Why is ACORN giving tax advice? Started with shakedown of H & R Block – That was the first thing I was wondering while watching the clips of the ACORN rep giving advice to a pretend pimp and hooker on how to handle the taxes for a child sex slave business.  I have long known about their organized crime and voter fraud activities, but was ACORN also in the tax preparation business? 

I thought they may have been part of the IRS’s VITA program, which is designed to provide free tax help for lower income people in the community. That’s where I started my tax career in the early 1970s.  I don’t recall their policy on who we could prepare free tax returns for; but I am guessing that an illegal alien child sex slave business would have been off limits.

Which brings me to the other thing running through my mind while watching those undercover videos. What would other tax professionals do if confronted with new clients like the ones James O’Keefe and Hannah Giles were portraying?  I doubt that any reputable tax pro would accept them as clients and give the kind of illegal advice the ACORN rep was presenting, even in these tough economic times.  The proper response would be to either kick them out of your office or even to call the police on them.    

IRS considers regulating tax preparers – Long overdue quality control over those of us who are not already regulated as CPAs, attorneys or Enrolled Agents.      (Thanks to the always useful Lucianne.com for this.)