If you pay someone to prepare your income tax, that person by law HAS to sign his or her full name on the papers. There should also be a Preparer’s Tax ID number. It’s the letter P followed by nine numbers. This lets the IRS keep track of accuracy and legality. If your tax return just says “self-prepared” on the signature line instead of the preparer’s full name, the person shouldn’t have charged you. Check your previous tax return copies. Before you choose someone to file your taxes, be sure to confirm that the preparer has a PTIN. You can easily do this by going to this website:
https://irs.treasury.gov/rpo/rpo.jsf
