IRS Publication 470: Limited Practice Without Enrollment

A document published by the Internal Revenue Service that outlines acceptable conduct for unenrolled tax professionals that represent taxpayers. IRS Publication 470 defines the circumstances in which an unenrolled professional is allowed to practice before the IRS, as well as the standards of conduct expected of that professional.

Most people who represent taxpayers before the IRS are CPAs, attorneys or enrolled agents – professionals who are required to follow specific standards or else risk penalties. IRS Publication 470 was developed to create a set of rules for tax preparers that fall outside of these groups ("unenrolled" professionals). Unenrolled professionals have a more limited scope of authority than enrolled professionals, and some taxpayer actions, such as refund claims, are outside the authority granted to the unenrolled professional.