as far as deductions Jackson Hewitt claims to get you the most possible money so why should i continue to go to my own accountant. i do have kids and own a home but would that make any difference with who does my taxes? im just curious because i wonder why people choose one or the other?
2007-01-23 23:07:40 · 6 answers · asked by toolate 3 in Business & Finance ➔ Taxes ➔ United States
That depends upon the complexity of your return. For most tax payers, the storefront mills are fine.
A tax professional such as a tax attorney or CPA can provide legal advice in regards to tax law. JH and H&R Block cannot and will not.
A tax pro can represent you at IRS proceedings and in court, the tax prep mills cannot. The tax prep mills can only send someone to explain how they came up with the numbers that they did, but that's it. The cannot present any points of law, etc.
If you have any tax situation where there is a question of how to apply the law, use a tax pro. The storefront mills will always follow revenue rulings for safety. However, revenue rulings are only opinions of staff attorneys of the IRS and only the IRS is legally bound by them. Taxpayers are free to argue against them in tax court and DO win on many occasions but you'll want a pro to present that in court.
Of course, there's also the point about having a personal relationship with your tax adviser. If you use a CPA, you're working with the same person every year. They are actively looking out for you. A good CPA will contact you whenever there are changes to tax laws that might impact your personal situation well in advance of tax time so you can best prepare for any impact.
At a storefront mill, you'll deal with another tax preparer every year. That person is usually a part-timer earning extra income; they might be a mechanic or a cook in their day job. Once you leave you'll probably never hear from them again. You might get some sort of newsletter as tax time approaches with information on tax law changes but everyone gets the same newsletter and its primary purpose is to get you to bring your business back to them again; it's not tailored to YOUR tax situation.
2007-01-23 23:39:56 · answer #1 · answered by Bostonian In MO 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well I would say NEVER to the Jackson Hewitt or H&R Block type companies, they have outrageous prices and the onyl plus is you can get your money back quicker. However if you do your taxes online (TurboTax.com or TaxAct.com) like i have been using the past few years you can get both state and federal returns in about 7-10 days via direct deposit and they are very easy to use and only cost about 15 bucks! However i am a single male with no children and i don't own a home yet so I know my taxes are slightly easier since I don't have a lot of things to itemize. So give the online tax companies a shot, they don't charge or file anything until the very end so you can always back out if you get confused. If the online companies don't work for you i would say chose your personal accountant, they're much more trustworthy.
2007-01-24 00:16:14 · answer #2 · answered by heyfiremuhn 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you have an accountant that you trust and you've worked well with, there is no point in changing now. It's very hard to get a good accountant that you can trust. Afterall, the Jackson Hewitt accountants will use the same laws your accountant uses to get you deductions. The only difference may be the cost prices they charge to do the job.
2007-01-23 23:16:08 · answer #3 · answered by Muga Wa Kabbz 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Is your accountant a CPA? If so, ethically he is not supposed to promise what type of refund you will get. This is just advertising by a company that is trying to get your business. If you have a very small and simple return, Jackson Hewitt might be fine and cost less. However, if you have some complicated items or concerns, I would look for a CPA. CPAs are required to have continuing education each year and should be able to provide the most expert service.
2007-01-23 23:15:01 · answer #4 · answered by Homeslice 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You mention the word "personal." What does that tell you? Do you value a relationship where you can call your accountant any time of the year to discuss things? Do you have a need for more broad-based advice than you would get at a tax-shop?
It really depends how you feel yourself. Everyone's situation is different. Smart people who can see life changes coming a year or two away usually invest in a CPA before they really need one. Often, that is a wise investment.
As for the tax shops, many people have the same situation (more or less) year after year. They can be adequately served by a tax shop.
One word of caution. If you have investments which may require a capital gains computation in later years, a CPA is often the better bet.
2007-01-23 23:19:11 · answer #5 · answered by skip 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i think people go t jackson hewitt for fast money. to me it is always better to do your taxes on your own you save more money and it turns out the same....i use online software
2007-01-23 23:16:28 · answer #6 · answered by Mrs Fulton 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋