NCA will help with your personal and small business finances. We can help with budgeting, forecasting and savings. Click below and schedule a free consultation.
NCA will help with your personal and small business finances. We can help with budgeting, forecasting and savings. Click below and schedule a free consultation.
This should be your first question. Anyone who prepares federal tax returns for compensation must have a valid 2016 PTIN before preparing returns. Without a PTIN, a tax preparer is not allowed to prepare your return - this isn't something you want to find out at the end. You can check out PTIN qualifications on your own by using the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) online PTIN directory.
AFSP (Annual Filing Season Program) participants are non-credentialed return preparers who have met voluntary requirements established by IRS. Those requirements include 18 hours of continuing education, (includes a six-hour federal tax law refresher course with an exam). AFSP participants who have met the criteria receive a Record of Completion and are included in a public database of return preparers on the IRS website.
Other accountants, bookkeepers, and tax preparers may be able to demonstrate competence but may not have formal credentials. That doesn't mean you shouldn't give them a look. Ask about what they do and why they're qualified to do it.
Remember when I said there's no one size fits all? That's because tax returns are not all the same. Some tax preparers can do forms 1040-EZ in their sleep. Others are fluent in Schedules C (business) and/or E (rentals). Some may focus on pass-through entities, tax-exempt organizations or fiduciary returns. Tax preparers may focus on international taxpayers and expats or small businesses. There are as many variations as there are schedules and forms. It's not uncommon for tax preparers - especially those that have been around for awhile - to have a pretty wide scope of knowledge. But nobody can do it all and don't trust anyone who tells you otherwise. If you have special circumstances because of your investments, occupation or residency status, find a tax preparer who has experience with your specific situation.
Yes, federal income taxes know no boundaries - those rules don't change from one state to the next. But that's not true when it comes to states and localities. Your state or locality may have quirky filing requirements, especially for business owners. It can get even more complicated if you've moved from state to state during the year or if you live in one state and work in another. You may also need special guidance if you own a business or real estate in a state outside of your residency or if you are the beneficiary of a trust or estate in another state. Make sure that your preparer knows - and can handle - all of those filing requirements.
While you shouldn't be expected to haul in the contents of your entire home office, a reputable preparer should insist that you provide your forms W-2, 1099, 1098 and other verification of income and expenses in order to prepare a proper return. You shouldn't use a preparer willing to e-file your return just by using a pay stub (that's against IRS rules). A tax preparer should be able to explain what will be needed for special schedules, forms or circumstances. If a preparer isn't inclined to do the necessary due diligence (especially for something like the Earned Income Tax Credit) in the beginning, it should give you pause about what other corners the preparer might be willing to cut later - at your expense.
Prices may vary based on the complexity of your return, whether you require additional schedules (such as dividend and interest on Schedule B, business information on Schedule C, capital gains and losses on Schedule D and/or rental income and losses on Schedule E); supporting forms (such as those for the child tax credit or additional charitable donation information); or whether your return has out of the ordinary line items (like Roth IRA conversions). Some preparers offer reduced costs for federal return but add on for state and local returns: make sure you understand the total cost. Finally, be wary of preparers who base their fee on a percentage of your anticipated refund: they have a financial incentive to encourage inappropriate credits and deductions.
There's nothing wrong with paying for the extras: just make sure that you know what those might be ahead of time. When asking about fees (see #6), be sure to ask about the cost of extra services, like the cost to fix any mistakes or to file electronically (see #7). A tax preparer should not charge you extra for a copy of your return when the return is prepared (though charging you extra for additional copies may be appropriate).
More than 1 billion individual tax returns have been processed since the debut of electronic filing in 1990. It's the fastest way to get your refund and tends to result in fewer math errors. It may also be required: a paid preparer who prepares and files more than ten client returns must generally file returns electronically unless the client opts out.
Remember that your preparer must have a PTIN (see again #1). The PTIN and the preparer's signature need to appear on your tax return. Don't trust a preparer who refuses to sign a return or asks you to sign as self-prepared.
It's not unreasonable to leave your preparer's office without a copy of your completed return; assembly may be required. However, you should receive a complete copy of your return within a reasonable amount of time following your appointment. If your preparer can't offer a window of time to expect the copy, it might be indicative of a time management problem. If your preparer can't promise you a copy at all, run, don't walk away: you will need a copy for your own records.
I'm not a fan of tax preparers with shops that pop up on street corners during tax season and then go missing for half the year. Clients often receive requests from taxing authorities for additional information in October or November: make sure that you know how to contact the tax preparer after your return has been filed. If your tax preparer won't be around, consider taking your business elsewhere.
Nobody wants to think about an audit when filing a return. But you need to ask: find out how the tax preparer handles audits or examinations from IRS. Will he or she respond to those questions? Can the tax preparer represent you in front of IRS or Tax Court? Remember that attorneys, CPAs, and Enrolled Agents are the only tax professionals with unlimited representation rights, meaning they can represent their clients on any matters including audits, payment/collection issues, and appeals in front of the IRS. AFSP participants have limited representation rights, meaning they can represent clients whose returns they prepared and signed, but only before revenue agents, customer service representatives, and similar IRS employees, including the Taxpayer Advocate Service. For 2016, PTIN holders without an Annual Filing Season Program – Record of Completion or other professional credential are only be permitted to prepare tax returns. That doesn't have to be a deal breaker (there are professionals who focus on audits if you need to hire someone later) but you should understand the scope of services and representation before you agree to become a client.