The only sure thing in life are death and taxes.
Everyone has heard that one. So if you don’t think you will be facing the grim reaper anytime soon, chances are good that tax season is your primary concern.
But it doesn’t need to be that way. Instead, this tax season you can actually make money.
Here are five ways to do it.
1. Remember that Time is Money
You can save yourself a lot of time, money, and last-minute frustration by simply getting started in preparing yourself for your meeting with a tax preparer. Make sure that your tax materials are organized and ready for your preparer to go through. It will save him time and you money. Going into this process unprepared with make the whole thing much more messy than it needs to be.
2. File Before the Rush
You can save considerable amounts of money if you enlist the help of professional tax services well before the tax deadline. Obviously, getting things to your preparer before the last minute rush will earn you the lowest fees. By doing this, your preparer will be able to dedicated more attention to your taxes and you will also be able to get your tax return much faster.
3. Be Careful of the Accoutrements
Whenever you go to see a tax preparer make sure you aren’t working with a fly by night operation, but at the same time, don’t choose one that obviously has a lot of overhead such as fancy offices with expensive furniture. The lower budget a preparer works with, chances are good he doesn’t charge as much as those who are lot better “appointed.” Just because a preparer is cheap doesn’t mean that they will not be able to do good work, but it is also true that they might not have the necessary experience and knowledge to handle more complicated issues with your taxes.
4. Ask Questions
Especially if you arrive at the tax preparation office early in the season, be sure to ask why you should do business with them. Think of it as dangling a carrot in the face of the preparer. If it’s early in the season, he will want the work and may very well charge you less to get the job done. They also will be able to give you a greater amount of attention if you are one of the few people that they are actually working with at the time.
5. Be bold
Especially if you are asking an independent operator, asking for a lower fee might very well get you exactly what you want. In many ways, the tax prep business is like any other. When a business person has the opportunity to make money he will often take that opportunity, especially if he is less busy than he knows he will be when the tax season looms. You can also use that to your advantage by simply pointing out that he probably isn’t very busy and can have your business with a lower fee. The worst he can do to you is say no.
The tax prep business is like any other, which means that there are a variety of different strategies and tips that you can implement in order to save money and get the greatest return. Perhaps the biggest thing you can do to help take some of the pain out of the process is to be thoroughly prepared, and to prepare early. Procrastination can get you in a sticky situation, so it’s best to avoid any frustration by being ready from the get-go.
| Written on 2/3/2014 by Dixie Somers. |
Photo Credit: Accu-Tax Financial Services
