Frequently Asked Questions

What is your fee?

I have a fee structure by form on here: https://sites.google.com/site/taxservicesbysue/home

My other tax guy charges xyz

Please use the other tax guy if you are happy with their services.  My fees accurately reflect my experience, my education, costs of running a business and what I am comfortable with

Turbotax is showing me a bigger refund

Turbotax depends on the user knowing what they are doing. Garbage in = garbage out

Do I need to report income from Etsy, Uber, my side hustle?

Yes, all worldwide income needs to be reported on your tax return

I don’t know what my expenses are. Just put what you think is fair

That is not how the IRS works. They need accurate data

I don’t want to report one of my W2s

We need to report all your income

My friend makes the same money I make but her refund is bigger?

Are you sure she makes what you make? Does she get the same take home pay every paycheck? Is her situation the same as yours? Same number of kids, spouse has same exact job?

I am happy to review her tax return against yours to tell you the differences if you can bring it in. There will be a fee for the review.

Can you give me an estimate?

Of course, for a fee

Why can’t you do estimates for free?

Because I like to spend my free time with my kids.

Because I don’t work for free.

Because I have paying clients who need my time.

How do I know my data is safe with you?

We are using a secure portal. I have an IT guy who has put safegaurds on my computers and network. I have insurance that covers my business in case of breach

Can you walk me thru every line of my return?

No, I cannot teach you how to complete a tax return but I can tell you that if you take Accounting 1 and 2 and Taxation 1 at any college, you should be able to get a good understanding of a basic return.

Can we run scenarios on what makes sense for my business?

Yes, I offer tax planning from May to December

What happens if I get a letter from the IRS. Will you help resolve it?

Yes. If it was my mistake, I do it for free.

If you forgot to mention something – income, forms, then I charge a fee

If it is an IRS error, I charge a fee

Do you do bookkeeping and payroll? What are the fees?

Yes, of course. Fees depend on volume and complexity of work.

Can I have multiple jobs?

If you are a US Citizen or Permanent Resident, yes. Make sure to check non-compete clauses in your employment agreement.

If you are on a work visa, you have to abide by the rules governing the visa. Check with a lawyer.

Do you provide financial planning?

No, I am not certified to provide financial guidance, only taxation.

Is there a benefit to filing jointly with my spouse or Single

If you are married, your choices are Filing Jointly or Married Filing Separate; never Single.

In 98% of cases, it is beneficial to file jointly. I am happy to do a comparison if you think filing separate will be better.

My wife is my dependent but she is not listed in the dependent section

In the eyes of the IRS, your wife is a Joint filer with you and not a dependent

Why can’t I claim Head of Household status?

Head of Household status is for Single people who support a qualifying relative – there are specific laws around who you can claim and their relationship to you and support tests to meet

Do I get a benefit from buying a house?

Depends on how much your pay for mortgage interest and property taxes, which state you live in, whether you are married or single.

Your deductions have to be larger than the Standard Deduction for your status to make it work.

How is the Form W4 related to how much taxes I pay?

Your Form W4 guides your employer to withhold taxes from your paycheck and send it to the IRS and state. The goal is to try and match what you will owe to what is withheld.

If you owe more than was withheld, you will have to pay the difference.

If you owe less than what was withheld, you will get a refund.