Tax preparers.

(1) Existing law requires a tax preparer to maintain a bond in favor of, and payable to, the people of the State of California for each individual preparing tax returns for another person. Existing law requires a tax preparer to register with the California Tax Education Council (council) and makes failure to register a violation of the provisions governing tax preparers. Existing law requires the council to issue a "certificate of completion" when a tax preparer demonstrates completion of not less than 60 hours of specified educational requirements. This bill would require the council to issue a registration to any applicant who submits an application with evidence that he or she has, among other things, (A) successfully completed those educational requirements and (B) paid specified fees to be established by the council. The bill would make a registration subject to annual renewal including the payment of a renewal fee to be established by the council. This bill would prohibit a registrant or applicant from being disciplined or denied registration by the council except according to specified procedures. The bill would authorize the council to discipline a registrant by, among other things, placing the registration on probation or suspending or revoking the registration. The bill would require the council to notify the Franchise Tax Board and the Internal Revenue Service that a registration is suspended or revoked. (2) Existing law defines the council as a single organization made up of not more than one representative from each specified entity, operating as a nonprofit corporation that represents, among others, tax preparers, with a membership in California of at least 200 for the last 3 years, and not more than one representative from each for-profit tax preparation corporation that has at least 200 employees and has been operating in California for the last 3 years. This bill would specify that the council is a nonprofit organization, and would instead require the council to consist of not more than one representative from each California nonprofit corporation in good standing that represents, among others, tax preparers with a membership in California of at least 400 in each of the previous 3 calendar years, and not more than one representative from each for-profit tax preparation corporation in good standing that had at least 400 employees or franchisees during the previous calendar year and has been operating in California for the last 3 years. Existing law requires the council to establish a process by which 6 tax preparers are appointed to the council to serve specified terms. This bill would specify that those 6 tax preparers are appointed to the board of directors and would require the council to be governed by that board of directors. The bill would authorize the council to adopt rules and regulations necessary to carry out these provisions. (3) Existing law makes it a violation for a tax preparer to, among other things, obtain a customer's signature on a document with blank spaces to be filled in after it has been signed and to engage in advertising practices that are fraudulent. A violation of the provisions governing tax preparers is a crime. This bill would also make it a violation, but not a crime, to commit certain other acts, and would authorize the council to deny a registration application or discipline a registrant for, among other things, specified unprofessional conduct and conviction of a crime substantially related to the duties of a registrant. (4) Under existing law, boards scheduled for repeal are required to be evaluated by the Joint Sunset Review Committee. This bill would instead specify that the council would be subject to review by the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature. (5) This bill would make other technical and conforming changes.