Marketing for Tax Preparers: A Seasonal Plan That Follows IRS Rules
Written by the Dizayn team
Key takeaways
- Anyone paid to prepare federal returns needs a valid PTIN; the 2027 PTIN fee is $18.75, per the IRS.
- The general 2026 filing deadline was April 15 (IRS), so marketing gets planned October through December and runs January through April.
- The IRS tells taxpayers to be wary of preparers who promise larger refunds or charge a percentage of the refund (IRS Topic 254). Your ads should do neither.
When should a tax office start marketing?
In October. A new website takes 3 to 6 weeks, and local SEO takes 4 to 8 weeks to show technical results, so anything launched in January misses the busiest part of the season. Use October to December to build, and January to April to promote and answer fast.
| Months | What to do |
|---|---|
| October to December | Website or service pages (English and Spanish if you serve both), Google profile, last season's client list, prices set |
| January to April | WhatsApp, text and email reminders, Facebook and Instagram posts, same-day replies, ask for reviews at pickup |
| May to September | Catch up on reviews, guides on extensions or ITINs, year-round services if you offer them |
What trust signals do clients look for before handing over documents?
You're asking for Social Security numbers, W-2s and bank details. Before that, people want proof you're a legitimate preparer. The IRS gives them ways to check, and your marketing should make that check easy instead of asking for blind trust. These carry the most weight.
- PTIN: the IRS requires anyone who prepares or helps prepare federal returns for pay to hold a valid PTIN (IRS). Paid preparers must also sign the return and include their PTIN (IRS Tax Tip 2025-11).
- The IRS directory: the Directory of Federal Tax Return Preparers with Credentials and Select Qualifications lists attorneys, CPAs, enrolled agents and Annual Filing Season Program participants with valid PTINs. If you're in it, say so on your site and explain how to look you up.
- Annual Filing Season Program: voluntary, with continuing education every year (18 hours for most non-credentialed preparers). Participants get a Record of Completion and are listed in the directory (IRS).
- Real business details: address, hours, phone and the name of the person preparing returns, identical on your site, your Google profile and your social accounts.
Which IRS rules apply to your advertising?
Two IRS documents limit what you can say. Circular 230 bars any public communication with false, misleading or coercive claims, and Publication 3112 adds specific rules for e-file providers. In practice, that rules out refund promises and anything suggesting you work for or with the IRS.
Under section 10.30 of Circular 230:
- No public communication or private solicitation with a false, fraudulent, coercive, misleading or deceptive statement or claim.
- Enrolled agents and certain other practitioners describing their designation can't use the word "certified" or imply an employer/employee relationship with the IRS.
Under Publication 3112, if you're an IRS e-file provider:
- No "IRS" or "Internal Revenue Service" in your doing-business-as name, and no IRS or Treasury seals.
- Once accepted, you may represent yourself as an "Authorized IRS e-file Provider."
- Any faster-refund claim tied to e-filing must match the language in official IRS publications.
- If you offer a loan against a refund, the ad must make clear it's a loan from a financial institution, not the refund itself.
- Keep copies of radio, TV, internet and signage ads, and provide them to the IRS on request.
What should never appear in your ads?
What the IRS flags as red flags for taxpayers is, from your side, what your ad shouldn't say. The IRS warns about preparers who promise larger refunds than others, charge a percentage of the refund, or ask clients to sign a blank form. Here's how to rewrite those lines.
| Instead of | Say |
|---|---|
| "We get you the biggest refund" | "We check every credit and deduction you qualify for" |
| "We charge a percentage of your refund" | "From $X, quoted before we start" |
| "IRS certified" | Your real credential: "Enrolled agent", "CPA" or "Annual Filing Season Program participant" |
| "Instant refund" | "Refund advance loan offered by [bank]", if you offer one |
Which channels reach clients who search in Spanish?
Google and WhatsApp first. Someone searching "preparador de taxes en español cerca de mí" wants a map, reviews and a phone number. And per Pew Research Center, 56% of Hispanic adults in the US use WhatsApp, versus 24% of White adults.
- Google Business Profile. Google ranks local results by relevance, distance and prominence, and says more reviews and positive ratings can help (Google). Ask for the review at pickup, not weeks later. Our local SEO for Hispanic-owned businesses guide covers the details.
- One page per service, in each language. Individual returns, self-employed, ITIN, extensions, amendments: each with its own URL, starting price and document checklist.
- WhatsApp. A button on your site and profile, plus last season's client list to announce when you open.
- Facebook and Instagram. Good for reminders and for showing your office and team: 70% of Hispanic adults use Facebook and 60% use Instagram (Pew).
If you serve both languages, see also our English-Spanish bilingual website guide.
What does a tax preparer's website need?
What a new client needs to decide: what you do, what it costs, what to bring, where you are and how to verify you. Since 23% of Hispanic adults have a smartphone but no home broadband (Pew), all of it has to work well on a phone.
- Document checklists by return type.
- Starting prices per service.
- Your PTIN or credential and how to find you in the IRS directory.
- Season and off-season hours.
- A short form and a WhatsApp button.
- A clear note on how you protect client documents.
To have your site and profile ready before January, see our website or SEO service and reach out in October or November.
FAQ
- Can I put the IRS logo on my website or flyers?
- No. Publication 3112 bars IRS and Treasury seals in advertising and bars "IRS" or "Internal Revenue Service" in your business name. Once accepted into e-file, you can call yourself an Authorized IRS e-file Provider and use the IRS e-file logo under its formatting rules.
- Should I advertise "biggest refund guaranteed"?
- No. The IRS tells taxpayers to be wary of preparers who promise bigger refunds than others, and Circular 230 bars false or misleading claims. Advertise what you actually control: hours, languages, starting price, response time and your credentials.
- What should my marketing do from May to September?
- Build what you'll harvest in January: collect reviews from last season's clients, improve service pages, publish guides on extensions or ITINs, and promote year-round services such as bookkeeping or payroll if you offer them.
- Do I need to join the Annual Filing Season Program?
- It's voluntary: a valid PTIN is enough to prepare returns for pay. But participants are listed in the IRS public directory, which gives clients a way to check you. It requires continuing education hours every year.
- What does Dizayn charge for a tax office website and SEO?
- A website runs $3,000 to $15,000 USD per project and takes 3 to 6 weeks, so October or November is the time to start. SEO runs $1,200 to $4,000 USD per month.