How to Consult Services for Tax Obligations

• 1). What are you? You will be filing taxes as an individual, business, charity or government entity, to give just a few broad examples. In these categories there are numerous IRS forms and publications, which may be needed to successfully file your return. You don't have to know exactly how you will be filing, but you may want to do some initial thinking so you're not shooting in the dark.
  
  
• 2). Documents and records. Make sure you have your documents that indicate how much money you made. For example, if you were an employee, you might use a W-2 statement to file your taxes, while as an independent contractor, you might use a 1099-MISC form.
  
  In addition, have receipts of purchases and payments, as well as bills and invoices. There are many deductions and credits that can go in your favor when it comes to your tax obligations.
  
  
• 3). Provide previous tax filings. It might be helpful to a tax preparer to provide your previous years' returns; that will allow her to assess your tax situation as it has been in the past and determine whether it will remain the same or whether changes will be needed.
  
  Also, there may be instances where you can't claim all your deductions and credits in one tax year, and instead must spread them out over a series of years. A common example of having to recall previous returns is depreciation on an electronics purchase.
  
  
• 4). Contact a tax preparation service. The traditional mode of seeking tax help has been by going in person to a local office. Today, however, there are options to get tax help virtually, over the Internet and/or telephone. You should explore which options work best for you.
  
  To use a local office, use your telephone directory to look up local tax preparers. Your options will range from national tax franchises, to small, local CPA and accounting firms. Vet and make sure they have a good record in preparing taxes. You can review the link below, "IRS: Tips for choosing a tax preparer," in "Resources," so that you'll know what red flags to look for. When you contact these institutions, provide them with the general information you have gathered in the preceding steps, and they will know where go do from there.
  
  Many major tax franchises have begun offering online options for filing taxes. These websites offer the ability to interact with tax professionals and ask general questions in a forum setting. Usually there is some type of registration required, and in that process there will most likely be a simple interactive questionnaire, which will automatically determine what the next steps should be. As an extra value-added service to your online experience, you may be able to speak over the telephone with a tax professional.