IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman has announced that by the end of 2009, he will make recommendations that will help the Internal Revenue Service better use tax return preparers to increase taxpayer compliance, and to ensure that preparers themselves are complying with uniform and high ethical standards of conduct.

Some of the recommendations could focus on a new model for regulating tax return preparers, service and outreach for preparers, educating and training preparers, and enforcement related to preparer misconduct. The Commissioner will submit recommendations to the Treasury Secretary and the President by the end of the year.

“Tax return preparers help Americans with one of their biggest financial transactions each year. We must ensure that all preparers are ethical, provide good service and are qualified,” Shulman said. “At the end the day, tax preparers and the associated industry must be part of our overall game plan to strengthen the integrity of the tax system.”

The first part of this program will be fact finding and receiving input from those that are licensed by state and federal authorities — such as enrolled agents, lawyers and accountants — as well as unlicensed tax preparers and software vendors. The IRS also wants to get input from consumer groups and taxpayers.

“We plan to have a transparent and open dialogue about the issues,” Shulman said. “At this early and critical stage of the process, we need to hear from the broadest possible range of stakeholders.”

Later this year, the IRS plans to hold a number of open meetings in Washington and around the country with constituent groups.

More information, including schedules and agendas for public meetings, will be posted on the Tax Professionals section of the IRS website, and will be communicated to stakeholder groups.