California Tax Preparer Bond;
A California tax preparer surety bond is required of anyone who engages in tax preparation for a fee. Having this surety bond is required by the California Tax Education Council, (CTEC).
The California tax preparer bond is an "instant issue" surety bond. This means that once you fill out our application and pay the premium fee, AmeriPro Surety Bonds will issue the bond to you immediately! There is neither a credit report or background check required to issue this bond.
The bond's price: a low $100 fee.
We can complete the application over the phone. It takes a few minutes.
The CTEC requires this bond to protect the public from acts of malfeasance, maliciousness, dishonesty, and willful negligence, on the part of the tax preparer. The surety bond, as such, is a guarantee by the tax preparer on behalf of the public.
An appropriate way to think of this bond would be as a type of insurance policy that the tax preparer purchases on behalf of his or her clientele.
Since a tax preparer bond is issued as a protection on behalf of clients only, AmeriPro Surety Bonds strongly encourages purchasers of tax preparer surety bonds to also purchase an errors and omissions (E&O) insurance policy.
An E&O policy is an insurance policy in the traditional sense, which protects the preparer from wrongful acts or illegal acts committed by an employee.
The amount to purchase the tax preparer surety bond (required to be licensed by the CTEC) as a standalone policy; and the additional amount to add an E&O policy to it, is so reasonably small and negligible dollar-wise, that we practically insist on on the dual purchase.
We won't force you, however; we see no reason why a tax preparer wouldn't purchase both the surety bond (required) and the E&O policy (self-protection).
Once the purchase of the California tax preparer surety bond has been completed, you will need to file this bond with CTEC. We will send the bond out to you immediately upon payment of the premium due.
AmeriPro Surety Bonds is a surety bonds-only agency providing license and permit, contractor, court, and fiduciary bonds throughout California and nationwide.
