Doing some homework in advance can help you get the most from your tax preparer this year, at the least cost:
* Schedule a meeting soon. By March or April, your tax pro may not have much time for you.
* Organize your documents. Don’t just gather up a folder full of papers that you’ll empty on your tax preparer’s desk. Instead, categorize your income and expenses to make life easier for your advisor.
If you are not organized in advance, your tax preparer will have to spend meeting time sorting out your records. He or she might have to take more time after the meeting, trying to get your records in order. The more time that has to be spent on such accounting chores, the higher your fee is likely to be.
In addition, a tax pro who uses up all the meeting time shuffling papers won’t have time to provide you with much advice. If you come prepared, your advisor can look over your records and give you some tips on future tax reduction or financial planning.
