Filing taxes can be quite, well…taxing (sorry for the bad pun). While tax software has allowed ordinary people to become amateur accountants you can’t go wrong if you choose to turn your taxes over to a professional. If you need to do more than simply filing for your W-2, turn your tax task over a qualified professional accountant. Doing so can save you time, money, help with deductions and most importantly keep the IRS away.

Who should consider hiring an accountant?
Falling into one of the following categories means it would likely be helpful if you hired a tax accountant:
• If you are self-employed, own a business or are part of a business partnership and need help with bookkeeping
• If most of your income comes from freelance work and you receive multiple 1099’s
• If you have a lot of unreimbursed employee expenses
• If you are active in the stock market
• If you own a rental property

Accountants save you time
The beauty of hiring an accountant to file your taxes is that after you pass off your financial paperwork to them the job is out of your hands. If you taxes include self employment, multiple incomes, deductions or just do not feel like dealing with paperwork, hiring a San Diego accountant would be in your best interest.

Deductions
Deductions can save you a lot of money, but they can also send up red flags to the IRS. It’s important that your deductions are accurate and in line with new tax laws. Utilizing one of the many individual tax accountants in San Diego turns the task over to somebody who is up to speed on new tax regulations.

Your accountant will also sit down with you before starting your taxes to discuss your financial situation. This background will help your accountant find ways to add deductions to your tax return that you otherwise might have missed. Incorrectly filing your own deductions, especially if is for a large amount, can cause the IRS to send you an audit (nobody wants to deal with that).

Protection against an audit
In the event of an audit, your accountant has the training to defend your tax return. By using an accountant from the start of your tax process, you have a tax professional on your side who knows you and your financial situation. They are also familiar with your tax return, unlike if you call upon an accountant only after receiving an audit notice.

Yes there is a fee
Like everything else, accountants cost money. How much you pays ultimately depends on the CPA you choose, but on average filing your tax return through an accountant will cost between $200-500. The good news is that the deductions – such as, if you are self-employed, listing your accountant’s fee as a business expense, if you are self-employed – can potentially pay for your accountant.