Paid Tax Preparers, Used Car Dealers, Refund Anticipation Loans, And the Earned Income Tax Credit: The Need to Regulate Tax Return Preparers and Provide More Free Alternatives‪.‬

INTRODUCTION In 2004, almost 60 percent of all taxpayers used paid preparers to complete their tax returns, (1) which means tens of millions of taxpayers paid to determine their tax liability. (2) The percentage of taxpayers using paid preparers increased to about 73 percent for taxpayers claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit ("EITC") in 2006. (3) The cost to taxpayers of using paid return preparers is significant.