There’s about one month left to file your 2013 taxes. You may notice that there are lots of places soliciting to prepare your taxes these days. Every time you pass a strip-mall you likely see some type of gimmick, from air dancers, flags, and a person dancing on the corner with a sign. These gimmicks were formally found at a used car lot to attract your attention, but competition can be tough these days. Just like buying a car, you want to make sure you don’t get a lemon when it comes to choosing a tax preparer.
These strip mall tax centers are virtually everywhere. Just because they are everywhere, does not necessarily make them better. The quality and expertise of these types of tax preparers rests entirely on who specifically within the pop-up shop prepares your tax return. There really is a spectrum in the quality and experience you may encounter at one of these shops because these companies are often so big and/or individually owned and franchised.
On the one hand, you may be trusting your taxes with a seasoned tax preparer who’s a licensed accountant, really knows what they are doing, and will work closely with you to ensure your returns are accurate. On the other hand, you may be risking doom with someone using the franchise’s own do it yourself software, who’s simply answering the Turbo Tax type questions for you. So the key when trusting your returns with these types of tax preparation shops is to consider the complexity of your tax returns and to ask about the experience and qualifications of the specific person who is actually going to prepare your tax return.