| It's the time of the year again that many of us dread - | | | | work! There is something to be said for handing over |
| tax time! Thoughts of mountains of paper, boxes | | | | your pile of papers to the accountant, and having them |
| crammed with junk and short tempers come to mind. | | | | hand you back a finished product. The expense to do |
| It's the last thing on your mind during the holiday | | | | this has to be factored in big time, though. |
| season, and many times one of the first things to | | | | Having an Accountant Prepare Your Income Taxes |
| sneak up on you in the first few weeks of the new | | | | for You |
| year. | | | | Pros:oGather up your pile of "stuff" (papers), and drop |
| There's no escaping it. | | | | them off at the accountant's office. In a few weeks or |
| So what to do? Do you bite the bullet, buy some | | | | so, you'll have a nice, neat finished product. |
| fancy-pants software package and hope for the best, | | | | Cons:oYou actually have to leave the house to drop |
| or shell out what could be some serious beanos to | | | | off your information. There is always the chance your |
| have a tax preparer or accountant prepare your | | | | confidential documents could get lost.oOther people |
| taxes for you? Here are some pros and cons for | | | | have access to your private information, including social |
| each. | | | | security numbers, bank statements and investment |
| Do-It-Yourself Tax Preparation | | | | account statements.oYou have not been involved in |
| Pros:oYou can e-file from the privacy of your | | | | the preparation of your income tax return in a |
| home.oYou can file instantly. No need to wait until the | | | | "hands-on" way; you have to hope the accountant has |
| accountant can fit you in.oNo need to schlep tons of | | | | done exactly what they said they would and that it's |
| paper to the accountant's office, possibly never to be | | | | correct.oIt is not cheap to have your tax return |
| seen again!oYou can save a pile of money by doing it | | | | prepared by a professional. Rates can run from a |
| yourself.oNobody knows your financial situation better | | | | couple of hundred dollars up to several thousand, |
| than you. | | | | depending on your circumstances. |
| Cons:oYou can't buy just any-old software. You have | | | | All in all, it will take a little bit of soul-searching to decide |
| to make sure it's from a reputable and trusted | | | | which way is better for you. But don't wait too long - |
| authority who guarantees their calculations and stands | | | | April 15th will be here before you know it! |
| behind their product.oYou'll actually have to do the | | | | |