Who are you not gonna call? Ghost preparers!

IRS cracks down on preparers running unethical practices

We encounter Ghost Preparers often in our practice. Who are these Ghosts and why are they haunting our tax returns?

Ghost Preparers are those who are using tax software but are not disclosing their role in the preparing return nor using their Preparer Identification Number (PTIN) when filing. Many times, they are using TurboTax or other retail software that allows multiple returns. Where the name of the preparer is expected on the forms, they instead say “Self-Prepared”.

In 2025, the IRS will send letters to individuals whose tax returns appear to have been completed by one of these Ghosts. It’s an attempt to educate taxpayers and help the IRS track down the individuals practicing this. The IRS continues to see taxpayers being tricked, often by Ghost Preparers, into filing inaccurate tax returns for bigger refunds.