Nothing leads to more gnashing of teeth than the thought of preparing your own taxes. Fortunately, there are people out there that do it for a living.
Here Are My Receipts
If the thought of preparing your own taxes makes you queasy, dont worry. Preparing your taxes is a job that can be shipped out to others. These individuals, known loosely as tax preparers, prepare tax returns year around. Heres a breakdown of the different types of preparers.
Basic preparers are the least trained, but the cheapest to hire. They tend to be part time workers who are individually employed our work at large out fits like the one with the letters H and R in its name. If you have a simple tax situation, like basic W2 wages and no homeownership, this can be a good choice.
Enrolled agents are a step up from basic preparers. These individuals are licensed by the IRS and must take continuing education courses to maintain their license. That being said, they are not formally educated in the field of finance or tax. Enrolled agents are typically more competent than basic preparers, but much less so than a CPA. If you have a tax situation requiring a basic 1040 filing with one...