Kevin E. Thorn is a Former Senior OPR Enforcement Attorney And Managing Partner of Thorn Law Group Assisting Tax Preparers Under Investigation or Facing Penalties By the IRS's Office of Professional Responsibility
If you are a tax preparer, you are expected to comply with Internal Revenue Service rules and regulations. If you fail to fulfill the obligations that the IRS has imposed upon tax preparers, this could lead to an investigation and the imposition of penalties by the IRS' Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR). The OPR is a government organization that investigates licenses, including tax preparer licenses.
An OPR investigation can be burdensome and stressful and penalties ultimately imposed by the Office of Professional Responsibility can be life-changing. If you are under investigation by the OPR, turn to Kevin E. Thorn, Managing Partner of Thorn Law Group, to find out how the OPR operates, the possible penalties you could face and what your options are for responding to the investigation.
Kevin E. Thorn is the only former Senior IRS OPR attorney in private practice currently representing individuals, law firms, accounting firms and tax preparer firms. He handles high-stakes and high-profile cases and has frequently been hired by tax preparers and major accounting firms who are facing OPR investigations and penalties. If the OPR is breathing down your neck and your license is in jeopardy, contact Attorney Thorn today to discuss your rights and legal options.
How Does the OPR Keep Track of Mistakes?
Paid tax preparers are subject to a variety of IRS rules and requirements. Tax preparers must register as preparers if they sign federal tax returns and must have a preparer identification number (PTIN), which makes it easy for the IRS’s Office of Professional Responsibility to track submissions from a particular tax preparer. The OPR may conduct background checks and reviews into the history of registered tax preparers.
Moreover, the OPR has engaged in a variety of investigative tactics to make certain preparers follow federal rules and regulations. In some cases, the Office has sent correspondence to tax preparers, has visited tax preparers to discuss their obligations and has even sent agents posing as taxpayers to ensure that preparers are submitting accurate returns.
The OPR monitors and takes action in the event a tax preparer fails to fulfill their obligations, including:
- Failing to sign required returns
- Failing to provide their required PTIN number
- Failing to provide taxpayers with copies of returns or retaining copies of returns
- Aiding or abetting a taxpayer by understating his or her tax liability
Tax preparers can also find themselves the subject of an OPR investigation and at risk of penalties when failing to comply with due diligence requirements for determining eligibility for earned income tax credits or if they improperly use information from a taxpayer's return.
Penalties the Office of Professional Responsibility May Impose on Tax Preparers
If the IRS’s Office of Professional Responsibility identifies problems with a tax preparer, a variety of penalties can be imposed. A preparer could be censured, reprimanded or even lose their license to practice. Fines can also be imposed upon a preparer. But that’s not all; the tax preparer’s employer could also face penalties as well.
An investigation by the Office of Professional Responsibility can damage a preparer's reputation and hurt them financially – even during the investigatory process. Large fines and the loss of the ability to continue offering tax preparation services can also result in serious professional consequences for a preparer. In some especially egregious cases, preparers may also be at risk of criminal penalties for their actions.
Contact Former Senior OPR Enforcement Attorney Kevin E. Thorn to Resolve Your OPR Concerns
As the only former OPR senior attorney who is now in private practice, Kevin E. Thorn is uniquely qualified to help tax preparers understand how the OPR keeps track of mistakes, conducts investigations and imposes penalties. Attorney Thorn is committed to helping tax preparers avoid serious, life-changing penalties that may end their careers and will offer the assistance necessary to protect your right to continue working within your profession.
To find out more about how former OPR lawyer Kevin E. Thorn can help you to avoid the severe consequences the Office of Professional Responsibility can impose, call (202) 349-4033 today to schedule a consultation.
