Well, it's been a while since I've checked in with the networkingphoenix.com family. As the owner of a tax firm, my January is filled with last-minute continuing education regarding the December tax changes, training my staff on all the latest and greatest law and policy, as well as general ship-shaping of my office to get it ready to see 700+ clients over the next three months!
Over the past week or two, and for the next few weeks, you'll begin receiving W-2s, 1099s, 1098s, brokerage statements, and probably a whole lot of agida.
There are many resources out there to help you wade through your 2010 taxes. First and foremost, there are paid professionals like me (shameless self promotion), but if you are going it on your own, here are a few places you can turn to for help:<!--break-->
360Taxes: A resource provided by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, 360 taxes was designed to help consumers understand their taxes. Check out the popular "Ask A CPA" section, where you can get answers from CPAs in public practice.
IRS Free File: You may have seen a commercial where a popular retail tax preparation service is offering "Free Tax Filing" for those who file 1040EZs. Those same folks, and more, can be utilizing the IRS Free Filie Alliance to prepare their federal income taxes for free without any special deals! If your AGI is $58,000 or less, you can choose from 16 reputable online tax preparation services to prepare your return at no cost to you! A word ot the wise ... many of these firms will attempt to sell you ancellary products such as refund anticipation loans, audit insurance, or other "services." Additionally, their agreement with the IRS does not extend to the state tax return, which can usually be included for a nominal fee.
TaxMama: Fellow Enrolled Agent Eva Rosenberg, aka TaxMama has done a heck of a job putting together a website with rich and deep content. The site has a new membership feature, but there are still many features that are free.
TaxAlmanac: This is a wiki site which is sponsored by Intuit (makers of TurboTax, Lacerte, and QuickBooks) and maintained by tax professionals around the world. The forums are not for the fainthearted, as they are supposed to be for practitioners and not consumers, so if you post a question, be prepared to be chastised when they (easially) determine that you're not a professional.
As you peruse the internet for help, please make sure you are checking reputable sites. There are many resources out there, and many of them are dubuious, sometimes put together by some of the infamous tax protesters out there. I certainly do not want you to be the next Wesley Snipes!
If you have any questions, or need a consultation, please feel free to contact my office at 480 946-7732.
http://www.networkingphoenix.com/node/44129
