Congress·In Progress·H.R. 9499

Protecting Taxpayers from Ghost Preparers Act

Tax Fraud: Penalties for Dishonest Tax Preparers

Jun 29·View on Congress.gov·Read full text

Next up: A house committee

The House Committee on Ways and Means voted to approve this bill on June 30, 2026. It is now waiting for the full House of Representatives to consider it. The bill is actively moving through the legislative process.

Legislative Progress

House

Senate

President

Law

Unlikely to pass

While protecting taxpayers from fraud is popular, this bill was just introduced and needs to gain more cosponsors and clear the committee process before it can pass.

Key Points

This bill targets ghost preparers who help people file taxes but refuse to sign the paperwork or change information without the taxpayer knowing. It allows the government to fine these people for submitting fake or altered documents that pretend to be official tax returns.
It protects regular people who are victims of tax preparer fraud. Currently, the IRS can sometimes audit a person forever if fraud is found on their return. This bill says that if the preparer committed the fraud without the taxpayer's help, the normal time limits for audits still apply.
The goal is to stop dishonest tax preparers from taking advantage of taxpayers and the government. By making it easier to punish these preparers, the bill hopes to reduce tax scams and errors that can lead to big financial problems for families.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.

Milestones

3 milestones4 actions

Jul 1, 2026House

Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute by the Yeas and Nays: 40 - 0.

The committee approved this bill and is sending it to the full chamber for a vote. This is a significant step — most bills never get this far.

Jul 1, 2026House

Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held

Jun 29, 2026House

Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

Jun 29, 2026

Introduced in House

The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.

No votes, news coverage, or related bills recorded for this bill yet.

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Protecting Taxpayers from Ghost Preparers Act

Bill NumberHR 9499

Congress119th Congress

ChamberHouse of Representatives

Latest ActionOrdered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute by the Yeas and Nays: 40 - 0.

Data Sources

Congress.gov

Official legislative information

Read Full Bill Text

Sponsor

Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.