Tips On How To Communicate Effectively With Your Tax Preparer

by | May 4, 2022 | Accountants

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Tax time can be difficult for anyone. Working with a Tax Preparers in Carmel CA expert is the best way to ensure that your taxes are done correctly, and on time. Although getting your taxes done professionally is a great business move, you are still responsible for ensuring that the processes goes as smoothly as possible for all parties involved. The best way to guarantee this is to have a clear and open line of communication with your accountant. Below are some of the ways that you can foster effective communication with your tax preparer.

List and prioritize your questions

Organization is the best way to get the most out of a Savage Accountancy, APC tax preparer. Start by sending all the tax documents as early as possible. Next, make a list of important questions, preferably in bullet points. This makes it easer to talk to the preparer point by point. In addition to this, group similar questions by category or priority. As an example, put all Schedule A questions under one group and so on. Start with the most important questions and make your way to the bottom of the list to make the meeting as productive as possible.

Send your questions before the meeting

Send your list of questions well before the meeting to give the Tax Preparers in Carmel CAconsultant enough time to gather information and to offer professional advice. This also ensures that the preparer doesn’t spend any time during the actual meeting looking at reference books or searching data. Find out the preparer’s preferred method of communication such as face-to-face, voicemail or email. The idea is for the preparer to come to the meeting armed with all the information you might need.

Get to the point

Exchanging pleasantries is of course part of the meeting, but avoid small talk and idle conversation as much as possible. The preparer has other accounting services to offer and only has limited time to work with you. Begin with the most important questions such as which items you can deduct and so on. If need be, schedule a follow-up meeting if all your issues are not addressed due to time constraints.

Don’t guess

Everything you communicate to certified public accountants should be factual because they typically do not have time to fact check every single detail. If you do not have the receipts for your charitable deductions for example, convey this to the accountant rather than guessing a figure. Assumptions can quickly cause audit red flags.

With good communication and a professional book keeping service, tax time will flow smoothly and with little effect on your normal day-to-day business operations. It is prudent to hire the services of a professional when filing your taxes to avoid potential legal problems.