New EA #'s required 4/1/99 - has anyone received their # yet?

[Lorraine Dorsa]

As of 4/1/99, enrolled actuaries must use their new EA numbers on any Schedule B they sign, but cannot use such number until they receive official notification from the Joint Board that their enrollment has been renewed.

I haven't received my new number yet and as far as I know, no other EA has received their number either.

Has anyone received their number or know of any extension on using the old numbers?

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[mwyatt]

Per IR Announcement 99-25:

"Applications for Renewal of Enrollment should have been Filed by March 1st.

The Board has noted that there is a wide spread impression that credits necessary to meet the CPE requirements for re-enrollment that were not earned by December 31, 1998 could be earned in January and/or February 1999. This is contrary to the regulations. However, the Board recognizes that, in the past, certain circumstances called for relaxation of the rules and that what has happened in the past might have been taken as a precedent.

As result, the Board will not deny re-enrollment to those actuaries solely because they fulfilled their CPE requirements in part with credits obtained in January and/or February 1999. However, the Board will require that Enrolled Actuaries who have availed themselves of this relief should, in a signed letter to the Board, disclose the number of hours of credit thus obtained and how they were obtained (e.g. identify the course taken, when and where the course was taken, etc.). Those credits earned in 1999 will not count towards meeting the requirements for the next enrollment cycle.

Such administrative relief will not be available at the end of the current re-enrollment cycle (April 1, 1999 through March 31, 2002) for credits earned in January and/or February 2002, nor will it be available in subsequent re-enrollment cycles. Enrolled Actuaries who are unable to complete their CPE requirements by the end of the last full year of the cycle will be expected to provide the Board's Executive Director with an explanation of the facts and circumstances which made it impossible for them to meet the requirements in a timely fashion.

Four-digit Enrollment Number

This notice provides enrolled actuaries and other interested parties with a reminder of the Joint Board's position, which was adopted some years ago, on a matter where some confusion has arisen in the past. The confusion arises regarding the prefix to the four- digit enrollment number an enrolled actuary should use when signing a schedule B after December 31, 1998, but before the earlier of:

(1) receipt of official notice of reenrollment, and

(2) April 1, 1999.

Accordingly, enrolled actuaries are advised that:

(1) An enrolled actuary is not permitted to use the (in this case 99-) prefix until such time as he/she has been officially notified in writing by the Joint Board of his/her entitlement to do so. See the Instructions for Schedule B.

(2) An enrolled actuary who has not yet received official notification from the Joint Board should use the 96-prefix if he/she signs a Schedule B in the first three months of 1999. The IRS Service Center will not reject the 96- prefix for a signature date during this three month period. The 96-prefix will be rejected for a Schedule B where the signature date is April 1, 1999 or later.

Paulette Tino, Chairperson Joint Board for the Enrollment of Actuaries"

Now, where this leaves us poor folks between 4/1/99 and the receipt date I'm not sure. My guess is that you have to use the "99" prefix as of tomorrow (see the last paragraph) as it will be rejected. Wait until letter is received before signing any further Schedule Bs?

[richard]

Nope, I haven't received mine yet.

[Guest Roman]

Here is a message from the Joint Board (see www.aspa.org):Announcement from the Joint Board for the Enrollment of Actuaries:

April 1, 1999

The Joint Board stated today that, although all notices of re-enrollment applicable to the cycle running from April 1, 1999 through March 31, 2002 were put into the mail some days ago, a number of actuaries have called saying that they had not yet received their notices and asking how they are to sign the schedule B (or other governmental forms) that will be dated April 1 or later.

The Board registered its position that an actuary currently having the "96-" prefix to his/her enrollment number is not permitted to use the "99-" prefix until such time as the notice of re-enrollment has actually been received. Therefore, if an actuary has not yet received the aforementioned notice by the time his/her signature (and date) is to be affixed to the Schedule B, he/she should sign using the "96-" prefix.

Service Centers of the Internal Revenue Service have agreed to accept any such form signed by an enrolled actuary using the "96-" prefix where the date on the form is not later than April 30, 1999.

Paulette Tino

Chairman, Joint Board for the Enrollment of Actuaries

[mwyatt]

Just received letter from IRS (dated 3/25/99) over the weekend. You should get letter (if not already received) in next couple of days.

[Lorraine Dorsa]

Thank you all. I have not received my new number yet and I'll be holding off signing Schedules B until I get it.

[Guest Roman]

See previous posting... You can use your 96 prefix until April 30, 1999.

[Guest jmjacobson]

Has someone published the announcement from the Joint Board other than ASPA? We do not have anyone who is a member of ASPA and the actuaries here wanted to see a published copy of the announcement before using the "96-" prefixed number to sign a Schedule B after March 31.

[Lorraine Dorsa]

I received my number today. Better late than never.

[Guest David Lipkin]

This is probably no longer an issue for most of you, but I STILL haven't gotten my EA# renewal!

I finally talked to Darryl Carter today and he says they nver got my application. I've faxed it back to him along with a copy of the cancelled check. I don't know if there are others in this situation.