How would a paid preparer add his information onto a 1040 for 2016?

[tjmurph53]

No additional details needed--how doe a paid preparer add his information as a preparer onto a 1040 tax return on page 1 of the 1040?

[jerry2000 · Accepted solution]

The personal versions of Turbotax are not licensed for use by paid preparers, so there is no way to add a paid preparer's name. Use by a paid preparer is a violation of the Turbotax End User License Agreement.

[tjmurph53]

at jerry2000: When I purchased the Turbo Tax Deluxe version for 2016, I told the sales person that I was a paid preparer and which version should I buy if I have 15 tax returns to prepare? They told me to buy 3 of the Deluxe TT as I can get 5 returns completed from each.  The call was made directly to Intuit. No one mentioned that I could not be a paid preparer on TT...WTH? Tim

[tjmurph53]

My comment just got erased.  to jerry 2000: I purchased the Turbo Tax from a sales person at Intuit. I told them that I was a paid preparer who prepared 15 tax returns...I was told to buy 3 versions of the TT Deluxe and that each would give me 5 returns to prepare. No one mentioned at all that I could not use this to prepare paid returns. WTH?

[jerry2000]

You can read the EULA for yourself. Start Turbotax, click on Help, then on "about turbotax deluxe", click on the License tab, you will find the restriction against commercial use about half way through the license document. Further, an individual is limited to 5 federal e-files. No matter how many copies of the software that you buy. That is a limit set by the IRS.

[tjmurph53]

So a person preparing taxes for no fee can e file up to 5 tax returns using Deluxe, IE: His return, his kid, his cousin or a friend...but not go past 5 returns...are you a paid preparer? What software version of Intuit did you use? I have to call Intuit to find out why they put me in the TT Deluxe when they knew full well that I was a paid preparer doing 15 tax returns...ugh!

[jerry2000]

With Desktop Deluxe you can e-file up to 5 federal returns and prepare as many for filing by mail as you wish. No, I was a paid preparer many years ago ( I did not use an Intuit product) , now I'm just another user.

 Intuit does have a professional product for paid preparer use, you can find info about it at this link:
<a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://proconnect.intuit.com/?s_cid=TT.com_MoreProds-Footer_ProTaxSoftware">https://proconnect.intu...>

You can use this link for Turbotax Customer Support, if you wish:
You can contact TurboTax customer service/support.  At this link:
<a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1899263-what-is-the-turbotax-phone-number">https://ttlc.intuit.com...>

[tjmurph53]

Thanks for the additional information jerry2000...

[Tom K]

I want to prepare tax returns for my parents and in-laws who are in their 90s.   I'd do this for free, as they can't do their own.  The last thing they want is to address tax return questions from the IRS or state taxation authorities.  So I'm not a paid preparer.  

Why can't I put my name and number of the tax return so I get the questions from the taxing authority rather than my parents or my in-laws.  Surely this situation is not in breach of your license?  The same question holds if I prepare my children's returns......again for free.