Maryland Taxpayer Alert! - Make Sure Your Tax Preparer is Qualified - Individual Tax Preparers

Beware of tax preparer scams! Use only qualified tax professionals such as:

• Maryland Registered Tax Preparers;
• Actively licensed certified public accountants - CPA License Search and CPA Verify;
• IRS enrolled agents;
• Attorneys in good standing.

Typical tax preparer scams might involve one or more of the following types of conduct:

• Theft of refund
• Alteration of tax return documents
• Filing a return without taxpayer consent
• Falsifying income to generate a larger refund
• Falsifying exemptions or dependent information to generate a larger refund
• Falsifying expenses, deductions, or credits to generate a larger refund
• Using an incorrect filing status to generate a larger refund
   

Know your rights!

At your first meeting with the tax preparer and before the tax preparer renders services for you, ask the tax preparer to give you a written statement that declares:

• the individual tax preparer’s name, address, and telephone number;
• that the individual tax preparer is not a certified public accountant, an enrolled agent, or a tax attorney;
• services that the individual tax preparer is qualified to provide; and
• the individual tax preparer’s education and training, including examinations taken and successfully passed.

Check the tax preparer’s website. The website must prominently display the disclosures listed above.

If you believe that you have been the victim of misconduct by a tax preparer, you may file a complaint with the Board.

Before hiring a tax preparer, contact the Board at 410-230-6257 to determine if the preparer is subject to the registration requirement.