Don’t invite trouble: Choose your tax preparer with care

Local News

February 9, 2010

The San Marcos Record Tue Feb 09, 2010, 10:28 AM CST

— According to the IRS, 80 percent of Americans enlist the help of a tax preparer or tax software when filing their taxes.

Last year, the Better Business Bureau serving Central, Coastal and Southwest Texas received 43 complaints against tax return preparers alleging errors in their return which resulted in fines and fees.

The BBB recommends taking the time to find a reliable tax preparation service to avoid any fines or fees if the return isn’t correct or filed late.

To find a trustworthy tax preparer, BBB offers the following tips:

• Check credentials

While there are no national or state (TX) regulations for paid tax preparers, only attorneys, certified public accountants (CPAs) and federally authorized tax practitioners known as Enrolled Agents may represent taxpayers before the IRS at all administrative levels, including an audit. Also, find out if the preparer is affiliated with a professional organization that holds its members to a code of ethics.

• Don’t fall for the

promise of a big refund

Be wary of any tax preparation service that promises larger refunds than the competition and avoid any tax preparers who base their fee on a percentage of the refund.

• Ask around

Get referrals from friends and family on who they use and check the BBB Reliability Report™ on tax preparation services at www.bbb.org.

• Read the contract carefully

Read tax preparation service contracts closely to verify the cost of services and how the cost will be affected if preparation is more complicated or time consuming than expected. Additionally, consumers should find out whether the tax preparer will represent them in case of an audit.

• Think long term

Many tax preparation services only operate for the months leading up to April 15th. In case the IRS finds errors or in case of an audit, consumers may need to be able to contact the tax preparer in the future.

To check the reliability of a company, visit www.bbb.org.

Text Only

Local News

Search Results

Don’t invite trouble: Choose your tax preparer with care

Site Map

Contact Us