FAQ

The short answer is YES! Our goal for this year is to continue to increase efficiency and reduce our turnaround time. The most efficient means of gathering information from you is through a face-to-face meeting with you and all your tax documents. For more details, read this article.

During the tax filing season we operate on a walk-in basis, however, in the off season we work remotely and meet clients by appointment only. Please call the office to schedule an appointment.

We will continue to accept documents in our dropbox on the front porch or by mail. It is important to note, however, that remote returns will have a longer turnaround time. For more details, read this article.

All existing clients have an online portal set up. If you need access to your portal, please complete the request form on the Resources page, and we will send you an email invitation. If you have already been activated but don’t remember your password, that can all be done in SmartVault. Important: After you have uploaded tax documents, please let us know. We do not monitor our upload feed, so you must notify us. For more details, read this article.

This answer greatly depends on your circumstances. We have a lot of helpful information on our Resources page. All clients will need to have: - Photo ID - Intake Questionnaire and signed Engagement Letter - General Information (for new clients) or Client Organizer (optional for current clients) - Relevant tax documents -- see our Tax Prep Checklist for suggestions. - Full copy of last year's tax return (unless we prepared it)

We were open to accept a limited number of new clients. Please review the New Client article on our Blog Page for more details. We are not accepting new clients needing to file multiple years or new clients with a corporation (1120/S) or partnership (1065).

While we all would like to know an exact completion date, we prepare returns in the order they are received. Our turnaround time will depend on the complexity of your return, when you get us your information, and how many clients are ahead of you. If you ask, we can provide an estimated time when you have provided all your documents to us. Note: We do not start working on a return until we believe we have the bulk of the necessary information to complete the return. When you provide your information to us, try to be as thorough as you can, and watch for inquiries from us. If we attempt to reach you with a question about your tax return and we receive no response from you, your return will be placed on hold and we will move on to the next client.

We charge by the form, so your tax preparation fee depends on which forms will be included with your tax return. This fee can vary year to year based on your current circumstances. Feel free to call us for an estimate. We have provided some price ranges on our About page.

2023 personal income taxes are due April 15, 2024. If you need more time to file, you can request an extension. If an extension is filed, the due date is October 15, 2024. Please note that extensions allow you additional time to file -- not time to pay. All taxes should be paid by the original filing deadline to avoid penalty and interest charges. For more details, read this article.

Tax returns for Partnerships and S-corporations that operate on a calendar year are due March 15. An extension can be filed to allow an additional 6 months of time to file.

If you are required to send 1099s to independent contractors for 2023, those forms are due 1/31/2024. If you'd like us to prepare them for you, we will need you to provide us with a Form W9 for each recipient as well as the total amount paid.

The tax filing deadline for a 2023 Individual income tax return (Form 1040) is April 15, 2024. An extension can be filed to be able to submit the forms by October 15, 2024. This is done by filing Form 4868 on or before April 15, 2024. For more information, read this article.

When Form 4868 is filed on time, the IRS (and State agencies) allows an additional six months to submit income tax forms — October 15. This does NOT extend the deadline for making payments. You should estimate and pay any owed taxes by April 15. Any unpaid taxes will incur penalties and interest if not paid by April 15.

No. Our office does not charge a fee, nor does the IRS or any State or local government. However, if you owe tax and have not paid the amount due or an estimated amount prior to April 15, the taxing agencies will charge interest and a penalty for paying late.

If you are receiving refunds on your tax returns, those will be issued to you after the forms are filed the same as they would if you were to file before the original filing deadline. There is no penalty or interest charge when filing on extension if you are getting refunds.

If you owe tax, you are expected to pay on or before April 15, even if you filed an extension. Penalties and interest will be charged on any balance owed after April 15, until the tax balance is paid in full. The actual penalty and interest amount will be calculated by each taxing agency and sent to you as a bill after you have filed your tax return.

If you send in payments with your extension that result in a refund or no balance due when you later file your tax return, there will be no penalties or interest. When filing an extension, it is better to overpay slightly so no tax is owed when you file.

If you do not intend to pay the full amount of the tax on or before April 15th, the same penalties and interest will be charged whether you file on time or with an extension. However, if you owe and you do not file an extension, the taxing agencies will charge an additional penalty, so it is best to file an extension either way. Payment plan options are available through each taxing agency once you have submitted your tax return.

Online payment options are available with links on our Resources page. You may also contact our office to request payment vouchers that you can mail with a check. Regardless of how you submit your payments, it is important that you notify our office of the amount and date of each payment made so we can include it as a credit on your completed tax return.