The average national cost to have your taxes professionally prepared by an accountant is $200. Quite a bit of pocket change, to be honest; but, can you afford not to?

The average person is missing well over $100 in itemizations, which results in too much money paid in and too little money received. Quite frankly, not hiring an accountant is just too expensive.

Now that you know what you are up against, here are 6 tips to help select the right accountant for you:

1. Interview your accountant in person]. A big chain will not give the same attention, so avoid these. You might also need your accountant at some other point in the year. Typically, big chains hire extra accountants from January to April only. During off-season, you’ll not likely to get the same attention, so it’s going to make asking any questions frustrating and inefficient.

2. A big chain is going to cost you more in the end than an individual accountant will. Yes, big chains look like they charge less up front, but the fine print tells you that they can charge extra fees, such as for each deduction. They can also charge you to guarantee the accuracy of your taxes. An accountant you hire yourself will both guarantee the work done with no extra charge, and will give you better and more personal service for less money.

3. Your accountant’s credentials are important. Only a CPA, tax lawyer or EA can represent you in court. Just two states, California and Oregon, require licensing for tax professionals. Anyone can call him or herself a tax professional, but only those with proper certification can represent you in court.

4. Ask for referrals and references. If friends or relatives have been happy with the accountant they are using, chances are you will be, too. Similar to picking out your dentist, or physician, word-of-mouth is often a very good way to go.

5. Expect professional, courteous treatment. If your accountant is rude, doesn’t return calls, or is otherwise unprofessional, find someone else. Remember that you’re paying your accountant to do a job for you, and you should expect to get your money’s worth, especially with the stress of tax season adding to difficulty. If you don’t, find someone else.

6. Your expectations should be reasonable. Remember that your accountant can only work with what he or she is given. Therefore, if you are not responsible or have bad records, it’s likely that the results aren’t going to be perfect. However, your accountant can do the best job possible, and he or she may also be able to help you become better at keeping tax records yourself. Take advice from them as long as you trust them, and maybe taxes won’t be so stressful next time.

Tags: Business

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