FAQs

Click on each question to see the response to each commonly asked question.

1. Why should I pay a tax professional? You will enjoy numerous benefits when you work with a professional:
- Professionals are far more knowledgeable about tax law
- When you or your software makes a mistake, you will be held liable, but if you work with Jack, he will pay your penalties if he is at fault
- Jack can represent you before the IRS in an audit and defend your positions
- As a client, you will enjoy discounted rates for all tax services; non-clients will be charged at higher rates, including for tax advising, audits, and resolutions
- Jack will let you know what you need to do, so you don't have to know what you don't know 2. What is your expertise with student taxes? Jack has multiple years of experience and research with tax law relevant to college students. This rare niche allows Jack to help hundreds of students and their families save $1500-$4000+ in taxes annually through optimizations, more than enough to cover the cost of our services (note: tax savings depend on your individual situation and are not guaranteed). In a few cases, Jack was able to help low-income students and their families reclaim more than $7,000, $10,000, and $26,000 in tax savings overlooked and mistakes made by their tax professional and DIY tax software. 3. Isn't TurboTax/H&R Block cheaper? Many "tax experts" at those firms are not credentialed and/or experienced because the best tax professionals in the country are not incentivized nor attracted to work for those firms. Furthermore, many of those tax experts likely cannot represent you before the IRS, cannot provide year-long support, (for students) very likely do not possess the right expertise and experience, and will be rushed, all of which are a recipe for disaster, potentially costing you more in the long run to fix. 4. I don't have money to pay my tax liability. Can I ignore it? You should not ignore paying your taxes, as tax authorities can seize your assets (e.g., bank accounts) and garnish your wages! If you don't have enough money at the moment, there are legal ways to work with the tax authorities to reduce or spread out your tax payments. If you are proactive, they will generally be lenient with you. Jack will be able to recommend the best viable options for you and guide you through the procedures. 5. Can you provide guidance while I file my own tax return (DIY)? As tax professionals, we are not allowed to use consumer tax filing software as part of the numerous IRS regulations we need to follow when we file a tax return for a client. Therefore, we will not be able to finish your tax return for you. For liability reasons, we are also limited in our abilities to assist you if you do not file your tax return through us. However, if you are able to send us the draft version of your tax return, it will help expedite the turnaround time if you choose to have us prepare your tax return for you. 6. What is the difference between a CPA and an EA? CPAs are licensed by the state in which they are authorized to practice in, which means they can only represent you before the IRS and the tax authorities in those states. Their expertise usually lies in accounting, which is best for business owners, but that also means not all CPAs practice tax law. EAs are licensed by the IRS, which means they can represent you before the IRS and all state tax authorities. They specialize in tax law, so they are also a perfect choice for a tax professional.