Guest Taxed Posted October 18, 2013 Report Share Posted October 18, 2013 In addition to the $65, I also paid $95 and took a 200 mile trip to take a (then) mandatory test for a verification and registration that is now worthless. I think we all agree here that at some point IRS will get its way. You guys are just ahead of the curve. You will not have to retake the test. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gail in Virginia Posted October 18, 2013 Report Share Posted October 18, 2013 I think we all agree here that at some point IRS will get its way. You guys are just ahead of the curve. You will not have to retake the test. I hope you are right about the testing for RTRP. But if it is several years before they get the program running, and they don't track CPE in the meantime, they very well might decide that the test has to be re-taken. I have not taken that test since I was already an EA, but I have several friends that took it, and at least one of them will probably get completely out of the business if they have to do it again. Not because she is incompetent or can't pass the test, but because she gets very anxious about tests and has reached an age and status in life where she does not have to put up with this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack from Ohio Posted October 18, 2013 Report Share Posted October 18, 2013 The test, as a means of weeding out incompetent perparers, was a total JOKE. I have taken the tests to become an E.A. and if the E.A. test is a High School Senior level exam, the RTRP test was kindergarten. They provided Pub 17 and the instruction to 1040. You had 4 hours to take 120 questions. You could have looked up 80% of the questions and passed.TOTAL JOKE! From the time I sat down at the computer till I was at Wendy's for lunch 2 miles down the road was 55 minutes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Taxed Posted October 18, 2013 Report Share Posted October 18, 2013 The test, as a means of weeding out incompetent perparers, was a total JOKE. I have taken the tests to become an E.A. and if the E.A. test is a High School Senior level exam, the RTRP test was kindergarten. They provided Pub 17 and the instruction to 1040. You had 4 hours to take 120 questions. You could have looked up 80% of the questions and passed. TOTAL JOKE! From the time I sat down at the computer till I was at Wendy's for lunch 2 miles down the road was 55 minutes. I think you are missing the point about that test. It was NEVER meant to pass "highly qualified" individuals who are suppose to master the tax laws like the EA exam. It was really to WEED OUT folks like my hairdresser or that roofer who also moonlights as a Tax Preparer using Turbo Tax. Know anything about taxes and just fill the forms based on erroneous information or understanding of the question. The reason they gave you pub 17 aws to see if you at least had some rudimentary intelligence to look up a simple tax question. Not how well you master the tax laws. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack from Ohio Posted October 18, 2013 Report Share Posted October 18, 2013 I think you are missing the point about that test. It was NEVER meant to pass "highly qualified" individuals who are suppose to master the tax laws like the EA exam. It was really to WEED OUT folks like my hairdresser or that roofer who also moonlights as a Tax Preparer using Turbo Tax. Know anything about taxes and just fill the forms based on erroneous information or understanding of the question. The reason they gave you pub 17 aws to see if you at least had some rudimentary intelligence to look up a simple tax question. Not how well you master the tax laws.Did you take the test? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack from Ohio Posted October 18, 2013 Report Share Posted October 18, 2013 I think you are missing the point about that test. It was NEVER meant to pass "highly qualified" individuals who are suppose to master the tax laws like the EA exam. It was really to WEED OUT folks like my hairdresser or that roofer who also moonlights as a Tax Preparer using Turbo Tax. Know anything about taxes and just fill the forms based on erroneous information or understanding of the question. The reason they gave you pub 17 aws to see if you at least had some rudimentary intelligence to look up a simple tax question. Not how well you master the tax laws. Did you take the test?Nothing in the test would give any indication of a person's ability to use the reference materials. The truth is, without the ability to look up most of the answers, the test would have been deemed "discriminatory." I did not look up any questions. After studying and taking E.A. exams, this was a breeze. Anyone who had been preparing returns for 5 years or more should have been able to take the test and pass it as easily as I did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.