The Internal Revenue Service should postpone the imposition of new requirements for non-signing tax preparers because of a lack of clarity and guidance regarding the term "preparer", according to the the Internal Revenue Service Advisory Council. The body also urged that former IRS employees not be automatically granted Enrolled Agent status. These were among a broad range of recommendations made as part of the IRSAC's annual report.

WASHINGTON — Nearly 99 million individuals efiled their federal income tax returns electronically during 2010, a 3-percent increase from the prior year. That's out of a total of 141.5 returns filed to date this year, according to the Internal Revenue Service. With mandates for efiling kicking in next year, that rate seems likely to increase.

WASHINGTON - The Internal Revenue Service has begun notifying about 1 million tax return preparers to remind them they must use Preparer Tax Identification Numbers on all federal returns starting January 1. The IRS intends to send about 125,000 notification letters each week for eight weeks, based on the list of preparers who currently have PTINs.

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service is seeking applications to fill 10 vacancies in five different customer segments for its Advisory Committee on Tax Exempt and Government Entities. Appointed by the Department of the Treasurery, members serve two-year terms beginning in June 2011.