Today’s post is brought to you by the brainiacs over at the Procedurally Taxing Blog. Specifically, it was this post on a taxpayer winning damages from an employer who both misclassified him as an independent contractor (he got a 1099-MISC instead of a W2) and who reported more on the 1099-MISC than the employee (he… Read More
This is how I earn my living. I work pretty much full time, pretty much year round. Even when I’m not doing tax returns, I’m doing representation work (helping people who are being audited or who are in IRS collections), I’m working on the business side of my small business, or I am reading. I… Read More
I love living here in the west. We have lots of sayings about “things cowboy” out here: Cowboy (or cowgirl) up. Not my rodeo, not my clowns. Not my cattle, not my (uh) manure. Big hat, no cattle. And the list goes on. I’ve visited lots of places in this country and all of them have… Read More
Tax Therapy is a small office. If you call during the off season (June through December), chances are high that I (Amber Gray-Fenner, Enrolled Agent) will pick up the phone. It is also likely that I will be the one responding to e-mails sent to the info or admin accounts. During tax season, however, there… Read More
All the time. My Dad is in his 80s and lives in another state. I have two (almost grown) children. I understand emergencies happen. If they happen to you, please do your best to call or e-mail to reschedule your appointment or to let us know what is going on. We will work with you… Read More
No, this one is not about following the law. That goes without saying in the Tax Therapy office! This one is about office procedures, policies, and preferences that help us to process returns efficiently, keep prices reasonable, and keep my head from exploding. If you have never actually been to the office, it is really… Read More
If I had a quarter for every time a client called or e-mailed with a “quick question” or a potential client said “my taxes are really simple” I could probably retire (not that I want to). If you’ve ever asked me a “quick question” you’ll know that most of the time my answer is along the… Read More
The question is not can you, but should you? I often answer calls from potential clients (often referrals from existing clients) who have 1099 (independent contractor/self employed) income. Sometimes they call because they “ran into problems with Turbo Tax.” More often it’s someone’s first time getting a 1099 instead of a W2 and s/he doesn’t… Read More
The Tax Girl (Kelly Phillips Erb) has an excellent post called 12 Questions to Ask When Choosing a Tax Preparer. It’s a great post, especially if you have actually narrowed the list of possibles to a few probably qualified candidates. My list of 5 questions overlaps some with hers, but is geared more toward finding that short… Read More
Many years ago, when my kids were still little, I mentioned to my friend, Julia, that we were having a birthday party at a kid-oriented pizza franchise (to remain nameless). She promptly responded “I have a strict policy of not eating at restaurants that have rodents as a mascot.” I remembered this on the drive… Read More