How to Choose a Tax Preparer By Marvin Crowther

Finding a good tax preparer is not an easy task.Here are a few hints that will help you avoid the problems that many Americans experience when they randomly choose their tax preparer.Does the Preparer Have the Knowledge?Check your preparer's web site to find out if he offers jobs or franchises. Click on the tabs and find out what the preparer requires for someone to buy a franchise or work for them. You will find that most offer franchises without requiring any knowledge of or background in taxes yet they promise to have them up and running within three to nine months with minimal training. This means that most of these tax preparers have minimal knowledge of taxes.Those of you that have attempted to prepare your own taxes or helped someone else do theirs already know that there is a lot of study, research and training involved in knowing about the various schedules, worksheets and the laws that that must be used to take each exemption, deduction and/or credit for which you may qualify.Before a preparer can do an adequate job they must invest several thousand hours in learning Tax Law, Accounting, IRS functions, Tax Regulations and annual changes in The IRS Code. Indeed, by the time a tax preparer has mastered all the knowledge that he needs to do his job he could fill a doctorate program in taxation.Without this investment in mastering federal and state taxes a preparer may leave his clients open to delays in refunds, increases in tax and penalties and audits by the IRS and State tax agencies.Is your Preparer Full Time or Part Time?Once you find a knowledgeable preparer be aware that we are all human and are prone to make mistakes. So the question is:Will you be able to find the preparer if one of you make a mistake on your taxes? Always keep in mind that if you file taxes in April an error notice may come out between May and July and most likely you will want to discuss the error with the one that prepared your taxes. Will your preparer be available?Another situation to be mindful of is: you may have omitted something that could change your tax. It saves a lot of time and expense when the person that did the original can update and amend your taxes soon after you discover the omission.Be aware that there are people out there that will act as preparers just to get your information then use it for illegal activates.Be sure that your preparer can be found latter.Is your Preparer's Main Business Tax Preparation or Loans?Sometimes you can't tell when you go into a preparer's office what his business really is. Often preparers put more effort into getting you to go for a refund anticipation loan then they do to get you to have them do the taxes. Always choose a preparer that is in the business of preparing taxes so he will concentrate his efforts on your tax preparation rather than to trying to give you a loan.Copy Write 2007 By Crowther PublishingThis is an other article written by Marvin Crowther in his series on taxation and way to optimize the amount of tax that you pay. You can visit the web site of MCCrowther Tax Services at http://www.mccrowtherassoc.com or email at listings@mccrowtherassoc.comArticle Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marvin_Crowther