How to verify a tax professional's credentials
Before you hand over your financial records, take five minutes to confirm that the person preparing your return holds the credentials they claim. In the United States the IRS maintains a free public directory of licensed tax preparers; the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia each have equivalent recognized bodies. A quick lookup protects you from unqualified preparers, penalties attributable to preparer error, and outright fraud.
Why verification matters
Tax documents contain your Social Security or national identification number, bank details, and a complete picture of your income. An unqualified preparer has the same access to that data as a credentialed one — the difference is accountability.
When a preparer holds a recognized credential, a professional body can sanction or revoke their license if they act improperly. When they hold no credential at all, you have few avenues for recourse beyond civil litigation. The IRS estimates that tens of thousands of returns are filed each year by preparers with no verifiable credentials.
United States: the IRS PTIN directory and credential types
Every paid tax preparer in the United States must hold a Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN) issued by the IRS. You can search the IRS PTIN directory at irs.gov/tax-professionals to confirm that a preparer's PTIN is current and in good standing.
Beyond the PTIN, common credentials include:
- Enrolled Agent (EA) — federally licensed by the IRS; passed a comprehensive three-part examination covering individual tax, business tax, and representation; subject to continuing education requirements. Search the IRS Enrolled Agent directory at irs.gov/tax-professionals/verify-the-status-of-an-enrolled-agent.
- Certified Public Accountant (CPA) — state-licensed; verify through the state board of accountancy in the preparer's state, or use the CPA Verify tool at cpaverify.org.
- Attorney — state bar licensure; verify through the relevant state bar association.
- Annual Filing Season Program (AFSP) participants — non-credentialed preparers who complete voluntary IRS continuing education; listed in the IRS directory with a "Record of Completion" notation.
Any preparer not in one of these categories is an unenrolled preparer with no federal or state license to verify. That does not make them unqualified — experience matters — but it removes the independent accountability layer.
United Kingdom: HMRC and professional bodies
HMRC does not operate a single public directory equivalent to the IRS PTIN lookup. Instead, verification in the UK runs through the recognized professional bodies:
- Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA) — awarded by the Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT); verify at tax.org.uk/find-a-tax-adviser.
- ACCA member — verify at accaglobal.com/member-finder.
- ICAEW Chartered Accountant — verify at icaew.com/find-a-chartered-accountant.
If a preparer claims a UK credential, ask for their membership number and check it against the relevant body's public register.
Canada: CPA Canada
In Canada, the Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) designation is the primary recognized credential for tax professionals. Verify a CPA through the provincial CPA body in the province where the preparer is registered (for example, CPA Ontario at cpaontario.ca, or CPA British Columbia at bccpa.ca). Each provincial body maintains a public member directory.
Australia: the Tax Practitioners Board
All tax agents and BAS agents in Australia must be registered with the Tax Practitioners Board (TPB). Search the TPB register at tpb.gov.au/public-register to confirm registration status and any disciplinary history. Registration is a legal requirement — preparing a tax return for a fee without TPB registration is a criminal offence under the Tax Agent Services Act 2009.
What to look for in the search results
When you find a preparer in any of the above registers, check:
- Status is listed as current, active, or registered — not suspended, revoked, or lapsed.
- The name and business address match what the preparer provided.
- There are no disciplinary notations or pending actions against the registration.
- The credential type matches what the preparer claimed (e.g., an EA is listed as an enrolled agent, not merely as a PTIN holder).
Checking credentials across multiple countries
If your tax situation spans more than one country — for example, you are a US citizen living in the UK, or a Canadian with Australian investment income — look for a preparer credentialed in each relevant jurisdiction, or one who holds a credential recognized across borders (some CTAs and CPAs hold dual credentials). Confirm separately in each country's register.
Find a verified professional
You can browse the directory on TaxProsRated to search for tax professionals by location and credential type. For UK residents, visit our UK directory; Canadian residents can search the Canadian directory; Australian residents the Australian directory. Each listing notes the credentials a professional claims — cross-check those claims against the official registers linked above before engaging their services.
Sources
- IRS PTIN directory and Enrolled Agent verification: irs.gov/tax-professionals
- CPA Verify (US state boards of accountancy): cpaverify.org
- Chartered Institute of Taxation (UK CTA): tax.org.uk
- ACCA member finder: accaglobal.com
- ICAEW member finder: icaew.com
- CPA Canada and provincial bodies: cpacanada.ca
- Tax Practitioners Board (Australia): tpb.gov.au