Taxpayers must ensure that the professionals handling their affairs are credible and skilled enough to provide them with the best filing strategies. However, these are only some prerequisites you should consider if you are looking for a tax preparer. You entrust confidential information regarding yourself and your family to these professionals, and it is justified for you to ask for their credentials. You must ensure the credibility and capability of the professional you intend to entrust with your tax preparations, and you can refer to the following checkpoints to do so! Let us discuss the do’s and don’ts of choosing a tax prepare for yourself.

Things you should consider while choosing a tax preparer:

Several checkpoints have been prescribed by the IRS and other experts that you must consider while choosing a professional to carry out tax preparation on your behalf. Ensuring that the tax preparer ticks these checkpoints enhances their chances of being genuine and honest tax professionals, ultimately saving you from scamming.

• It would be best if you chose a taxpayer available throughout the year, so that you can reach out to them in case you need clarification. You should be able to reach them even after the tax season ends.
• As stated earlier, you should check the credentials of your tax preparer before entrusting them with confidential information such as SSNs and information related to family members. Check the records for their license status and disciplinary actions against them.
• Be mindful of how the tax preparer you are dealing with is asking for their tax preparation charges.  If the tax preparer wants to base their service charges around a percentage of the tax refund, or if they are asking to have a part or the entirety of the tax refunds to be deposited into their account before it can be accessed by the taxpayer, RUN! Avoid tax preparers that claim to provide their clients with higher tax returns than their competitors. 
• It would be best if you chose enrolled agents, CPAs, and attorneys rather than Annual Filing Season Program (AFSP) participants, as the AFSP participants can represent taxpayers in limited situations. However, enrolled agents, CPAs, and attorneys are allowed to represent their clients in front of the IRS if they have carried out the tax preparation for a client in every situation.
• Ensure that you are not signing documents or cheques that are yet to be filled. Moreover, you are suggested to review the tax return before you sign it. Ask questions, and clear out all your doubts before filing your tax returns. Rectify mistakes, if any, and ensure that the bank account number stated on the tax return is yours and accurate!

Why choosing the correct tax preparer is essential?

Choosing a professional to handle your tax preparation with valid credentials and qualifications is crucial, as they will have access to confidential information regarding you and your family. In the wrong hands, this information can prove to be harmful. Therefore, it is suggested that you ensure that your information is in the hands of an honest and skilled professional. Moreover, you should pay attention to the details regarding their qualification and capabilities. If their tax preparation and filing strategies are less efficient than they are, you might lose money on the table. Therefore, every taxpayer must conduct proper research regarding the efficiency and credibility of the tax preparer before making the final decision.

Practices	Valid tax preparers	Shady tax preparers
Providing              their  credentials	Will sign the tax return and provide   their PTIN readily.	Will not sign the tax return documents, or provide         credentials.
Tax filing             method	Will let you choose according to your   convenience.	Will do their best to convince you to file your taxes offline, through the mail.
Service charges	Charges a justifiable amount for tax   preparation, which is close to the   national average.	Will ask you to pay them a certain percentage of the tax return, or modifies their service charges according to the tax return amount.
Bank account       details on Form 1040	Will ask you to provide your own Bank   Account Number.	An agent with ill-intent in their mind will ask  you to provide their bank account details on Form 1040.
Disciplinary action	Choose a tax preparer that has not had   grave disciplinary actions taken against   them, which displays their honesty.	Tax preparers with too many disciplinary actions taken against them are usually known to scam  people.

 

Possible misconducts:

It is mandatory for everyone involved in the tax preparation of another party, and professionals that assist taxpayers in doing so, to have a valid Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN) and to sign and mention their PTIN on tax returns prepared by them. If a tax preparer does not do so, they might be looking to make a quick buck by promising taxpayers big tax refunds. Taxpayers mustn't fall prey to such "ghost" tax preparers. You can identify these ghost tax preparers based on their actions. If you've fallen prey to a ghost tax preparer, they might print your tax returns and ask you to mail the documents to the IRS. However, if you want to file taxes online, they might refuse to sign the documents to hide their trails electronically. Avoid shady tax preparers that do not want to reveal their identity to the IRS.

In case you find yourself falling prey at the hands of a dishonest tax preparer, you can file a complaint against them by filling up Form 14157. Tax professionals can also use this form to report events potentially affecting their PTIN. In Section-A this form, you must mention the professional status of the professional you have dealt with, their name and address, and their business. You must also have access to the preparer's telephone number and email address, their PTIN, Electronic Filing Identification Number (EFIN), and the Employer Identification Number (EIN) to ensure that the agent is identified accurately. In Section B of the form, you must provide information regarding the complaint, such as the tax period impacted, the amount paid to the tax preparer for their services, and your grievance against them. Section C of the form requires you to provide the taxpayer's information. If you are filling up this form on behalf of someone else, you must provide your information in Section D. You can mail or Fax this form to the address provided within the "Instructions" section of the form!

If you are still looking for a tax preparer who can handle your tax preparation and filing processes effectively to avoid all the hassle and obtain maximum tax returns, consider working with NSKT Global! NSKT Global is well known within the market for the secure infrastructure it functions on, as well as the efficient tax filing strategies that it provides. NSKT Global uses highly trusted, and credible tools and software to handle your tax affairs.

The tax professionals employed by the company are trained to provide clients with the best tax filing strategies and assist them at every step of the process. This removes a significant burden from the taxpayers, justifying the hype regarding NSKT Global. Head to the official NSKT Global website to read the many testimonials and reviews this company brandishes, and find out how you can benefit from their services! You can also book an appointment with a tax professional to understand how NSKT Global can help you with your tax preparation and filing responsibilities and how you can benefit from the same!

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