Professional Tax Service | How To Select The Best Tax Professional as an Expat

Finding The Best Professional Tax Service

For taxpayers who are wading through their options on where to prepare their tax return and choosing a professional tax service, we offer six tips to find the best professional tax service:

1. Check the credentials of the tax preparer. All tax preparers, whether an Enrolled Agent, CPA or un-enrolled preparer must be registered with the IRS. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requires all paid tax preparers to have a Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN), so make sure your tax preparer has one and enters it on your return. IRS credentials can be checked at: Understanding Tax Return Preparer Credentials
2. Check the reputation of the Professional Tax Service with the Better Business Bureau, State Boards of Accountancy (if a CPA) and other resources
3. Interview/talk to the preparer before deciding to hire them – based on your conversations with the tax professional, do you feel comfortable and confident, do they seem attentive and responsive to your questions (definitely ask questions to test their knowledge and about their service); returning your calls or responding to your email quickly before you even decide to hire them is a good sign. If they aren’t very responsive and you haven’t hired them yet, do you think it will improve after you’ve hired and paid them money?
4. Hiring a professional tax service can save you money in lower taxes and lower audit risk (which can cost you a lot of money in the long run if you are audited). Don’t focus only on price and certainly not on the cheapest preparer – you get what you pay for and a tax professional worth their salt will charge you a fair price for the value that they provide.
5. Hire a credentialed preparer. We recommend Enrolled Agents (an EA) as they are America’s Tax Expert and the only credentialed preparer that specializes in strictly income taxes.
6. Avoid tax preparers that ask to be paid a percentage of your refund or don’t sign on your return. Both are tax fraud and should be avoided at all costs.

Our goal at Tax Samaritan is to provide the best counsel, advocacy and personal service for our clients. We are not only tax preparation and representation experts, but strive to become valued business partners. Tax Samaritan is committed to understanding our client’s unique needs; every tax situation is different and requires a personal approach in providing realistic and effective solutions.
If you would like a quote, please click on the button below for a free, no obligation Tax Preparation quote and/or free 30-minute consultation to discuss your tax situation with the Professional Tax Service of Tax Samaritan further:

Tax Samaritan is a team of Enrolled Agents with over 25 years of experience focusing on US tax preparation and representation. We maintain this tax blog where all articles are written by Enrolled Agents. Our main objective is to educate US taxpayers on their tax responsibilities and the selection of a tax professional. Our articles are also designed to help taxpayers looking to self prepare, providing specific tips and pitfalls to avoid.

Every effort has been taken to provide the most accurate and honest analysis of the tax information provided in this blog. Please use your discretion before making any decisions based on the information provided. This blog is not intended to be a substitute for seeking professional tax advice based on your individual needs.