A tax professional is a being who has wide knowledge of all tax related laws, regulations and procedures and is trained properly. A person with such credentials can be called a tax professional. But it is not easy to understand what kind of knowledge the concerned person has. People work with professionals to avoid any kind of mistakes that they can intentionally make due to lack of experience and training. If the professional ends up making one or few mistakes, there is no meaning in paying a professional. The professional should also be capable of representing clients before IRS and prepare everything necessary to solve the dispute. It is the job of the taxpayers to do their own research to find the professional who will be perfect to work with. Read more to have a better understanding of the role of the experts.
Few things to look out
The returns on your tax filing even before going through the details. If a professional tries to convince you that you are going to get a huge return even before filing the details, it is definitely a red flag. A trained professional takes time to go through all the details before assuring you of the results. The preparer must sign the filed return. If the preparer refuses to do so, make sure not to sign it before they do. There are some preparers who work from the comfort of their home. But if the preparer does not have a permanent office, it is better not to rely on such people. Always make sure that your preparer has a website as well. You might the person later in case of audits and other issues. You might have something to ask or need their help to resolve some conflicts. Make sure that the firm or person can be found easily.
