Every paid preparer's PTIN expires on December 31 and has to be renewed for the new year. This guide covers renewing for the 2027 filing season using only what the IRS publishes.
Who Needs a PTIN
Anyone paid to prepare, or help prepare, all or substantially all of a federal tax return or claim for refund needs a PTIN, and so does every enrolled agent (IRS PTIN FAQ; IR-2025-108). Each preparer needs their own, including anyone you hire to prepare returns you sign; a bookkeeper who organizes records or an unpaid VITA volunteer does not. CPAs and attorneys need one only if they are paid to prepare all or substantially all of a return, and applicants must be at least 18 (IRS PTIN FAQ).
A PTIN is not an EFIN: the PTIN identifies you as a paid preparer, and the EFIN is issued to authorized e-file providers. The IRS says most preparers need both; our guide to what an EFIN is and how to get one covers the other half.
When to Renew
PTINs are issued by calendar year, not tax year, and all PTINs expire on December 31. A 2027 PTIN is the one you need to prepare returns during 2027. The IRS says renewal season opens in mid-October each year; the cycle for 2026 PTINs began on October 16, 2025 (IR-2025-95). The 2027 opening date had not been announced on September 29, 2026. Renew once it opens and before December 31.
What You Need
From the IRS renewal checklist:
- your name and mailing address, and your business name and mailing address;
- an explanation of any felony conviction or problem with your U.S. individual or business tax obligations, either of which can affect your ability to get a PTIN;
- a credit, debit or ATM card for the fee;
- for a U.S. professional credential such as CPA, attorney or enrolled agent: its number, where it was issued, and when it expires.
If your credential never expires, the IRS says to enter December 31 of the year you are renewing for, so 12/31/2027 (IRS renewal FAQ).
How to Renew, Step by Step
The IRS calls the online system the IRS Tax Professional PTIN System; its PTIN page links it at rpr.irs.gov, and renewing online takes about 15 minutes (IRS).
- Sign in to your existing account. Since the 2026 season, preparers with a Social Security number sign in through ID.me, creating an account if needed; those without an SSN use their user ID and password (IR-2025-108). Don't create a new PTIN account (IRS renewal FAQ).
- Select "Renew my PTIN" from the main menu (IRS renewal FAQ).
- Complete the application. You verify your personal information and answer a few questions (IRS).
- Pay the fee by card or eCheck. The IRS then confirms the renewal (IRS).
On paper, file Form W-12 with the "Renewal" box checked; it takes about six weeks (IRS renewal FAQ). Most PTIN correspondence arrives as secure messages in your online account, so keep your email current (IRS checklist).
The Fee
The fee to obtain or renew a PTIN for 2026 is $18.75: $10 for the IRS plus $8.75 for a third-party contractor, non-refundable (IRS renewal FAQ). Treasury and the IRS set the $10 figure in September 2025 after a biennial review (IR-2025-95).
The 2027 fee is not published yet. $18.75 is the last published fee, for 2026; check the IRS page when renewal opens.
Common Problems
You can't get into your account
ID.me sign-in problems go to the IRS and ID.me Help Center, which the IRS PTIN page links. The IRS pages we checked describe no separate lockout process. For the PTIN account itself, use the IRS web chat or the PTIN Account Information Line, 877-613-7846, weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central (IRS contact page).
You've lost your user ID or password
Without ID.me, your user ID is usually your email address. "Forgot User ID" on the login page emails it to you; "Forgot Password" sends a reset link that expires after 12 hours. Lost access to that email address? Call the PTIN line (IRS renewal FAQ).
No "Renew my PTIN" option, or a duplicate SSN message
Renewal for the coming year opens only in mid-October, so before then you won't find an option to renew for 2027 (IRS renewal FAQ). Once the season is open, a missing option or a duplicate SSN message usually means the wrong account; the duplicate SSN message comes from starting a new application when a PTIN already exists. Log in to your original account. If you got your PTIN on a paper Form W-12, you need an activation code to link it online; the IRS mails these each fall, and the PTIN line can replace one. And if you are in your original account and the option still isn't there, the IRS FAQ says: "If renewal season is underway but your account does not have a 'Renew my PTIN' option on the main menu, you should contact the PTIN Information Line" (IRS renewal FAQ).
Your name doesn't match
Use the name on your ID.me account. With a U.S. Social Security number, change your name through ID.me; without one, request it in your online account or in writing, with a document such as a marriage certificate or court order. Allow six weeks (IRS renewal FAQ; IRS name change FAQ).
What Happens If You Don't Renew
- You can't prepare returns for pay. The IRS says lacking a current PTIN could bring section 6695 penalties, an injunction, or discipline by its Office of Professional Responsibility (IRS PTIN FAQ).
- Enrolled agents lose active status unless they renew every year (IR-2025-108).
- Lapses add up. After more than a full calendar year expired, you renew each expired year in which you prepared returns or were an enrolled agent; after more than three consecutive years, you register again (IRS renewal FAQ).
- If you've stopped preparing, you can let it expire, or put it in voluntary inactive status and reactivate later (IRS renewal FAQ).
AFSP and Your Renewal
The voluntary Annual Filing Season Program asks for an active PTIN, consent to Circular 230, Subpart B and section 10.51, and continuing education from IRS-approved providers. Non-exempt preparers need 18 hours: the six-hour Annual Federal Tax Refresher course with a test, 10 hours of other federal tax law and 2 hours of ethics. Preparers exempt from the refresher course, such as those who passed the Registered Tax Return Preparer test or certain other recognized state or national tests, need 15 hours: 10 of federal tax law, 3 of federal tax law updates and 2 of ethics (AFSP requirements; IRS AFSP page). The courses must be finished by December 31 (AFSP FAQ).
The IRS won't issue your Record of Completion until your PTIN is renewed for the coming year, and the record can take up to four weeks after you meet everything (AFSP FAQ). It puts you in the IRS public directory of preparers and gives limited representation rights for returns you prepared and signed (IRS AFSP page).
The Rest of Pre-Season
Our IRS e-file setup guide covers e-filing, and the guide to starting a tax preparation business covers the rest. The free tax season checklist lists "Confirm PTIN renewal for all preparers in the firm" before the season. Once it starts, FinishTax keeps clients, documents, e-signatures and deadlines in one place: free for up to 3 clients, with documents and e-signature from $29 a month.
FAQ
When can I renew my PTIN for 2027?
When the IRS opens renewal season, which it says happens in mid-October; the 2027 date is not announced yet (IRS).
How much does a 2027 PTIN cost?
Not published yet. The last published fee is $18.75, for 2026 (IRS).
Can I renew after December 31?
Yes, from your online account, but you can't prepare returns for pay until you do (IRS; IRS).
My intern only does data entry. Does she need a PTIN?
Not if she only enters data and gathers missing information while you prepare and sign. If she prepares returns, even ones you review and sign, she needs one (IRS).
Sources
IRS pages, each fetched on September 29, 2026:
- PTIN requirements for tax return preparers: https://www.irs.gov/tax-professionals/ptin-requirements-for-tax-return-preparers
- PTIN renewal checklist: https://www.irs.gov/tax-professionals/ptin-renewal-checklist-what-you-need-to-get-started
- FAQ, PTIN application and renewal assistance: https://www.irs.gov/tax-professionals/frequently-asked-questions-ptin-application-renewal-assistance
- FAQ, Do I need a PTIN?: https://www.irs.gov/tax-professionals/frequently-asked-questions-do-i-need-a-ptin
- PTIN top FAQ 3: https://www.irs.gov/tax-professionals/ptin-top-faq-3
- PTIN top FAQ 7, name change: https://www.irs.gov/tax-professionals/ptin-top-faq-7
- Contact the Return Preparer Program: https://www.irs.gov/tax-professionals/contact-the-return-preparer-program
- IR-2025-108, October 27, 2025: https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-reminds-tax-pros-to-renew-ptins-for-the-2026-tax-season
- IR-2025-95, September 29, 2025: https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/treasury-irs-issue-regulations-to-reduce-the-amount-of-the-user-fee-for-tax-professionals-who-apply-for-or-renew-a-ptin
- Annual Filing Season Program: https://www.irs.gov/tax-professionals/annual-filing-season-program
- AFSP Record of Completion requirements: https://www.irs.gov/tax-professionals/general-requirements-for-the-annual-filing-season-program-record-of-completion
- FAQ, Annual Filing Season Program: https://www.irs.gov/tax-professionals/frequently-asked-questions-annual-filing-season-program