| Choosing the right tax CPA Houston preparer is one | | | | year and that does not invest in stocks or itemize |
| the most important financial decisions we make in our | | | | deductions. |
| life. Although many people don't often think about it, | | | | A Tax CPA Houston is very different from the |
| your income taxes are your largest lifetime expense, | | | | unlicensed tax preparer found in most franchised tax |
| more than your home mortgage, your retirement | | | | operations. The CPA normally has at least 5 years of |
| contributions or your children's college expenses. | | | | college study in accounting, has passed a |
| As someone who has prepared over 10,000 Federal | | | | comprehensive technical examination. In most states a |
| Tax returns, I know that controlling your income tax | | | | new CPA has to apprentice under an experienced |
| expense can make a tremendous difference in your | | | | CPA for 2 years before getting their license. |
| financial well being. So let's examine the types of tax | | | | For any business tax return, or for an individual who |
| preparers and how they work. | | | | itemizes deductions or makes investments, or for any |
| The most common type of tax preparer is the | | | | situation where there is a dispute with the IRS or in |
| non-CPA who works for a national tax franchise. This | | | | which tax planning is required a licensed Houston tax |
| type of preparer generally has no formal education in | | | | CPA is a must. |
| accounting and frequently has only a few weeks of | | | | Of course not all CPA's operate the same. Some tax |
| training. Often they are retirees looking for a few | | | | CPA's only want to fill out the tax forms (the |
| weeks of extra income each spring. This type of tax | | | | historians), and others are afraid of the IRS (the |
| preparer is not licensed to respond to IRS inquiries and | | | | phobic's). |
| generally has only a rudimentary understanding of the | | | | The rarest type of tax preparer is pro-active and likes |
| techniques used to reduce taxes. An unlicensed tax | | | | to search tax saving opportunities for the future while |
| preparer should never accompany you to an IRS audit, | | | | preparing your current year's tax return. At Trippon |
| and in fact this type of preparer would probably not be | | | | & Company CPAs our goal is to be forward |
| allowed by their employer to do so. The non-CPA tax | | | | thinking enough to protect our clients now and in the |
| preparer is in my opinion usually appropriate for only | | | | future. Call us at 713-661-1040 and put our experience |
| the simplest types of tax returns, such as an hourly | | | | at work for you! |
| worker that has household income of under $50,000 a | | | | |