Tax preparation that does not disappear on April 16
Every spring, storefronts open across Charlotte offering fast refunds and close again a week after the deadline. When a notice arrives in August about the return they prepared, there is nobody to call. We have prepared individual returns at the same firm since 1997, and the person who prepared yours is the person who answers when the IRS has a question about it. That continuity is the whole difference between a tax preparer and an accounting firm.
Our individual clients range from a single W-2 to returns with a small business on Schedule C, rental properties, income in two or three states, investment sales, dependents in another country and ITIN applications for family members who are not yet eligible for a Social Security number. Many are the owners and employees of the businesses whose books we keep, which means the business return and the personal return are prepared by people who can see both.
We prepare the return to be right, not to be large. A refund built on a deduction you cannot support is a notice waiting to happen, and we have spent enough years on the resolution side to know exactly what that costs. If a deduction is legitimate we will find it and document it. If it is not, we will tell you why.
- W-2 employees and families. Credits for children, education and dependents, checked against the rules every year.
- Self-employed and gig income. Schedule C, home office, vehicle, equipment and self-employment tax planning.
- ITIN holders and applicants. Returns for taxpayers without a Social Security number, and help applying for or renewing an ITIN.
- Rental property and investments. Depreciation, capital gains and the records you need to prove basis.
- Multi-state and prior-year returns. Moved from another state, or have a year you never filed? Both are routine here.
- IRS letters answered. If a notice arrives about a return we prepared, bring it in. That is part of the service.
How we prepare your return
Gather
You receive a checklist in your language of what to bring or upload: income forms, expense records, last year’s return if you are new to us, and identification for everyone on the return. Documents can be dropped at our Matthews office or sent through our secure portal.
Prepare and review
Your preparer builds the return and a second person reviews it. We compare it to last year and to the income the IRS already has on file, because a mismatch is the most common reason a return gets a notice.
Explain, sign, file
We walk you through the result, in person or by video, before you sign. You know what you are getting back or paying and why. Then we e-file, and you get confirmation when the IRS accepts it.
Plan for next year
If you owed more than expected, or got back more than you should have, we adjust your withholding or estimated payments so next year looks the way you want it to.
Why families and individuals choose us
Open all year
Questions in July get answered in July.
Bilingual from the front desk to the signature
Nothing gets lost in translation because nothing is translated.
We know what causes notices
Our resolution division sees the mistakes other preparers make. We do not make them.
In person or by video
Our Matthews office, plus video appointments from anywhere.
Personal tax questions
Photo ID, Social Security cards or ITIN letters for everyone on the return, all income forms (W-2, 1099, 1098), records of expenses you want to claim, last year’s return if you are new to us, and your bank details for direct deposit. We send a full checklist when you book.
Yes. We prepare the Form W-7 application and the tax return it must be attached to, and we explain which identity documents the IRS accepts. Renewals for expired ITINs are handled the same way.
It depends on the forms in the return. A simple W-2 return costs less than one with a business schedule, rental properties or several states. We quote the fee before we start, based on your documents, and it does not change unless the return does.
Ordinary and necessary expenses of the business: supplies, tools, vehicle use for work, a home office that is used only for the business, phone and internet in proportion to business use, insurance, subcontractors and more. The key word is records. We help you set up a simple system so next year’s deductions are documented as they happen.
Yes. Prior-year returns are prepared here regularly. If several years are missing or the IRS has already assessed a balance, our Tax Pitbull division takes over so the returns and the balance are handled together.
No. Many clients send documents through our secure portal and review the return by video. Others prefer to sit down with their preparer at our Matthews office. Either way works, and the fee is the same.