S. 137 — Introduced in Senate

II 114th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 137 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES January 8, 2015Mr. Wyden (for himself and Mr. Cardin) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance A BILL To amend title 31, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of the Treasury to regulate tax return preparers. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Taxpayer Protection and Preparer Proficiency Act of 2015. 2. Regulation of tax return preparers (a) In general Subsection (a) of section 330 of title 31, United States Code, is amended— (1) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following: (1) regulate— (A) the practice of representatives of persons before the Department of the Treasury; and (B) the practice of tax return preparers; and , and (2) in paragraph (2)— (A) by inserting or tax return preparer after representative each place it appears, and (B) by inserting or in preparing their tax returns, claims for refund, or documents in connection with tax returns or claims for refund after cases in subparagraph (D). (b) Authority To sanction regulated tax return preparers Subsection (b) of section 330 of title 31, United States Code, is amended— (1) by striking before the Department, (2) by inserting or tax return preparer after representative each place it appears, and (3) in paragraph (4), by striking misleads or threatens and all that follows and inserting misleads or threatens— (A) any person being represented or any prospective person being represented; or (B) any person or prospective person whose tax return, claim for refund, or document in connection with a tax return or claim for refund, is being or may be prepared. . (c) Tax return preparer defined Section 330 of title 31, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection: (e) Tax return preparer For purposes of this section— (1) In general The term tax return preparer has the meaning given such term under section 7701(a)(36) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. (2) Tax return The term tax return has the meaning given to the term return under section 6696(e)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. (3) Claim for refund The term claim for refund has the meaning given such term under section 6696(e)(2) of such Code. .