By Daniel Rodriguez | Dr. Budgets
Did you know that Dr. Budgets can introduce you to many types of financial professionals? This list of professionals includes some of the best tax preparers in San Diego! With April 15th right around the corner, many people probably have taxes on the brain, so we decided to do a Q&A session with a tax professional.
Professional Details
Name: Robert Bennett, CPA, EA
Occupation: Tax Preparer
Company: Kearny Mesa Tax, Inc.
Location: San Diego, CA
Robert, please tell us what you do in your own words?
I assist clients in preparing tax returns, strategic tax planning, and business planning. I also provide accounting services to local business and small corporations. I collaborate with financial planners, lawyers, and other professionals to ensure my clients are provided the services they need.
Do tax preparers only work with wealthy people?
We offer our services to a wide range of clients. There is no “you don’t make enough” mentality. Everyone has questions or needs assistance when it comes to taxes. We want to make sure they get those questions answered correctly – whether or not they are current clients.
How are tax preparers compensated?
It depends on the engagement. The average client will pay a form based charge, meaning we set a fee for each form depending on the skill, expertise, and time necessary to complete it.
Some engagements require an hourly rate, while other clients pay a retainer. Hourly rates are determined on the complexity of the engagement and are generally for small business owners or companies.
Why should someone hire a tax preparer for their taxes as opposed to doing it themselves or going to big box tax preparer?
It’s all about assurance…assurance that their needs are being met, their questions answered, that we will be available for them in the future, and that we understand their particular situation completely. Tax laws are ever changing, and tax decisions need to be made on an ongoing basis – not just when you need to prepare your taxes. A computer program isn’t going to answer a crucial question in the middle of the year, and if you go to a big box tax preparer, you might not even talk to the person who prepared your taxes last year. We’re happy to help our clients make decisions that impact their taxes – any time of year!
How are you different from your competition?
We are available year-round. Many tax/accounting offices close up shop after April 15th, but we want to be available to answer tax questions for our clients whenever they need guidance. So many things can affect your taxes: changing jobs, having a baby, getting married, losing a loved one, starting a business… that’s why we offer a free hour of consulting each year.
We also have a second set of eyes review every tax return to ensure accuracy. That fresh perspective may also uncover something that I overlooked during my conversation with a client.
What are a few tips you can give to our readers that will help them during tax time?
- Make a tax folder. This folder should be used the entire year to collect all receipts, statements and paperwork – not just tax statements. The best thing to do is just make it a dumping ground for anything that you might think is tax related.
- Tax checklist. Follow this simple tax checklist to organize your tax documents before you sit down to do your taxes, whether doing it yourself at your computer or meeting with a tax preparer.
- Don’t go to chat forums for tax advice. If you need tax advice, go to a professional. There is a lot of bad advice on the internet, and you can really get in trouble if you make the wrong decision.
- Be upfront and honest. Whether you’re doing it yourself or working with a professional, it’s best to tell the truth.
Now the important stuff…
What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
Kind of an old school answer…Butter Pecan.
If you could have dinner with anyone (dead or alive), who would it be?
Definitely my father.
What is one place in the world you haven’t been that you would like to go?
That is a tough one. It’s either Spain or Greece…let’s go with Greece.
That’s it for this month! If you need an introduction to a tax preparer or any other financial professional, please contact us so we can point you in the right direction.