Industry Tips
Finding a Reputable Tax Preparer
Most tax professionals are qualified and honest people. The BBB offers these tips for finding a reputable tax preparer:
- Get referrals from satisfied clients.
- Interview the potential preparer. Ask about their training, experience and knowledge of current tax law. Are they a member of a professional organization with continuing education requirements and a code of ethics? Are they willing to guarantee the accuracy of their work and amend the return if there is a mistake?
- How long they have been in business? You’ll want someone who will still be around to answer questions that may arise later on.
- Contact the BBB (www.bbb.org) to determine if the preparer is one you can trust.
- Get an estimate for their fee prior to authorizing the work.
Steer clear of tax preparers who sound too good to be true. Beware if they:
- Boast that they can obtain larger refunds than competitors;
- Don’t ask to review your records and receipts or discuss your qualifications for expenses and deductions;
- Base their fee on a percentage of the refund amount, rather than the complexity of the tax return; or
- Pressure you to sign up for immediate payment of your refund. This involves a loan that typically carries a high interest rate.
The IRS advises that tax preparers are acting illegally if they encourage you to claim inflated personal or business expenses, false deductions, or excessive exemptions; manipulate your income to obtain fraudulent tax credits; ask you to sign a blank or incomplete form; or guarantee that you will not be audited. Check that your preparer has signed your tax return, and get a copy and a payment receipt for your records.
The BBB is only a phone call or a mouse click (www.bbb.org) away!
