PTIN Online Rewnal (Here we go again...)

If you had problems, YOU ARE NOT ALONE! http://www.caltax.com/Flash%20...

Last week I looked, but the site said there were delays setting it up, so we should wait until after Oct. 19. I have not tried again yet.

I tried to do it online last year, but ended up doing by phone.

Renewed PTIN online this afternoon. No problems. Took less than 2 minutes.

I worked through the renewal form until I got to the end. They show an authentication address---listed as the address on my return---that was used last year. But that address is no longer valid. I used a different home address on my 2010 returns. There doesn't seem to be any way to change this. Both my mailing and business addresses are the same as last year and do not need to be changed---just the address shown on my return.  According to the instructions for Form W-12, the return info  info doesn't need to be provided for a renwal. But since I am reluctant to "sign" the electronic form showing the wrong athentication address, and since who knows what this will mess  up, I decided instead to mail in a paper renewal. On that form, they don't ask  for the address on the returns.

Did any one have a similar issue and call the PTIN line? If so, did they have an answer?

Just did it a few minutes ago. No problems. Most of my info was already there. Mainly verify. The only slight difficulty was answering the 3 "Are you supervised?" questions when you are self-employed and a CPA, but I got through it.

Just completed the form but got an error message sayingmy information was submitted but  they couldn't calculate my fee. I tried again 15 minutes later but got the same error message. I guess they don't want my money....NOT!

The only hitch was a message I received indicating the program could not calculate my fee.  That was during Saturday.  Sunday PM I tried again, no luck. Monday AM at 8:45 it worked, confirmed my payment and assigned me a number.

Other than dialing up via Internet twice.  I can't think it would be much more painless. 

I got an e-mail from ncCPAp (National Conference of CPA Practitioners) saying that if you signed up by mail last year, IRS'll mail you something-or-other which has a code so that you can use the web this year if you want -- but I think it said this won't be for a while -- but if you signed up on the web last year, they'll send you an e-mail.

You can also get a W-12 form and submit it thru the mail, no matter what method you used last year.

I also understand the fee for this 2nd year is $63, but first-time filers still have the $64.25 fee.

 I tried to renew.  They took my money (I have the receipt!) but said I got no PTIN letter because I hadn't paid yet.  Alas!

I downloaded the W-12 form from IRS.gov, filled it out on paper, and wrote a check.  It's all going out in the mail of Tuesday 10/25/11.   I'm sure that eventually they'll cash my check and renew my PTIN.

I just went through the process today and all went smooth.

Let's see... click "Access PTIN Account"  wait 10 minutes, enter credentials under "Returning users login here", wait 10 minutes. Find myself back at the first screen, click "Access PTIN Account," wait 10 minutes.  See "Logged in as [me]" and "Returning users login here." Enter credentials again and click login, wait 10 minutes. Find myself at first screen again....Repeat three times until it says I have tried loggin in too many times....

My 15 minutes to complete has taken more than 2 hours so far.

Did I also mention that the phone number for support says its busy and hangs up on me? 

Somehow or other, after I did the thing on paper, IRS later sent me a letter saying "Hey, here's your new info to do the thing on line, and we suggest you user a different e-mail account from the one you gave us last year."  So I used a different e-mail account, did whatever they said in the letter, did the application on line, paid with a credit card, and got my PTIN renewed.  They figured out not to cash my check because instead I paid with the credit card on line.

This was several weeks ago.  Maybe the process takes longer now, when "everyone" is trying to deal with it in December?  Who knows?

I renewed mine a month ago and sailed through the whole process in a few minutes.  The system could be getting bogged down a bit now due to the volume of users as preparers realize the end of the year is quickly approaching.