Halloween is a time for Arizonans to be reminded of “ghost” tax preparers.

A ghost preparer is paid to prepare a tax return, but does not sign it or include necessary information. The Arizona Department of Revenue (ADOR) urges taxpayers to be aware they may be a part of a scam if a preparer won't put their name on the tax return.

The Arizona Department of Revenue (ADOR) will be sending renewal letters to businesses next month to renew their 2020 Arizona Transaction Privilege Tax (TPT) License. A transaction privilege tax license is used for collection and remittance of state, county and city taxes.

Every business licensed with ADOR is required to renew their Arizona TPT license, which is due January 1, 2020.

PHOENIX - Attorney General Mark Brnovich announced a former tax preparer was sentenced to three years of probation and a fine of $11,000 for preparing false income tax returns while working at Tax Xpress. Seven Arizona taxpayers were unaware that Tax Preparer Karen Hernandez, 26, had included false information on their returns. 

Out-of-state sellers must now begin collecting transaction privilege tax (TPT) in the state of Arizona.

A remote seller that makes direct sales to Arizona customers and ships products into the state, but does not itself have a physical presence in Arizona will pay the tax to the Arizona Department of Revenue (ADOR).  A remote seller is required to pay TPT if in the current or previous calendar year annual gross proceeds or gross income derived from direct sales into Arizona is more than $200,000 in 2019, $150,000 in 2020, and $100,000 in 2021 and beyond.

PHOENIX – Governor Doug Ducey today announced the appointment of Carlton Woodruff as the director of the Arizona Department of Revenue, pending Senate confirmation. Woodruff has served as interim director since December 2018.

Under the director’s leadership, the agency collected a record $19.3 billion in fiscal year 2019—up from $17.9 billion in fiscal year 2018–which was distributed back to Arizona cities, towns and counties, as well as the State General Fund. At the same time, Arizona has continued to simplify and lower taxes for Arizonans.

PHOENIX - Attorney General Mark Brnovich in partnership with the Arizona Department of Revenue announced a Phoenix used car dealership pleaded guilty to $119,000 in tax fraud. Jalisco Auto Sales admitted to charging its customers a transaction privilege tax, more commonly known as sales tax, but failed to pay the collected taxes to the Arizona Department of Revenue.

The Arizona Department of Revenue’s (ADOR) Unclaimed Property program is reaching out to all 15 counties in the state to locate thousands of people who may have funds they are entitled too and are not aware of the assets.  

Over the next nine months, the agency is sending out notices to potential property owners and their families with last known addresses in each county to attempt to return the funds.

Out-of-state sellers and marketplace facilitators required to file and pay transaction privilege tax (TPT) in Arizona can now register with the Arizona Department of Revenue effective Monday, September 9.

Legislation signed into law on May 31, 2019, requires certain remote sellers and marketplace facilitators to file and pay TPT in the state starting October 1.

Website information and outreach team in place

The October 1, 2019 implementation of transaction privilege tax (TPT) for remote sellers and marketplace facilitators is moving forward with the unveiling of detailed information now available online and with the establishment of a team of Arizona Department of Revenue (ADOR) specialists ready to provide one-on-one assistance to customers.