Posted 9/16/11
The IRS has announced that the Registered Tax Return Preparers competency exam will be available starting in October. If you plan on taking it in the next few months, the forms and publications you should study are from tax year 2010. A list of the 2010 versions are now on a new IRS information page, http://www.irs.gov/taxpros/article/0,,id=243833,00.html. The list also appears below. Alternatively, you can navigate to the page by going to www.irs.gov. Then select the Tax Professionals tab at the top. Click on "PTIN Requirements" in the left navigator. On the PTIN page on the right under "Next Step" click on the link for "Competency Test."
Set forth below is information from the new IRS Competency Test information page.
*NOTE: At the time the 2010 version of Publication 17 went to press, there were certain tax benefits that had not been finalized and several tax benefits were subsequently extended. See Legislative Changes Affecting the 2010 Publication 17 for the details needed for study purposes.
In order to take the test, you must have a PTIN. You can schedule your test directly from your online PTIN account.