Title 26Internal Revenue CodeRelease 119-73

§6107 Tax return preparer must furnish copy of return to taxpayer and must retain a copy or list

Title 26 › Subtitle Subtitle F— - Procedure and Administration › Chapter CHAPTER 61— - INFORMATION AND RETURNS › Subchapter Subchapter B— - Miscellaneous Provisions › § 6107

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Tax return preparers must give the taxpayer a finished copy of the return or refund claim when they ask the taxpayer to sign it. The preparer must keep a copy, or keep a list with the taxpayer’s name and taxpayer ID, and keep that for 3 years after the close of the return period. They must let the Secretary inspect it if asked. If more than one person prepared the same return, rules can let one person’s compliance count for all preparers. “Return” and “claim for refund” are defined in section 6696(e). “Return period” is defined in section 6060(c).

Full Legal Text

Title 26, §6107

Internal Revenue Code — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Any person who is a tax return preparer with respect to any return or claim for refund shall furnish a completed copy of such return or claim to the taxpayer not later than the time such return or claim is presented for such taxpayer’s signature.
(b)Any person who is a tax return preparer with respect to a return or claim for refund shall, for the period ending 3 years after the close of the return period—
(1)retain a completed copy of such return or claim, or retain, on a list, the name and taxpayer identification number of the taxpayer for whom such return or claim was prepared, and
(2)make such copy or list available for inspection upon request by the Secretary.
(c)The Secretary shall prescribe regulations under which, in cases where 2 or more persons are tax return preparers with respect to the same return or claim for refund, compliance with the requirements of subsection (a) or (b), as the case may be, of one such person shall be deemed to be compliance with the requirements of such subsection by the other persons.
(d)For purposes of this section, the terms “return” and “claim for refund” have the respective meanings given to such terms by section 6696(e), and the term “return period” has the meaning given to such term by section 6060(c).

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

A prior section 6107, acts Aug. 16, 1954, ch. 736, 68A Stat. 756; Nov. 2, 1966, Pub. L. 89–713, § 4(c), 80 Stat. 1110, authorized an alphabetical list of names of all persons who have paid special taxes under subtitle D or E of this title to be kept for public inspection, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 90–618, title II, § 203(a), Oct. 22, 1968, 82 Stat. 1235.

Amendments

2007—Pub. L. 110–28, § 8246(a)(2)(C)(i)(I), substituted “Tax return preparer” for “Income tax return preparer” in section catchline. Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 110–28, § 8246(a)(2)(C)(i)(II), substituted “a tax return preparer” for “an income tax return preparer”. Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 110–28, § 8246(a)(2)(C)(i)(II), (III), substituted “tax return preparer” for “income tax return preparer” in heading and “a tax return preparer” for “an income tax return preparer” in text. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 110–28, § 8246(a)(2)(C)(i)(IV), substituted “tax return preparers” for “income tax return preparers”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2007 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 110–28 applicable to returns prepared after May 25, 2007, see section 8246(c) of Pub. L. 110–28, set out as a note under section 6060 of this title.

Effective Date

Section applicable to documents prepared after Dec. 31, 1976, see section 1203(j) of Pub. L. 94–455, set out as an

Effective Date

of 1976 Amendment note under section 7701 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

26 U.S.C. § 6107

Title 26Internal Revenue Code

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73