What Can A Tax Advisor Do For You?

You can’t run, and you can’t hide. April comes to the US on schedule every year, and when it reaches its mid-point, Uncle Sam comes calling with his hat in hand, awaiting the donations from millions of his beloved nieces and nephews. Uncle Sam is not at all happy when his nieces and nephews try to fool him, and he has hired a big group of people, who call themselves the IRS, to see that his nieces and nephews make their donations in the amounts required of them.

So for most of his nieces and nephews, the weeks leading up to the mid-point of April can be the least enjoyable of the year. While many US taxpayers have simple enough lifestyles and modest enough incomes that they can accurately determine how much Uncle Sam expects from them without help, there are also millions of US taxpayers with multiple income streams, multiple deductions, and multiple headaches from the mere thought of April 15. For these people, seeking help from a tax advisor is a very good way to avoid the wrath of Uncle Sam.

A tax return is, after all, a legally binding document; once it is signed all the mistakes are there to be dissected, and if necessary, punished. And the punishments can range from interest-accruing fines to prison time. The risks of filing an improperly prepared return, for those who have a lot to lose, warrant turning to a tax advisor.

What A tax Advisor Does

A tax advisor is someone who has professional expertise taxation issues and can help his or her clients sort out their best strategies for a legal return while saving getting back as much money as possible. A tax advisor will feel quite at home translating the legal jargon of the Tax Codes, and will know where to look for the regulations which apply to your particular situation. Your tax advisor will also show you how to make your final return appear to be in line with your income, which is the best way to avoid a red flag.

You can consult with a tax advisor either by telephone or in person, and should have no problem finding one if you live n an urban area. If you’re in a small town you can still find a tax advisor through an Internet search, as most of them have business websites.

How To Help Your Tax Advisor

You should provide your tax advisor with all your pertinent tax documents and records well ahead of tax filing time so that he or she will have adequate time to look them over. If your tax advisor is any good, you will be just one client among many, so the more time you allow for a review, the better the results will be.

And it’s up to you to see that your records are well-organized and easy to understand. You are paying your tax advisor by the hour, and you don’t really want you money to be spent on his or her going through the shoe boxes to separate business expenses from entertainment expenses, do you?