The IRS has sent letters to 19 people who should not have qualified for Preparer Tax Identification Numbers (PTINs). They had failed a criminal check or were bared from preparing taxes by court order. Those notified have 20 days to respond.

This is the first year the IRS required tax preparers to register with a unique number. Over 700,000 numbers were issued in the first year. They are still processing around 2,000 applications a week.