When do you need a tax preparer?

“The only two guarantees in life are death and taxes,” said Benjamin Franklin. You must pay federal income taxes. Maybe you can use a $59 app that asks a few questions, generates forms and tells you where to send them. That works if you live a simple life. Most of us don’t. That’s when hiring a tax preparer makes sense.

Tax prep software works when your life is simple. You do not invest, pay mortgage, own a car, incur any expenses or run a business. If only life were so easy.

If you live in El Dorado Hills, your life is probably more advanced. You have some investments. Maybe you own and rent out condos. Maybe you have an IRA or 401(k) at work. Maybe you own your home and track your expenses diligently. Maybe you own a car. Maybe you have a side business or even better, maybe you’re self-employed.

At some point, the $59 tax prep software becomes insufficient. That is when you call a tax preparer. The tax preparer gathers more information and prepares tax returns that most folks don’t want to do. Completing them is either too time consuming or the forms themselves are too confusing. Keeping up with tax laws and allowable deductions is not easy. Tax preparers like Dave Fechter, CPA, attend tax training every year. With 30-plus years’ experience, he still attends training and uses that new knowledge when preparing tax returns and making his clients’ lives easier.

Before the tax season hits us, call Dave Fechter, CPA. Get on board with a tax preparer who will make life easier next Spring and legally help you maximize your refund.