Form W-12 - IRS Paid Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN) Application and Renewal

Instructions for Form W-12
(Rev. June 2017)

Department of the Treasury
Internal Revenue Service

IRS Paid Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN) Application and Renewal
Section references are to the Internal Revenue Code unless
otherwise noted.

Future Developments

For the latest information about developments related to
Form W-12 and its separate instructions, such as legislation
enacted after they were published, go to
www.irs.gov/w12.

What’s New
New mailing address. The address for submitting your
application by mail has changed. See How To File, later.
Application processing fee. The fees for processing your
application for a new or renewed PTIN are no longer
applicable.

Reminders
Annual Filing Season Program. This voluntary program is
designed to encourage unenrolled paid tax return preparers
(paid tax return preparers who are not attorneys, certified
public accountants (CPAs), or enrolled agents (EAs)) to
complete continuing education courses for the purpose of
increasing their knowledge of the law relevant to federal tax
returns. To participate in the program, an individual must
obtain a PTIN and meet certain continuing education
requirements for a specific tax year.
For further information regarding the program, visit
www.irs.gov/Tax-Professionals/Annual-Filing-SeasonProgram.
Voluntary Inactivating/Reactivating PTIN. An individual
who no longer practices before the IRS and who no longer
prepares any federal tax returns for compensation may
request his or her PTIN be placed in inactive status at any
time. For more information on voluntarily inactivating or
reactivating your PTIN, see Voluntarily Inactivate PTIN, later,
or review information available at www.irs.gov/ptin.
Directory of Federal Tax Return Preparers with Credentials and Select Qualifications. The IRS has launched a
public listing on the IRS website of PTIN holders who are
attorneys, CPAs, EAs, enrolled retirement plan agents,
enrolled actuaries, as well as individuals who successfully
completed the requirements to participate in the Annual
Filing Season Program. The searchable listing includes the
individual's name, city, state, and zip code. The city and state
of the business address you enter on line 5a of this form will
be the address reflected in the online Directory of Federal
Tax Return Preparers with Credentials and Select
Qualifications if you meet the qualifications for inclusion. If
you have more than one business location, enter your
primary business location address. See the line 12
instructions for the definitions of professional credentials and
select qualifications, later.
Telephone help. If you have questions about completing
this form or the status of your application or renewal, you may
call the following phone numbers. If calling from the United
States, call 1-877-613-PTIN (7846). For TTY/TDD
Jun 22, 2017

assistance, call 1-877-613-3686. If calling internationally, call
+1 915-342-5655 (not a toll-free number). Telephone help is
generally available Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to
5:00 p.m. Central time.

Photographs of Missing Children

The IRS is a proud partner with the National Center for
Missing and Exploited Children. Photographs of missing
children selected by the Center may appear in instructions on
pages that would otherwise be blank. You can help bring
these children home by looking at the photographs and
calling 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) if you recognize
a child.

General Instructions
Purpose of Form

Use this form to apply for or renew a PTIN.

Use and Availability of Information on
This Form

The Freedom of Information Act requires that certain
information from this application be made available to the
general public. This includes, but may not be limited to, the
following information.
Name.
Business Name.
Business Address.
Business Phone Number.
Business Website Address.
Email Address.
Professional Credentials.

Who Must File

Anyone who is a paid tax return preparer must apply for and
receive a PTIN. EAs also must obtain a PTIN. The PTIN must
be renewed annually. For purposes of determining who must
obtain a PTIN, a tax return preparer is any individual who is
compensated for preparing, or assisting in the preparation of,
all or substantially all of a tax return or claim for refund of tax.

How To File
Online. Go to the webpage www.irs.gov/ptin for information.
Follow the instructions to submit Form W-12. If you submit
your application online, your PTIN generally will be provided
to you immediately after you complete the application.
By mail. Complete Form W-12. Send the form to:
IRS Tax Professional PTIN Processing Center
1605 George Dieter PMB 678
El Paso, TX 79936
Note. Allow 4 to 6 weeks for processing of paper Forms
W-12.

Cat. No. 59933W

W-12. Also, because of the documentation that must
accompany the submission, you must send the additional
form and documentation by mail. See below for additional
requirements.
U.S. citizen who is a conscientious religious objector.
If you are a U.S. citizen who does not have an SSN because
you have a conscientious religious objection to having an
SSN, you must complete an additional form as part of the
PTIN application process. The form you must complete is
Form 8945, PTIN Supplemental Application For U.S. Citizens
Without a Social Security Number Due To Conscientious
Religious Objection. On Form 8945, you will verify
information about your identity, citizenship, and
conscientious religious objection. See Form 8945 for
instructions on completing and submitting the form and the
required documents.
Foreign persons. If you are a foreign person who does
not have an SSN, you must complete an additional form as
part of the PTIN application process. A foreign person is an
individual who does not have and is not eligible to obtain an
SSN and is neither a citizen of the United States nor a
resident alien of the United States as defined in section
7701(b)(1)(A). The form you must complete is Form 8946,
PTIN Supplemental Application For Foreign Persons Without
a Social Security Number. On Form 8946, you will verify
information about your foreign status and identity. See Form
8946 for instructions on completing and submitting the form
and the required documents.

Specific Instructions
It is important to follow these instructions. If your application
is incomplete, the IRS will request that you supply the
missing information within a specified time. The IRS will be
unable to process your application if you do not provide the
missing information.
Line 1. Enter your legal name. This entry should reflect your
name as it appears on your tax return and as it will be
entered on tax returns that you are paid to prepare. If you are
renewing your PTIN, enter the PTIN you received after you
first filed Form W-12.
Voluntarily Inactivate PTIN. An individual who does not
expect to prepare federal tax returns for compensation for a
full calendar year may request to be placed in an inactive
status.
You can inactivate your PTIN by accessing your online
PTIN account at www.irs.gov/ptin and selecting the Inactivate
PTIN function under the Manage My PTIN Account section.
You can reactivate your PTIN within three years by selecting
the Reactivate PTIN function in your online PTIN account.
If you do not have an online account, you may call the
number listed under the Telephone help, earlier, for
additional assistance.
EAs must maintain a current PTIN in order to

TIP maintain their EA credential and should not inactivate

Line 2 of Form 8946 must contain a non-U.S.
physical address. This address cannot be a P.O.
CAUTION box. If a P.O. box is listed on line 2a of the Form
8946, your application will be rejected and returned to you.

their PTIN unless they retire.

!

Line 2. If you are applying for a new PTIN after October 1,
you must indicate whether you want your PTIN to be valid for
the current calendar year or the next calendar year. If you
select the current calendar year, your PTIN is valid until
December 31 of the current year. If you select the next
calendar year, your PTIN will not be valid until January 1 of
the next calendar year.

Renewing without an SSN. You do not need to resubmit
Form 8945 or Form 8946. You are, however, required to
enter your date of birth on line 3 of Form W-12.
Line 4. Enter your complete personal mailing address and
phone number.

Note. If you do not select a calendar year, then your PTIN
application will be processed for the current calendar year.
Prior-Year Renewals. If you checked the “Renewal
application” box in line 1 and need to renew for a prior
calendar year, you must indicate this by entering the year
(YYYY format) in the “Prior year” box and listing each prior
calendar year in the space(s) provided. Complete a single
Form W-12 for multiple calendar years, for which you are
applying for a prior-year PTIN.
If your PTIN has been in an expired status for more than
one full calendar year, you must renew for each previously
expired year unless you were inactive during any one of
those calendar years.
If you were inactive during any one of those prior calendar
years but did not place your PTIN into voluntary inactive
status, you can retroactively do so by following the
instructions under Voluntarily Inactivate PTIN, earlier.

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CAUTION

If the U.S. Postal Service will not deliver mail to your

TIP physical location, enter the U.S. Postal Service post

office box number for your mailing address. Contact
your local U.S. Post Office for more information. Do not use a
post office box owned by a private firm or company. Most
PTIN correspondence will be sent to your email address.
However, any paper PTIN correspondence will be sent to the
personal mailing address listed on line 4.
Line 5a. Enter your business address if it is different from
the address entered on line 4. Entering the business phone
number is optional.
Note. The business address listed on line 5a will be
reflected in the online Directory of Federal Tax Return
Preparers with Credentials and Select Qualifications if you
meet the qualifications for inclusion. If you have more than
one business location, enter your primary business location
address.

If your PTIN has been inactive or expired for more
than three consecutive years, you must submit a new
registration application to obtain an active PTIN.

Line 5b. If you are self-employed or an owner, partner, or
officer of a tax return preparation business, enter your
applicable identification numbers. Make sure to enter any
letters that are part of your Centralized Authorization File
(CAF) number. If you have multiple Employer Identification
Numbers (EINs) or Electronic Filer Identification Numbers
(EFINs), enter the number that is used most frequently on

Line 3. Enter your social security number (SSN) and date of
birth. Applicants must be at least 18 years of age to apply.
Applying without an SSN. If you do not have an SSN
because you are either a U.S. citizen who is a conscientious
religious objector or a foreign individual, you will need to
complete and submit an additional form along with Form
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Instructions for Form W-12 (06-2017)

copies of the documents when they're sent to the IRS.
Certified documents have a stamp and/or an ink seal (may or
may not be raised). Any copy certified by a foreign official
must be issued by the agency or official custodian of the
original record. The foreign certification must clearly certify
that each document is a true copy of the original. All
certifications must stay attached to the copies of the
documents when they are sent to the IRS.

returns you prepare. Entering the business website address
is optional.
Line 6. Enter the email address we should use if we need to
contact you about matters regarding this form.
We will also send PTIN related emails with general
information, reminders, and requirements. Any valid email
address that you check regularly for PTIN communications is
acceptable.
Line 7. You are required to fully disclose any information
concerning prior felony convictions. A felony conviction may
not necessarily disqualify you from having a PTIN. However,
generally, an individual who is currently incarcerated for any
felony conviction will not be permitted to obtain or renew a
PTIN.
Use the space in line 7 to provide details of your prior
felony conviction(s). All facts and circumstances will be
considered. You will be contacted if additional information is
needed.

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CAUTION

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CAUTION

Where to send the completed PTIN application. Send
the completed Form W-12 with the required documentation
to the mailing address listed under How To File, earlier. If
your application is not complete and you do not supply the
required information upon request, the IRS will be unable to
process your application.
Line 9. If you filed your most recent individual income tax
return more than 4 years ago, see the line 8 instructions
above for information on how to submit Form W-12 and the
supporting identification documents that must accompany
your submission.

Providing false or misleading information on this form
is a criminal offense that may result in prosecution
and criminal penalties.

Line 8. If you have an SSN and are requesting a PTIN but
have never filed a U.S. federal income tax return, see below
for additional requirements.
Never filed a U.S. federal tax return. If you have an
SSN and are applying for a PTIN and any of the statements
below apply to your current U.S. situation, then you must
submit a paper PTIN application along with two identity
verification documents. See Required Supporting ID
Documentation below.
1. You have never filed a U.S. federal income tax return.
2. You have not filed a U.S. federal income tax return in
the past 4 years.
3. You do not have a U.S. federal income tax filing
requirement (such as certain individuals from Puerto Rico).

Line 10. Reserved.
Line 11. Taxpayers are required to be in full compliance with
federal tax laws, including filing all returns and paying all
taxes, or making payment arrangements acceptable to the
IRS. The filing of a tax return and the payment of the tax
liability associated with that return are two separate and
distinct requirements under the Internal Revenue Code,
which must be satisfied within the periods specified for each
taxable period in which you have a legal obligation to file.
Use this space in line 11 to provide the details of any
noncompliance, including the steps you have taken to
resolve the issue. Providing false or misleading information
on this form is a criminal offense that may result in
prosecution and criminal penalties. In addition, providing
false or misleading information is a separate ground to deny
your application for a PTIN or terminate it after it has been
assigned. All the facts and circumstances as related in your
explanation will be considered. You will be contacted if
additional information is needed.
If you have never filed a U.S. individual income tax return
because you are not required to do so, check the “Yes” box.

Required Supporting ID Documentation. When filing a
paper Form W-12, you must submit an original or certified
copy of your social security card along with an original or
certified copy of one other government-issued document that
contains a current photo ID. Examples of acceptable
supporting documents are listed below. All documents must
be current (not expired), an original or certified copy, and
must verify your name. If you submit copies of documents
that display information on both sides, copies of both the
front and back of the document(s) must be submitted with the
paper Form W-12 application.
Examples of acceptable supporting documents.
Passport/Passport Card.
Driver's License.
U.S. State ID Card.
Military ID Card.
National ID Card.

Line 12. Check the appropriate boxes to indicate your
professional credentials. Check all boxes that apply. Do not
check any professional credentials that are currently expired
or retired. Retired or expired credentials are those that are
not valid or active at the time of the application. Include the
licensing number, jurisdiction, and expiration date. If the
expiration date is left blank or incomplete, that specific
credential will not be added during the processing of your
application. Select only from the professional credentials
listed below. There is no write-in option. If you do not have
any professional credentials, check the “None” box.
Recognized professional credentials include the
following.
Attorney. An attorney is any individual who is licensed to
practice law by the bar of the highest court of any state,
territory, or possession of the United States, including a
commonwealth, or the District of Columbia.
Certified Public Accountant (CPA). A CPA is any
individual who is duly qualified to practice as a CPA in any

To avoid any loss of your original documents, it is

TIP suggested you do not submit the original
documentation.

Submitting copies of the document along with Form
W-12. You can submit original documents or certified
copies. A certified copy is a document that the original
issuing agency provides and certifies as an exact copy of the
original document and contains an official seal from the
issuing agency. All certifications must stay attached to the
Instructions for Form W-12 (06-2017)

If submitting Form 8945 or Form 8946 with the Form
W-12, refer to those form instructions for required
documentation.

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Reform Act of 1998 and Internal Revenue Code section
6109. Under section 6109, tax return preparers are required
to provide their identification numbers on what they prepare.
Applying for a PTIN is mandatory if you prepare U.S. tax
returns for compensation. Providing incomplete information
may delay or prevent processing of this application; providing
false or fraudulent information may subject you to penalties.

state, territory, or possession of the United States, including
a commonwealth, or the District of Columbia.
Enrolled Agent (EA). An EA is any individual enrolled as
an agent who is not currently under suspension or
disbarment from practice before the IRS. EAs are licensed by
the IRS.
Enrolled Actuary. An enrolled actuary is any individual
who is enrolled as an actuary by the Joint Board for the
Enrollment of Actuaries.
Enrolled Retirement Plan Agent (ERPA). An ERPA is
any individual enrolled as a retirement plan agent who is not
currently under suspension or disbarment from practice
before the IRS.
State Regulated Tax Return Preparer. A state regulated
tax return preparer is any individual who remains current with
certain state-based tax return preparer programs. Tax return
preparers who are registered with the following will fall into
this category.
Oregon Board of Tax Practitioners.
California Tax Education Council.
Maryland State Board of Individual Tax Preparers.
State of New York.
Note. The above list of participating state programs is
subject to change. For the most up to date information on
participating states, visit www.irs.gov/ptin.
Certifying Acceptance Agent (CAA). A CAA is an
individual or entity (college, financial institution, accounting
firm, etc.) that has entered into a formal agreement with the
IRS that permits them to assist alien individuals and other
foreign individuals with obtaining Individual Taxpayer
Identification Numbers. A CAA cannot verify documents in
order for individuals to obtain a PTIN. CAAs should enter
either their EFIN or the eight-digit office code assigned to
them via the CAA application process.

You are not required to provide the information requested
on a form that is subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act
unless the form displays a valid OMB control number. Books
or records relating to a form or its instructions must be
retained as long as their contents may become material in
the administration of any Internal Revenue law. Generally,
the information you provide on this form is confidential
pursuant to the Privacy Act of 1974, and tax returns and
return information are confidential pursuant to Code section
6103. However, we are authorized to disclose this
information to contractors to perform the contract, to the
Department of Justice for civil and criminal litigation, and to
cities, states, the District of Columbia, and U.S.
commonwealths and possessions for use in their return
preparer oversight activities and administration of their tax
laws. We may also disclose this information to other
countries under a tax treaty, to federal and state agencies to
enforce federal nontax criminal laws, to federal law
enforcement and intelligence agencies to combat terrorism,
or to the general public to assist them in identifying those
individuals authorized by the IRS to prepare tax returns or
claims for refund.
The time needed to complete and file this form will vary
depending on individual circumstances. The estimated
burden for those who file this form is shown below.
Recordkeeping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Learning about the law or the form . . . .
Preparing and sending the form. . . .

Note. Once you complete the requirements to participate in
the Annual Filing Season Program, the IRS will add this to
your PTIN account. See more information about the program
listed under Reminders, earlier.

6 hr., 56 min.
35 min.
44 min.

If you have comments concerning the accuracy of these
time estimates or suggestions for making this form simpler,
we would be happy to hear from you. You can send us
comments from www.irs.gov/formspubs. Click on More
Information and then click on Give us feedback. Or you can
send your comments to the Internal Revenue Service, Tax
Forms and Publications Division, 1111 Constitution Ave. NW,
IR-6526, Washington, DC 20224. Do not send Form W-12 to
this address. Instead, see Where To File, earlier.

Line 13. Reserved.
Signature. The completed Form W-12 must be signed and
dated by the applicant.
Privacy Act and Paperwork Reduction Act Notice. We
ask for the information on this form to carry out the Internal
Revenue laws of the United States. This information will be
used to issue a Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN).
Our authority to collect this information is found in section
3710 of the Internal Revenue Service Restructuring and

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Instructions for Form W-12 (06-2017)