Frequently Asked Questions

Yes and No.

Yes . . . If I have a copy of your prior year return by December 31, you will be able to schedule an appointment during tax season for the current filing season.

I do not take new clients after January 1 as things are just too busy to collect new client information and set up a new file during the busy season.

That varies with the complexity of the tax return.  So for new clients we always want to see the previous year's tax return for two reasons.  

1.  To help estimate the cost.  

2.  Some things from the prior year might have impact on the next year.

Yes, we do.  We file Corporations (Form 1120), S Corporations (Form 1120-S), Partnerships and LLCs (Form 1065 or 1120-S).  Remember that forms 1065 and 1120-S tax returns are due March 15th, not April 15th.

Yes, we can do taxes for all states with income tax.  We also do US taxes for foreign individuals, however we do not do foreign tax returns.

Me.  I don't outsource ANY of my work.  This has always been a pet peeve of mine, when someone outsources the work to a student or tax novice and charges as if they'd done the work themselves.   My Administrative Assistant, Tina Fleming, does all of our packing, scheduling, client pick-ups, etc., but I do ALL of the tax work.

Yes, whenever possible which is well over 99% of tax returns.  

Electronic filing provides some advantages:

1.  It's faster, with acknowledgments of IRS receipt within a few minutes.  Mailed returns can take weeks or months to process.

2.  It's more accurate.  When you mail a return, there is data entry operator who manually inputs all of the data on the return.  There is an unacceptably high rate of data entry errors on the IRS side.  There is zero chance of data entry error with electronic filing.  The return we send in is the exact return they get and process.  This reduces your chance of audit.

Generally a refund from the IRS will take 3-4 weeks from the date of electronic filing.  If you use direct deposit, that usually saves about a week with refunds usually within 10-21 days.  State refunds vary by state, but are usually come in a similar time frame.

If you file by mail, the processing time is much longer.  Historically, it's averaged 6-10 weeks for many years, but things are still slow since they are still playing the COVID excuse.

Only if I break it out before I sit down to do your return!

Absolutely.  While many clients prefer a face-to-face appointment, many others either can't come in or don't feel they need an appointment.  Over half my tax returns are done "remotely."  You can mail it, fax (855-364-2520), drop off, scan and upload to our secure site.  We can also schedule a telephone appointment or a Zoom call.  We caution you against emailing confidential or personal information without encryption so we have a secure portal to upload documents. https://taxmaninc.securefilepro.com

Download our Client Checklist or see our other Forms & Worksheets for specific and businesses

We schedule half hour appointments through the day from 9:00 to 12:30 and again from 2:00 to 5:00.  We take a lunch hour from 1:00 to 2:00 pm each day.  On rare occasion we will schedule for an hour, but most appointments are easily handled within the half hour allotted.

Out of courtesy to the client after you, timeliness is expected.  I know how much we all enjoy sitting at a doctor's office for extended periods because the doctor is running late.  That doesn't happen at my office.  If you are more than 10 minutes late, you will have to drop off your documents as I refuse to run over into another client's scheduled time slot.  If you no show for an appointment without calling, there's an H&R Block about a mile away.

We do NOT complete returns while you wait.  Assuming I have all of your complete information at the appointment, we normally have it completed, packaged and ready for signing within 2-3 days.

We do not take walk-in appointments, but you can drop off documents anytime during business hours.  We also have a mail slot (well marked for the Tax Man) in the only door on the east side of the building.  This goes directly into our office.

Generally not unless someone is traveling in from out of town.

That's really two questions:

How much time to put together the backup and file the return?

1.  You get six extra months to file.  For individuals, this is October 15th.  For corporate and LLC returns, this is September 15th.

How much time to pay your taxes?

2.  You get no extra time to pay what you might owe (or think you might owe).  Those payments are still due April 15th.  If there is a balance due when you file then there will be penalties and interest due on that balance starting April 15th.

As I like to say to clients, the extension is for Randy to do the work, not for you to pay your taxes.  If an extension gave you a free six months to pay without penalty and interest, why would anybody ever pay on time!

EA - Enrolled Agent - Specially enrolled to practice before the IRS by passing an IRS examination.  EAs carry the same authority to practice as a CPA or tax attorney in tax matters.  Not all preparers can represent you before the IRS, EAs can.

CFP - Certified Financial Planner certified by the College for Financial Planning

ATP - Accredited Tax Professional by the Accreditation Council for Accountancy and Taxation