Top 5 Reasons
Our Mission
Our firm is dedicated to consistently exceeding our client’s expectations. We anticipate their needs and understand their business objectives while helping them achieve their financial goals.
We provide knowledge and understanding of a full range of individual and business tax services built on our ethics-based principles. We hold ourselves accountable for doing what’s right, not what’s easy.
WHY SHOULD I HIRE AN ACCOUNTANT?
Once you’ve moved past the 1040EZ tax form, hiring an accountant is a good investment. After all, taxes are far more complicated when you own property or a business, have kids, and must manage all the other trappings of adult life.
While there are many reasons to hire an accountant to handle your taxes, one main reason is that they are professionals when it comes to the constantly changing tax codes. They can also make recommendations when it comes to planning for next year’s taxes.
A qualified accountant has the knowledge and resources that those outside of the profession can’t offer. You probably don’t try to fix your own car, why would you try to do your own taxes?
Here are 5 Reasons to Hire an Accountant
Tax Law
Tax law is challenging because the Federal, State, and local tax authorities can all have different rules. Those rules are updated and amended periodically, and your accountant keeps track of the changes so he or she can make recommendations that make sense for your personal situation.
For example, the 2015 Affordable Care Act was the biggest tax code change in 20 years and it had a major impact on small businesses and individuals’ tax returns. Accountants are aware of such changes and can help you navigate them so that you stay on the right side of the IRS.
You’re Self-Employed
A home office, mileage, internet connection, new equipment, and so much more: These are only a short list of the concerns of the small business owner. There are many tax advantages to running a small business and a qualified accountant can help you navigate the often tricky world of tax write-offs. Recently, I spoke with a CPA who believes she can save her self-employed client $30,000 this year. Don’t you think that’s well worth an accountant’s fee? We sure do.
You’d Rather Get a Root Canal than Do Math
Taxes are all about math. How much money is in each bank account? What’s eligible for interest? What’s a true tax deduction? A qualified accountant is the sort of person who LIKES math, understands it, and is more likely to be accurate than someone who mostly avoids math or takes their finances personally.
Besides that, accountants have plenty of experience handling tax forms and most (like John and Mark, our heroes) actually like doing them! That means they’re naturally better at understanding taxes and filing tax returns than those of us who are math averse.
You Have Multiple Streams of Income
Maybe you have long-term employment but you also own a rental property or two. Or perhaps you’ve started a side business. More than one income stream is positive for your bank account, but it makes your taxes more complex. You may be eligible for additional tax savings that you don’t know about but your accountant does.
You’ll Save Time—The One Thing You Can’t Buy More Of!
One of the biggest reasons to hire an accountant is because of the savings they offer you in terms of time and accuracy. It could take you many hours to do your own taxes but an accountant has a process he/she repeat hundreds of times during tax season. The tax laws and tax-savings opportunities are fresh in their minds because it’s their primary focus—all year.
You can save money on your accountant’s fee by gathering all your financial data together throughout the year. Contributions, all income sources, business expenses (if you’re self-employed)–if you pull it all together prior to tax-return time, your accountant will need less time to work his/her magic.
In addition, you can even consult your accountant throughout the year for questions regarding gift taxes, tax incentives for hybrid vehicles, paying down debt, and other financial questions. Your accountant can be a trusted financial advisor—and we can’t think of a better investment than that.
If you have questions about hiring a qualified accountant or CPA and what we can do for your tax situation, please contact us today at 815-338-1040 or email us at info@jlaccounting.com.
Make An Appointment
Contact us today to schedule your appointment and learn first-hand what it’s like to work with an accounting firm that provides professional and personal consideration of your financial needs, with no intimidation, guaranteed.
