2008
Basic Tax Law Changes
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Gregory J. Cook, EA, CPA+ Accredited Tax Advisor Past President Alabama Society of Enrolled Agents Past President Alabama Association of Accountants |
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Why should I pay you guys $300 - $800* when I can do my own taxes?
Save Time - The average person that prepares their own tax returns spends 16 to 81 hours on the project (IRS Reference). With us you spend 45 minutes to an hour. What's your time worth?
Save Money - The average person that prepares their own tax returns incurs out-of-pocket expense of $13 - $177. We really only cost the difference.
Don't Worry - If you should be chosen for an audit, we will go in your place, you don't have to go! The IRS plans to audit more returns this coming year than ever before in their history!
My tax software guarantees 100% accuracy on the calculations. So does the IRS, in fact they tell you in the instructions to fill in the general info and they'll do the math for you! Our job hasn't been about math since we got machines to do that for us in the mid 1960's. It's about tax law.
What about tax law, are you up to date on the most recent changes? Of course, it's what we do. Tax laws are constantly changing. There are a lot of proposed laws that get a lot of publicity, but never make it into the tax code. The more important question at times can be "Do you know the very old obscure parts of the tax code that are still in effect today?".
What are the other benefits of retaining your firm to do my taxes? Picture this: You're refinancing your home and the lending institution wants copies of your tax returns and W-2's for the last two years. You give them our business card and say "call my accountant, I'll give him permission to provide what you need". Now picture what you would do without us...
Preparing a tax return is something you do once each year, we do it approximately 3,000 times each year.
I'm not comfortable leaving my original tax documents with you. We scan all of your documents and return the originals to you! An added benefit is now you have an off-site secure backup of your info!
Still like to do your own taxes, but want a review, second opinion or to discuss it before filing it? Print the return to a .pdf file and email it to us. We will review the return with you by email for a fee of $175 to $225 before you file it.
* Average fee range, your fee may vary, see our fee schedule based on the forms required.
It seems that the federal government has tried to cover up and deny the "inflation" we have experienced here in the United States for the last several years. We understand inflation and the impact it has had on everyone's day-to-day lives. We make every effort to hold down the fees we must charge for services.
The most evident of our efforts to hold down costs is our physical location. It is true that this places a small extra burden on our clients of time and money driving to Arab (the average client drives 45 miles one way to our office from the Huntsville and Birmingham areas). However, the cost savings we realize by operating in a small town are passed on to the client.
We have many clients that drive from the Atlanta area! Comparable firms there must bill the client at $200-$300 per hour, where our firm rate averages closer to $125. Because our clients only visit once each year, maybe twice, the savings are significant.
We have approximately 500 clients outside Alabama from other states and around the world that never physically come to our office. All of our communications are accomplished by phone, fax, email and delivery service (USPS, UPS, Fed-Ex or DHL).
Greg Cook, EA, CPA
Plus, you get this on page 2 of your 1040:
News and Articles from Bara Business Center
 Podcasts by Greg To listen to my audio podcasts on helpful tips for everyone regarding income tax deductions, simply click the podcast icon here.  You can
play or download any of the podcasts for free,
or get them at iTunes.Hiding Income Offshore Not reporting income from foreign sources may be a crime. The IRS and its international partners are pursuing those who hide income or assets offshore to evade taxes. Specially trained IRS examiners focus on aggressive international tax planning, including the abusive use of entities and structures established in foreign jurisdictions. The goal is to ensure U.S. citizens and residents are accurately reporting their income and paying the correct tax. Many United States (U.S.) citizens and resident aliens receive income from foreign sources. There have been recent reports about the interest of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in taxpayers with accounts in Liechtenstein. The interest of the IRS, however, extends beyond accounts in Liechtenstein to accounts anywhere in the world. |
What is an Enrolled Agent (EA)?
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Tax Dept
