Data methodology

TaxPrepFinder draws on three publicly available data sources, listed here in the order our build pipeline attempts them.

1. IRS Return Preparer Office (RPO) public directory

The primary source is the IRS’s Directory of Federal Tax Return Preparers with Credentials and Select Qualifications, available at irs.treasury.gov/rpo/rpo.jsf. The IRS publishes a free, queryable directory of every preparer who holds an active PTIN and one of the four credential categories the IRS recognizes (Attorney, CPA, Enrolled Agent, AFSP).

2. IRS Enrolled Agent public roster

The IRS Office of Enrollment maintains a downloadable roster of every Enrolled Agent in active status, available through the IRS Tax Professionals page at irs.gov/tax-professionals/enrolled-agents/enrolled-agent-information. This source is used as a cross-reference for EAs to fill in credentials the RPO directory may not surface in a single query.

3. US Census Gazetteer crosswalk

For geographic structure — state codes, city names, and ZIP-code-to-place mapping — we use the US Census Bureau’s annual Gazetteer Files (census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html). This guarantees that every state and city page on the directory corresponds to a real US Census-recognized place.

When primary sources are unavailable

The IRS RPO portal is form-driven and does not expose a bulk download. When the build pipeline cannot retrieve fresh data — for example, when the upstream form gates the request or when the build environment lacks browser-based access — the seed script generates a representative dataset using the same credential schema and Census place file, with realistic name, credential, and specialty distributions. Preparer entries generated this way are clearly labeled in the underlying JSON and are not implied to represent specific real individuals; they are placeholders that demonstrate the directory’s structure until a fresh upstream fetch succeeds.

Update cadence

The dataset is regenerated annually after each filing season closes, when the IRS publishes its refreshed RPO snapshot. Mid-cycle corrections submitted through the contact form are reviewed and applied within two business weeks.