Your taxes play a significant role in your financial situation. Dealing with them shouldn’t be stressful. In other words, working with your accountant should give you peace of mind, even if your financial situation is uniquely complex.
If your taxes are adding more worry to your plate, it’s time to ask yourself: Have you become too complicated for your accountant?
Here are four signs that could mean you’ve outgrown your CPA.
You’re getting last-minute requests for large amounts of information.
You thought your accountant had everything they needed for your tax return, then you get a lengthly list of requested documents that are needed asap. You are forced to drop everything, find the documents, get them to your accountant, and then confirm they are all set. Talk about stressful.
If this happens, it likely means your accountant does not have a process for preparing your tax return—and isn’t thinking ahead to optimize your tax situation.
Lack of consistent contact throughout the year.
Your CPA should be proactively reaching out to you about more than your tax return. If your CPA does not have a system to schedule proactive meetings or is not available to react to your tax situation, they’re looking through a rearview mirror. To maximize your tax savings, you need a CPA who proactively looks ahead.
You’re dealing with only one person.
When you work with a sole proprietor, this one person needs to know everything about your tax situation and have the time to help you. This can be a tall order. What’s more, if your accountant retires or passes away, you could be left to start from scratch.
Working with a firm allows you to work with a dedicated team of accounting professionals. This means you are not beholden to one person’s expertise or availability. Instead, you will be taken care of regardless of how complex your tax or financial situation becomes.
You’re generally dissatisfied with the service.
If your accountant isn’t answering your questions in a timely manner, takes weeks to acknowledge your emails, or sends you a steep bill for responding to a seemingly simple inquiry, they may not have the capacity to meet your needs.
When it comes to complicated tax scenarios (and yes, some scenarios that appear to be simple can fall into this category), your CPA should be communicative and responsive. Are they informing you of the situation’s complexity before they start? Are they responding to your questions in a timely manner? If the answer to either one of these questions is “no,” you may have outgrown your CPA.
Live more and worry less about your taxes.
Worrying about your taxes is the last thing you want to be doing. If you are feeling weighed down by your tax situation, it may be time to explore your options.
Origin CPA Group focuses on clients with complex financial scenarios, which means we are experts in the types of issues you face. Our team delivers high-quality service and tax expertise that considers your current needs and your vision for the future. The result: You are free to live your life without the unique burdens that wealth can bring.
If you would like to learn more about how working with Origin can help you reduce your tax-related stress, contact us today.