Monday, October 17, 2016

What You Need To Know About Tax Preparation

By Ryan Walker


Every adult is required to pay taxes. This is a legal requirement that nobody can escape. Some people may try to evade it while others may try to avoid it legally, or defer it, but in the end, taxes must be paid. Evasion of taxes is a serious crime that comes with serious jail time and fines. The IRS has hired tens of thousands of personnel to scrutinize tax returns and determine who needs to be audited to find out whether or not they are tax compliant. That said, tax payers can either do their own taxes or hire a professional to offer tax preparation services.

It is not easy to prepare tax returns, especially if you have multiple income sources. This is because there are many tax credits and deductions which you might qualify for whenever you buy certain items of pay for certain services. The average person cannot be well-versed with all the tax rules, so the services of a professional should be sought. That said, the best person to handle your tax returns is a certified public accountant.

Tax rates differ greatly depending on source of income, nature of the business and tax benefits. For instance, interest and dividend income usually incur the lowest tax rates while business income and employment incomes usually come with the highest tax rates. Since the rules are quite complicated, it is usually advisable for taxpayers to engage the services of a professional when the tax season arrives.

Calculating taxes is never an easy process. There are tax deductions and benefits that must be taken into consideration as well as allowances that must be added to the basic pay of an employee to come up with the total taxable income. For instance, house allowances, retirement contributions, health benefits and overtime pay must be added to the basic pay to determine the gross income of a taxpayer. The next step is to deduct all tax-deductible expenses of the taxpayer. After that, the applicable tax rate is used to determine the total tax bill of the taxpayer.

It is possible for a taxpayer to get money from the IRS, in form of a refund, instead of paying tax. This can either be due to a negative tax bill or excess payment of taxes. The IRS can take anywhere from a few weeks to a couple of months to refund any excess tax paid.

There is usually a strict deadline for filing returns with the IRS. This is usually done through tax filing software as the IRS no long accepts manual filings. Furthermore, the returns must be submitted on time. Late filings usually attract penalties and fines.

Inaccurate filings can amount to fraud if they are deliberate. In many cases, the IRS normally carries out a tax audit to find out whether the inaccuracies are simply errors or a sign of fraud. That said, no taxpayer wants to have their accounts audited.

There are many CPA firms as well as individual certified accountants who offer tax services. By simply searching online, you can easily find highly rated accountants who can do your taxes quickly, cost effectively and accurately. When driving through Marietta, GA, you will also see signs, billboards and posters of accounting firms advertising their services. Before choosing an accountant, however, be sure to read reviews to see how different firms are rated.




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