A PTIN is an identification number the IRS issued to paid tax preparers.When the PTIN program started in 2011, the IRS required all paid tax preparers to register online and pay a fee to get a PTIN, then include their PTIN on any returns they prepared or signed. The agency also launched the Registered Tax Return Preparer (RTRP) program. This program required any paid tax preparers who didn't have another credentialâsuch as Certified Public Accountants (CPAs), Enrolled Agents (EAs), and attorneysâto pass a basic competency test and earn 15 hours of continuing education (CE) each year.Not everyone agreed that the IRS had the authority to mandate these requirements. A handful of independent tax preparers filed a lawsuit accusing the IRS of overstepping its authority. A US District Court Judge and the DC District Court of Appeals agreed, and the RTRP program was discontinued in 2013.While the IRS no longer requires paid tax preparers to pass an exam or earn CE hours, it still requires anyone who prepares or helps prepare federal tax returns for compensation to have a valid PTIN.