Tax time. Agh. Sound familiar? Taxpayers are overwhelmed with information. Tax preparers are frustrated by all the misinformation.

Enter KnowYourTaxPreparer.org, an animated microsite with one goal.

“To make the message memorable so Californians know who’s who and how to avoid fraud,“ said Margy Dunn, chair of the California Tax Education Council (CTEC), a state-mandated nonprofit organization that manages the registration of more than 40,000 unlicensed tax preparers.

The microsite takes taxpayers through an animated journey of how to find a California approved tax preparer, what California law requires of the industry and the pitfalls of choosing the wrong tax preparer.

“We wanted to make the message more approachable and less daunting,” said Dunn.

California is one of the few states that require tax preparers to be licensed or registered. Only attorneys, certified public accountants (CPAs), CTEC-registered tax preparers (CRTPs) or enrolled agents (EAs) can prepare tax returns for a fee in California.

“It can get confusing. There are four different tax preparers to choose from and each one has a different oversight that regulates them and their requirements,” said Dunn. “We’re trying to take out some of the legwork for taxpayers by offering them quick facts and links.”

In addition to the microsite, the campaign will spread the message through Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. CTEC will launch two new animated videos and three infographics to help illustrate the message to California taxpayers.

“It’s a colorful and lively campaign,” said Dunn. “It’s a very different approach from anything we’ve done before.”

The microsite takes less than two minutes to read. It is also available in Spanish at conozcaasupreparadordeimpuestos.org.

CTEC is a nonprofit organization that was established in 1997 by the California State Legislature to protect taxpayers against fraud and incompetent tax preparers. To report an unregistered tax preparer in California, visit ctec.org.