HOW DO I PREPARE FOR AN OFFICE APPOINTMENT

HOW DO I PREPA= RE FOR AN OFFICE APPOINTMENT?

1.&n= bsp; = ; For 2012= (your 2011 tax returns), the base fee for an office appointment will still be $35= 0, remaining unchanged for the fifth year. Additional fees will be charged for rentals, businesses and some complex transactions. See our fees summary for more information.

2.&n= bsp; = ; In the p= ast, the single biggest shock where our fees are concerned has been for clients = with self employment income who have incurred large business losses. If you beli= eve you may fall into this category we ask you to look at the business fees here and determine what we may charge you. The chances of an audit rise exponentially as the business loss amou= nt rises, and our fees also rise very fast and very high. This is because we w= ill represent you in an audit at no additional cost, and the value of these services may easily range from $5000 to $25,000 or more in a complex busine= ss audit. Nonetheless, if you feel our fees are too high, being aware of our rates in advance will allow you to find a tax preparer who will charge you what you = feel is a more reasonable rate. We really want our clients to be happy, so we tr= y to have there be no surprises.

3.&n= bsp; = ; In addit= ion, an additional $350 may be charged for certain cancellation of debt issues. Click here for d= etails on this additional fee.

4.&n= bsp; = ; Please m= ake sure you bring the required documents for the tax return with you to the of= fice appointment. We will complete the return during the appointment unless you = are late or unprepared. In this event we will complete the returns at a later t= ime and send you the proper documents via priority mail for an additional $5 fe= e. You will be able to sign and file electronically (if you are eligible). Pay= ment of all fees will be required before you leave the office.

<= /span>

5.&n= bsp; = ; In the e= vent we have to do any substantial follow-up after the appointment we will bill = you for additional time at the rate of one half of our regular rate. Our regular rate is $350 per hour so we will bill you for additional work at $175 per h= our. We will discuss this with you before you would incur any additional charge = of this type.

6.&n= bsp; = ; The tax returns will still be completed by a tax attorney. If you have any tax questions whatsoever during the year relating to the tax return we completed for you, simply email and ask. There is never any additional charge as long= as your question is related to this return. All non-criminal legal services up= to, but not including, the point where a judicial action is initiated, are also covered.

<= /span>

7.&n= bsp; = ; As requi= red by our professional liability insurance carrier, all new matters (for example, different years, different people or different entities) will require a new attorney-client agreement be established.

<= /span>

Both our fax machi= ne, email and mailing address are completely secure so sending confidential information is not a problem.

<= /span>

Here are the actua= l steps of the office appointment process:

<= /span>

1. = If you are a public safety, educational, real estate or medical professional, comp= lete and bring the current (2011-2012) professional deduction checklist. (just click on your job category in this paragraph) along with copies of the required documents.

2. = Copies of the following documents should be brought to the office appointment.

a. Payment will be required prior to t= he release of ay tax returns. We accept cash, checks, Visa, Master Card, Disco= very and American Express. Our fees may be seen here.

b. If you are a new client, a copy of = the previous year’s return is very important!

c.&n= bsp; If you have a rental= , look at our Rental Property Information and use the Rental Checklist. Failure t= o use this checklist may result in additional fees and/or a delay.

d.&n= bsp; If you have a sole proprietorship business, look at our business informati= on use our business checklist. Failure to use this checklist may result in additional fees and/or a delay.

e.&n= bsp; If you bought, sold = or refinanced real property, click here!

f.&n= bsp; The settlement state= ment for any real property transactions (this statement is also called a HUD-1)<= o:p>

g.&n= bsp; If you w= ere involved in a foreclosure or short sale, bring any Forms 1099-A or Forms 10= 99-C you have received. In addition = BE SURE TO BRING THE PROPERTY TRANSACTION ANAYSIS FORM<= /span>. Get this Form Here. Without this form we cannot complete your tax return.

h.&n= bsp; Notify us if your bank account information has changed from last ye= ar.

i.&n= bsp; Bring the cost, not including labor, of any energy saving insulation, water heaters, HVAC units, exterior doors, windows, metal roof components or solar energy systems (exc= ept pool or hot tubs). To determine whether your energy related improvements are eligible for the credit, go to: http:= //www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=3Dtax_credits.tx_index.

j. Any brokers statemen= ts, labeled Form 1099-B, detailing sales of securities (including mutual funds or stocks). If you have one of these statements, it is imperative you read the document at this link concerning the basis of any securities. Failing to be prepared for this cou= ld result in a delay of the completion of your tax return and an additional fee for our extra time.

k.&n= bsp; The date of birth an= d social security number for= new children. If you are a new client, then we will obtain the social security numbers for other children from the prior year tax returns. We will still n= eed the dates of birth of all dependents.

l. = If you received a Form 1099-R reporting a Roth distribution, and you see Code J, this means the IRS will assume it is all taxable unless you have records as to how much money you contributed to the account. This will require rese= arch before the appointment!

m.&n= bsp; FFFFFFFF650000001400070043006800650063006B003100300000000000000000= 0000000000000000000000000000000000 All Forms 1098 (mortgage interest paid or student loan interest paid) and Forms 1099 (various types of income)

n.&n= bsp; If you pay all or a portion of your own property taxes, we need the annual total. Please do not use a single tax bill for this purpose, as in California and some other states prope= rty taxes are paid on fiscal years, so that to determine what was paid in 2011,= for example, you have to add the second installment of the 2010-2011 tax bill to the first installment of the 2011-2012 tax bill. You deduct property tax wh= en it is actually paid during 2011 and not when it is due. Supplemental tax pa= id during 2011 is also deductible.

o.&n= bsp; FFFFFFFF650000001400070043006800650063006B003100320000000000000000= 0000000000000000000000000000000000 If you pay interest on a second home, but do not receive a Form 1098 (common with boats, timeshares and motorhomes), we need the = name, address and taxpayer identification number (EIN) of the lender along with t= he amount of interest paid.

p.&n= bsp; All W-2’s (salary and wages) and Forms 1099-Rs (retirement distributions)= .

q.&n= bsp; Amounts spent on childcare – including the name, address, telephone number and tax identification number (TIN) of the child care provider (this informatio= n is required to obtain these tax benefits). If your provider refuses to give yo= u a tax identification number you will be unable to obtain this credit electronically. You will then have to explain to the IRS why this informati= on was unavailable and then give the IRS as much information as possible about= the child care provider.

r.&n= bsp; Educational expenses paid for you, a spouse or your dependents and grants or scholarships received. Be sure to include tuition and fees paid with student loans, as these are considered t= o be paid out of your pocket. Also indicate whether the education is for the fir= st two years of post-secondary education or a later period. And be careful to report the amount actually paid during calendar year 2011, rather than the amount billed by the educational institution. This is about to become a heavily audited issue due to extensive reports of abuse.

s.&n= bsp; Advise us if you funded a traditional or a Roth IRA during the year.

t.&n= bsp; The amount and name of the charity to which any donations of property were made= . We are warning you now, that to support these deduction= s in the event of an audit you must have an itemized list of what was donated, t= he value of these items, and the source of the value. If this is used property, use low end values unless you have evidence supporting a higher value.

u.&n= bsp; <= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> Letters and receipts showing the am= ount of any cash, check, or payroll deducted charitable contributions. Remember receipts/cancelled checks are now specifically required by statute to substantiate cash donations. There is no longer such a thing as “cash= in the collection basket,” unless the cash is in a numbered envelope accounted for by the church or charity. We need to see the actual proof of these donations to ensure the documents are supportable in the face of the current IRS enforcement policy. In addition, we are now personally subject = to sanctions for reporting charitable contributions on a tax return we prepare= if these deductions cannot be supported under audit.

v.&n= bsp; Raffle tickets, even for a charitable purpose are not deductible. For items purcha= sed at a charity auction, or for crab feeds, or for charity golf tournaments you may only deduct money paid which is more than the value of the items or services received. Charitable contributions to, or for a specific individua= l, or groups of individuals, are never deductible.

w.&n= bsp; The amount of deductible DMV fees paid. This is only the portion of the DMV fees labeled as “vehicle license fees” and not any other part of the overall DMV registration cost. Smog fees and drivers license fees are not deductible.

x.&n= bsp; Any other tax documents not covered above or an explanation of special circumstances (death, inheritance, adoption, divorce, marriage, etc. releva= nt to your tax status.

y.&n= bsp; FFFFFFFF650000001400070043006800650063006B003200300000000000000000= 0000000000000000000000000000000000 For employee expenses relating to public safety, educational= , real estate or medical professionals, use= the current 2010-2011 checklist and read the “keynotes” carefully. = IRS enforcement policy has tightened considerably in recent years, and as a res= ult we do not recommend you deduct certain items which in past years were readi= ly accepted. Foremost among these items are computers, be they laptops or desk= top. Unless you are able to obtain a letter from your employer requiring = you to purchase a computer at your own expense, you will never win this issue a= t an audit.

z.&n= bsp; FFFFFFFF650000001400070043006800650063006B003200300000000000000000= 0000000000000000000000000000000000 Another common, and very substantial expense,= is for employment related-education. The IRS has become extremely aggressive in this area because of the size of the deductions. Tuition to the University of Phoenix or the Union Institute can= run tens of thousands of dollars, so the IRS is enforcing the very specific letter of the law in these areas. In order to be job related, an educational expense = must maintain or improve skills of your current job, not a potential future job.= In addition, the education cannot be the minimum required for a position, and cannot qualify you for a new trade or business, even of you have no intenti= on of actually pursuing a new trade or business. Therefore taking criminal jus= tice management courses when you are not yet a manager will be disallowed. Going= to law school will be disallowed. Obtaining a basic teaching credential or upgrading to registered nurse are educational expenses which will be disall= owed based on these guidelines. The connection to your present job must be clear. The only way to really prove this effectively is with a letter from your employer explaining that the education was in fact related to your present occupation. In addition, ensure you only deduct expenses actually paid duri= ng the year to the educational institution, rather than what was billed.<= /o:p>

3. = Perhaps the most important item to double che= ck is the routing number and account number to be used for direct deposit.

4. = If you are elig= ible (and most everyone is) we will file your returns electronically as soon as = we review the return. You have the option to have any refund due direct deposi= ted in the account of your choosing. We will need the bank routing number and t= he account number. The best way to obtain the correct numbers is to read them = off of a check. Using another source for the numbers may cause a problem, resul= ting in refund payments defaulting to a check in the mail.

5. = While the IRS is generally very reliable in adhering to their refund schedule, they reserve = the right to delay a refund for any reason and they do not guarantee the refund will be paid on any certain date. = THEREFORE DO NOT RELY ON HAVING A REFUND ON THE SCHEDULED DIRECT DEPOSIT DATE!