It is understandable if filling out the Schedule A for your 1040 is not your idea about having a good time.
There are professionals who can prepare your tax return, so you don't have to worry about it.
However, you should choose your tax preparer carefully: statistics show that almost 30 percent of people who have such a specialist complained about their services.
It is not unusual to pay penalties or fines because the mistake of somebody else.
Many companies complain about tax preparers who don't reply to e-mails and never answer the phone, or who don't provide a copy of the tax return.
There are also many complaints about the fees: there are cases when the tax specialist doesn't say how much the tax preparation bill will be.
On the Better Business Bureau (BBB) website you can search for Reliability Reports for each tax preparation firm.
You will only have to provide your zip code, and the search engine will return a list of tax-prep firms in your area, along with their reliability reports.
It is very important to have a reliable tax specialist, because you will be held responsible for his mistake.
The first thing you should ask is their credentials.
CPAs who are specialized in tax planning and preparation are a good choice.
Others can't represent your interests in front of the IRS.
Most tax preparers are only open between February and April, so it is a good sign if your specialist can be reached even when it isn't tax season.
You should also meet the person who will be responsible for your return.
Large firms usually delegate the work to someone who has less experience.
If this is the procedure at the firm you choose, you should ask whether is there an expert who reviews the return before they send it to you to sign it.
It is always good to know the person who is responsible for your tax return.
A good specialist will always ask for receipts for deductions and will have a lot of questions to determine whether you're eligible for certain deductions.
A tax preparer who doesn't ask any questions and does not need any receipts are not reputable.
It is also a good sign if the tax preparer can give you a rough estimate on the fee he will charge you.
Fees vary upon the complexity of your tax return: a simple tax return generates the lowest fee, but if the return is more complicated, the fees will be also higher.
There are professionals who can prepare your tax return, so you don't have to worry about it.
However, you should choose your tax preparer carefully: statistics show that almost 30 percent of people who have such a specialist complained about their services.
It is not unusual to pay penalties or fines because the mistake of somebody else.
Many companies complain about tax preparers who don't reply to e-mails and never answer the phone, or who don't provide a copy of the tax return.
There are also many complaints about the fees: there are cases when the tax specialist doesn't say how much the tax preparation bill will be.
On the Better Business Bureau (BBB) website you can search for Reliability Reports for each tax preparation firm.
You will only have to provide your zip code, and the search engine will return a list of tax-prep firms in your area, along with their reliability reports.
It is very important to have a reliable tax specialist, because you will be held responsible for his mistake.
The first thing you should ask is their credentials.
CPAs who are specialized in tax planning and preparation are a good choice.
Others can't represent your interests in front of the IRS.
Most tax preparers are only open between February and April, so it is a good sign if your specialist can be reached even when it isn't tax season.
You should also meet the person who will be responsible for your return.
Large firms usually delegate the work to someone who has less experience.
If this is the procedure at the firm you choose, you should ask whether is there an expert who reviews the return before they send it to you to sign it.
It is always good to know the person who is responsible for your tax return.
A good specialist will always ask for receipts for deductions and will have a lot of questions to determine whether you're eligible for certain deductions.
A tax preparer who doesn't ask any questions and does not need any receipts are not reputable.
It is also a good sign if the tax preparer can give you a rough estimate on the fee he will charge you.
Fees vary upon the complexity of your tax return: a simple tax return generates the lowest fee, but if the return is more complicated, the fees will be also higher.
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