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Taxes - How and When to Get Help

Page history last edited by Holly Swyers 6 years, 4 months ago

How do you know when to seek help filing your taxes, and what kind of help should you seek?

 

Services

Types of services are IRS, Turbo taxes, H&R block, and Quicken Taxes. Ingrid Jackson explained that you should do “research to make sure you are at a credible institution- don’t take the cheaper route because it might be a fraud." This helps individuals who are finding services to assist them to file taxes for their first time. Making sure the institution is credible can help you avoid spending more money than you have to and help you be prepared when tax season comes along.

 

Accountant

It is a person that you can trust because they have a CPA certification and they can be referred by your lawyers. They give professional help when filing taxes becomes complicated. Arlene London experienced a complicated situation and explained, "I get a lot of business write offs and am confused by the tax system and my own small business, so I get help with a tax person." Seeking an accountant can be helpful when you have a house, salary, business, or contractor related expenses. Relatives and friends who have accounting degrees can also help you.

 

Referrals

Sometimes it is worth seeking recommendations from your boss, human resources, employers, and relatives about good tax preparation services. Jose Harvey mentioned that, “the first time I needed to file out of state taxes I found an accountant who knew how to do that." If you work in more than one state or moved from another state, having a recommendation and reaching out to them can help you to save time finding an accountant. This connects to an experience by Joyce Barry. She explained that, "it does become complicated because if you are a consultant, then you work in different states, and each state taxes are different." Having a little help ensures you do not make mistakes when filing taxes for out of state taxes.

 

Independently

It is a good practice to try filing taxes independently first. You can begin after finishing college or when you have a steady income. To determine if this method would be helpful, Percy Ida suggested asking yourself a question. She advised, "First, decide if you are capable of, and want to learn how to file your own taxes." Filing taxes on your own and reviewing it can be helpful. Bonnie Burgess suggested, "Make sure you’re doing it correctly first so you know what mistakes not to make in the future. From there you can do it alone later." Checking over your tax forms with a relative or with online tax help services can help you see where to make corrections and avoid mistakes the next time around. 

 

This page was developed from interviews with:

Jose Harvey, Ingrid Jackson, Arlene London, Joyce Barry, Percy Ida, Bonnie Burgess

 

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