Level 3

critical infrastructure designation for tax preparer

Forum|Forum|6 years ago
April 25, 2020
2 replies
13 views

The US DEPT. OF HOMELAND SECURITY DOES NOT ADDRESS THE DESIGNATION OF CRITICAL

INFRASTRUCTURE WORKERS TO INCLUDE TAX PREPARER WORKERS OR BUISNESSES. THESE

GUIDELINES AS ADDRESSES IN THEIR GIDELINES DATED APRIL 17, 2020 ARE USED BY MANY STATES INCLUDING CALIFORNIA FOR THE BASIS OF QUALIFYING FOR THE NEWLY CREATED SELF EMPLOYED UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS. IF YOU HAVE CLOSED YOUR BUISNESS BECAUSE IT IS NOT IDENTIFIED AS AN ESSENTIAL CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE ACTIVITY YOU WILL QUALIFY FOR THE NEW BENEFITS.

HAS ANYONE FOUND ANY DOCUMENTATION INDICATING TAX PREPERATION AS A CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE ACTIVITY ALLOWING YOU TO REMAIN OPEN AND SERVE THE PUBLIC AS A TAX PREPARER?

This topic has been closed for replies.

Just-Lisa-Now-

Intuit Community Champion

As far as Ive seen essential businesses are decided by local authorities, so if they shut you down, your beef is with your state governor or city mayor...Ive been in my tax office everyday. Im not seeing face to face clients, but Im there in my office working on mail-ins and drop-offs.

♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥Lisa♥¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪

BobKamman

Level 15

As I understand your question, you are trying to show that you are not essential so that you can collect unemployment in a state that uses the federal list of critical occupations to determine eligibility.

Have you applied and been turned down? Then the unemployment agency should be able to point you to a source that shows you are essential. Otherwise, finding a list of nonessential occupations is something like finding a list of nondeductible medical expenses, like pistachios you eat while waiting to see your doctor.

On the other hand, maybe you are concerned that some tax practitioners are collecting unemployment when in fact they are essential, because they support first responders, healthcare workers and employees at the wastewater department. Not to mention, they do a lot of data entry for the IRS, a law enforcement agency. That might apply to some people who know how to use lower case.

sjrcpa

Level 15

Does whatever list you are looking at include financial services? Broadly, income tax preparation falls under that.

The more I know the more I don’t know.

BobKamman

Level 15

The “Financial Services” sector was renamed in 2013 from “Banking and Finance Sector.” Its description:

The Financial Services Sector includes thousands of depository institutions, providers of investment products, insurance companies, other credit and financing organizations, and the providers of the critical financial utilities and services that support these functions. Financial institutions vary widely in size and presence, ranging from some of the world’s largest global companies with thousands of employees and many billions of dollars in assets, to community banks and credit unions with a small number of employees serving individual communities. Whether an individual savings account, financial derivatives, credit extended to a large organization, or investments made to a foreign country, these products allow customers to:

1. Deposit funds and make payments to other parties
2. Provide credit and liquidity to customers
3. Invest funds for both long and short periods
4. Transfer financial risks between customers

Maybe accountants and tax preparers come under “providers of the critical financial utilities and services that support these functions.” The Homeland Security website then says that the Treasury Department owns the policy for this sector, and then links to the Treasury home page, which is a rabbit hole if you want to find more information.

The Homeland Security website for all this is

https://www.cisa.gov/identifying-critical-infrastructure-during-covid-19

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