If you do decide to seek help with filing your returns, it’s important to choose your tax preparer carefully. First of all, you want someone who has a good understanding of taxes. How do you know that? You can ask friends, family, coworkers, or associates for referrals to tax preparers they think are knowledgeable and reputable. You can also consider how long a preparer has been in business. Look for a person or group who are associated with national professional associations. Choose someone with relevant expertise; if you have a small business, for example, hire a tax preparer with experience in preparing taxes for small businesses. If you want help filing online, find a professional with experience in that service. Participation in continuing professional education is a good sign that the tax preparer is keeping up to date on the latest tax issues.

Some tax preparers set up shop just for tax season, and then cannot be reached after April 15th. It’s best to choose a professional you can contact in the future if you need to. If your refund is delayed or the Internal Revenue Service questions your return, you will want to talk to the preparer. So look for a preparer whose office is open year round, not just during tax season.

While it is not essential, it is helpful if your tax preparer provides you with resources and information to help you understand and learn more about income taxes. The more you know, the better choices you can make.

If a tax professional guarantees you will get a refund without asking you questions or examining your financial situation, walk away. A tax preparer who claims to have a special relationship with the Internal Revenue Service that can save you money is making a false claim. Look for someone who charges a flat fee rather than a percentage of your return. Never sign a blank return, and don’t trust someone who asks you to.

Even if you hire someone for mail-in or online income tax preparation services, you are still responsible for the accuracy of your return. If you don’t understand something, ask questions until it makes sense to you. By signing your return you are confirming that everything on it is accurate to the best of your knowledge, so review everything very carefully before you sign. Make sure the tax preparer has filled in and signed the section of the form specifically for preparers. And be very sure to keep a copy of the return for yourself. Even if you do online tax filing, print out a copy of your return just to be extra sure you have it on hand.

Using a tax preparation firm can help save you money and time since the firm is experienced in this particular endeavor because of how many returns they file each year. Another key is to think through how complicated your tax return will be. You want to work with a tax preparation firm which has worked with people in your type of situation. A good example might be if you worked in two different countries within one year. This can be a highly complicated situation that many tax preparers have never faced before. Having familiarity with situations is critical so that your tax preparer has experience with the tax codes that pertain to your particular situation.

If you own a small business and work with an accounting company, a good practice is to have your taxes done by your accountant or to work with someone at the recommendation of your accountant. If you are happy with your accountant, you can easily find referrals by talking to him or her. People get along with others whom they like and if your accountant gets along well with a certain tax preparation firm, you will likely work well with them as well. This can ensure a good working relationship.

Find a tax preparation firm early in the game. If you wait until close to the filing deadline, you may find that many firms may have to turn you away. They already have many clients and are not able to keep up with new clients as well. If you give yourself time by starting the process earlier in the year, you can find a firm that you want to work with very easily and which has time for you as well.

Check how the tax preparation firm has worked with others. You can ask for a past customer referral to talk with if you would like. You could also check with the Better Business Bureau to see if there have been any complaints against the tax preparation firm in the past. There is also a state board for accountancy that you can check with to see that you are working with a reputable tax preparer.