Tax season is upon us. As like any other year, you will be receiving various tax documents over the next month or so. As you gather up your tax documents and get ready to file you may wonder, “Do I really need a certified public accountant (CPA) to help me file my taxes?”
You can hardly surf the internet, watch TV, or listen to the radio without hearing an advertisement for one or the many tax help services. Whether it’s TaxSlayer.com, Turbo Tax, H&R Block, or a local tax prep service, there certainly are options for you to choose from. But you keep coming back to the question, “Do I really need a CPA to help me file my taxes?”
Consider the following…
Taxes are complex. Each year, Congress legislates hundreds of pages of tax law, after which the IRS issues thousands of pages of rules and regulations to help clarify those laws. The recently passed American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 is over 150 pages by itself. And don’t forget about the other thousands of pages of pre-existing tax rules and regulations. How much of this actually applies to you? Will the computer know to ask you the right questions? How about the seasonal tax preparer? A true CPA keeps up with the changes and knows how to guide you to the optimal results.
Your life is busy enough. You get up and go to work every day. You take care of your family. You have events to attend at night and over the weekend. Heck, you might even want to relax and watch the basketball game, read a book, or spend some time with the family. The last thing you want to do is try to navigate through tax forms all weekend hoping to get the right answer. As strange as it may sound, CPAs live for tax season. Let them sit behind the desk while you’re skiing and enjoying life.
At McLeod|Ascanio, we are dedicated to providing all our clients with the information they need to pay what they owe…but no more. We are Maine people with national and international experience. Whether you need help with your personal or business taxes, we’re ready. With offices in both Portland and Brunswick we’ve got you covered. So give us a call at 878-2727 to set up a meeting. We look forward to helping you.