The National Independent Tax Preparers Association has created a modern day voice for electronic filing.  NITPA members have worked in concert to prevent outside Special Interest Groups from imposing bias and discriminating industry regulations.  On May 14th in Alabama NITPA claimed it's first victory in defending a bill proposed by an outside Special Interest Group looking to regulate and control Tax Preparers in the state.  Alabama's Senate Bill 201 would have allowed a board to write rules, impose fees and set regulations all while being exempt from paying those same fees and following those same rules.  NITPA and it's Governmental Affairs Group worked around the clock to prevent the bill's passage due to it's current language.  Tax Preparers who banned together with The National Independent Tax Preparers Association were not necessarily against the proposed enhancements however they were strongly against the outside Special Interest Groups desire to control the licensing board and gain financially from the licensing fees paid by the private business owners.  NITPA and it's members felt it would be extremely unfair and unprecedented to allow an outside special interest group with no direct industry experience to regulate the Tax Preparers in the state.  Especially since the Special Interest group behind the proposed legislation would have  been completely exempt from paying the same fees and adhering to the same regulations and sanctions. Additionally the "Alabama Tax Payer Protection and Assistance Act" was initially written to directly benefit the tax operations of the special interest group who wrote and proposed Senate Bill 201 and would have provided them with the opportunity to use portions of the licensing fees to enhance their own tax operations in the state.