Practices to Turn Your Tax Preparer into Your Tax Partner

by John Cox Author

It is that time of the year again. Many of us are constantly teaming up with our tax preparers to get the job done smoothly. Some of us are happy with the people we have hired while the others may be complaining. A lot of people complain that their tax preparer does not understand their requirements completely. Some believe they are paying more taxes than they should. While the others may say their CPA is not available when needed. Even if you have the power of tax software hosting, you may still need professional help here and there. 

To be honest, there are all sorts of people in an industry. Maybe your previous CPA was better than your current one, but you replaced him anyway. So, there may be a slight chance that somewhere, you were not as engaged with your previous CPA as you could have been. 

All in all, it is not always the hired one who is doing wrong. We are (almost) equally responsible for completing our tax job timely and painlessly. Treating your tax preparer as your partner can help. 

Why See A Partner In Your Tax Preparer? 

The reason is simple: to streamline your workflow. Your tax preparer does more than one job for you. He is not only preparing your taxes, but he also has meaningful insights about your business. He is your guide, your advisor, and your cushion when the IRS knocks your door.

Treating your tax professional as a partner will improve communication, reduce errors, and help prepare better policies for business development. Here are some rules to follow to turn your tax preparer into your tax partner: 

●      Schedule Meet-Ups Whenever Possible

If you want your partnership with your tax professional to be a productive one, you need to meet more often. As a business owner, you must ideally plan a meet up twice a year. Not everything can be discussed on phone or email. Sitting with your CPA can help to discuss details at length, clear doubts, and know what documents are missing, how the year is expected to go, and what is needed to do for a stress-free tax season. Using

●      Let Them Know What You Require

If you have a previous experience with a tax professional, you know the red flags. If you have been doing your taxes on your own, you know the struggles. Let your tax preparer know what you want. If you need him or her to be proactive, let them know. If you want to schedule a lunch to discuss concerns, be open about it.

At the same time, understand that your CPA has other clients too. You need to be equally involved. If you want them to be proactive, you need to be one too. Produce documents as when required to avoid delays, do not keep information, and be available. 

●      Let Them Know You Are Responsible And Available

After all, those are your taxes that your CPA is preparing. You have the ownership so the efforts must come from you. You should not just leave the job for your accountant and sit back and relax. If IRS calls, you will be answerable. Even though your accountant will back you up there with answers, you cannot just sit there with a question mark. Take interest and be equally involved to let your accountant know you are a team.

●      Cooperate More For Your Comfort And Theirs

Yet again, you are the owner! It is your job to pay your taxes, not anyone else’s. If you use professional hosted tax software, such as Drake Cloud, you must keep the accounts up-to-date. If you have hired an accountant for the job, it does not give you an opportunity to cut corners. Be responsible, understand the sanctity of his job, and cooperate. Sign the forms you are asked to, prevent delays as much as possible, produce answers whenever needed, and simply cooperate if you want your taxes to be free of errors. 

And Lastly

Remember your tax professional is human too. You may disagree with their methods or you may be feeling that you are paying a very high tax. Instead of playing the blame game and complaining about them, you can choose to discuss. Try to be the best client for your accountant. Do not delay the payments, help them throughout the process, and clarify your doubts to have a fulfilling and long-term relationship. 

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Created on Dec 8th 2018 01:33. Viewed 906 times.

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