Q: How long have you been in business?
A: Since 2015
Q: Do you have a tax credential?
A: Paul is an Enrolled Agent
Q: What is an Enrolled Agent?
A: Enrolled Agents (EAs) are federally-licensed tax practitioners. As stipulated by the Department of the Treasury's Circular 230 regulations, EAs are authorized to advise, represent, and prepare tax returns for individuals, partnerships, corporations, estates, trusts, and any entities with tax-reporting requirements. Enrolled agents are the only federally-licensed tax practitioners who specialize in taxation and have unlimited rights to represent taxpayers before the IRS. (More about Enrolled Agents)
Q: Do you do bookkeeping or payroll?
A: No.
Q: Then why do you quote a (really high) price for bookkeeping services on your pricing guide?
A: There is some general confusion about the differences between tax preparation and bookkeeping. Tax preparation takes your financial statements and produces a tax return. Bookkeeping takes your raw financial data and turns it into financial statements. People will sometimes bring us raw financial data, thinking we need it for tax preparation. If they do, we can do some bookkeeping (for an outrageous fee) to turn it into finished financial data before proceeding with tax preparation.
The price is really high because we don't want to do it, but if you're willing to pay that much, we'll do it.
Q: Can I just walk in and drop off my stuff, or do I need an appointment?
A: You need an appointment. 757.357.1110
Q: What do I need to bring to my tax appointment?
Q: Can you do tax returns for Estates and Trusts?
A: I can, but I don't. Those are specialized fields, and I don't specialize in them. Asking me to prepare your Trust or Estate return would be like asking a divorce attorney to represent you in a dispute over a patent. Not the right fit.
Q: If the IRS is auditing me or sending me letters can you help me?
A: Only if you are an existing tax preparation client.
Q: What do you charge for that?
Q: Do you offer a money-back guarantee for tax preparation?
A: Yes. If you provide us with ALL your correct tax information and we prepare your tax return incorrectly we will refund your tax preparation fee.
Q: Do you offer same-day service for tax returns?
A: Yes, if you are Scarlett Johansson. No, if you are anyone else. I will need at least a few days, depending on my current workload. Sometimes a few weeks. (Fair Warning: If you're in my work queue and Scarlett calls, you are moving down the list. You understand.)
Q: Should Pete Rose be in the Baseball Hall of Fame?
A: He is the greatest hitter in the history of major league baseball. It is a gross miscarriage of justice that he is not in the Hall of Fame.
