authorizing the disclosure of tax return information through Form
8821. 30. After a valid power of attorney is filed, the IRS will recognize your representative. However, if it appears the representative is responsible for unreasonably delaying or hindering the prompt disposition of an IRS matter by failing to furnish, after repeated requests, non-privileged information, the IRS can contact the taxpayer directly. If the representative engages in such conduct, the matter can be referred to the Office of Professional Responsibility for consideration of possible disciplinary action. True False 31. The one responsible for administering and enforcing the regulations governing practice before the IRS is
A. The Centralized Authorization File (CAF) System. 32. The following is beyond the scope of authority permitted an unenrolled preparer:
A. Executing claims for refunds. 33. The unenrolled preparer who has been determined ineligible for limited practice before the Internal Revenue Service may request, after 6 months following the notice of final determination of ineligibility or decision on appeal, that eligibility for limited practice be reinstated. True False 34. An unenrolled preparer may, in a dignified manner, publish, use, or broadcast through any means of communication
A. The names of individual associated with the firm. 35. The unenrolled preparer will not be expected to recognize questions, issues and factual situations as expected of enrolled agents. True False 36. An unenrolled individual who signs a return as its preparer may act as the taxpayer's representative
A. If accompanied by the taxpayer. 37. As long as the unenrolled tax preparer does not use false, fraudulent, misleading or deceptive advertising, he or she can make uninvited solicitation of employment in matters relating to the Internal Revenue Service. True False 38. An examining officer, or other Service officer or employee who has reason to believe that an unenrolled preparer's conduct has been or is such as would render the preparer ineligible to appear as the taxpayer's representative before the Internal Revenue Service shall communicate this information to
A. The District Director of the taxpayer. 39. Any unerolled preparer who knows that the client has not complied with the revenue law, or that the client has made an error in or omission from any return, document, affidavit, or other paper that the client is required by law to execute, shall
A. Advise the Office of Professional Responsibility promptly of the
noncompliance. 40. This is any person who is a member in good standing of the bar of the highest court of any state, territory, or possession of the United States, including a commonwealth, or the District of Columbia. A.
Certified Public Accountant. 41. Enrollment as an enrolled agent based on an applicant's formal employment with the Internal Revenue Service may be A.
Unlimited scope. 42. Individuals may not appear on their own behalf before the Internal Revenue Service that is why we have enrolled agents. True False 43. An applicant for enrollment as an enrolled agent who is requesting such enrollment based on former employment with the Internal Revenue Service must have had a minimum number of years of continuous employment with the Internal Revenue Service during which the applicant must have been regularly engaged in applying and interpreting the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code and the regulations relating to income, estate, gift, employment, or excise taxes. Minimum years of continuous employment must be A.
2 years. 44. The director of the Office of Professional Responsibility must inform the EA enrollment applicant as to the reason for any denial of an applicant for enrollment. The applicant may A.
Petition to retake the EA examination to be reconsidered. 45. Each individual applying for renewal of their EA enrollment must retain for a period of three years following the date of renewal of enrollment the information required with regard to qualifying continuing professional education hours. Such information does not include A.
The name of the sponsoring organization. 46. Subject to certain limitations, an individual who is not a practitioner may represent a taxpayer before the Internal Revenue Service, even if the taxpayer is not present, provided the individual presents satisfactory identification and proof of his or her authority to represent the taxpayer. Such as in the following situation. A.
An individual may represent a member of his or her immediate family. 47. Any individual may prepare a tax return, appear as a witness for the taxpayer before the Internal Revenue Service, or furnish information at the request of the Internal Revenue Service or any of its officers or employees. True False 48. An individual who prepares and signs a taxpayer's tax return as the preparer, or who prepares a tax return but is not required (by the instructions to the tax return or regulations) to sign the tax return may represent the taxpayer before revenue agents, customer service representatives or similar officers and employees of the Internal Revenue Service during an examination of the taxable year or period covered by that tax return, A.
And this right permits such individual to represent the taxpayer before
appeal officers. 49. A practitioner must, on a proper and lawful request by a duly authorized officer or employee of the Internal Revenue Service, promptly submit records or information in any matter before the Internal Revenue Service
A.
Always.
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