In a letter to IRS officials, the AICPA warned that the proposed merger of two different offices would confuse the public and potentially harm the tax system.
The AICPA opposed the proposed merger of the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) and the Return Preparer Office (RPO) “because it would inappropriately consolidate credentialed and uncredentialed return preparers under OPR, create potential conflicts of interest, and divert resources from the primary role of OPR,” the AICPA said.
“The two offices perform dissimilar government functions, oversee different types of preparers, and, therefore, should remain separate to avoid potential conflicts of interest,” the letter said. Read more.