Tax season is almost here... again. Unlike work or school the one thing that no one gets out of is taxes. The problem is that filling out forms and preparing paperwork is confusing. There is always a long line at the post office on the last day that the paperwork can be postmarked. Every year people put it off until the last minute. The good news is that it doesn't have to be that way.
If you have ever thought about taking matters into your own hands now may be the time. I spoke with someone once who gave me an idea that may be worth sharing. She said that she had gotten tired of going to tax preparers that she didn't know so she started looking around. That's when she got the idea of taking a tax class and learn how to prepare the returns herself.
The Internal Revenue Service has some pretty strict requirements for anyone who wants to get a tax preparer certification. In addition to taking classes, everyone who prepares taxes must register with the IRS, pay a fee and meet continuing education requirements.
Working on forms is not my forte'. I can sometimes do it but not very well. However, it must have worked out well for the lady that I spoke with. She was sitting on one side of the desk and I was sitting on the other side with a wad of papers in my hand.
We stopped seeing her for our taxes when we moved away a few years ago. She sold her office and retired soon after we relocated. I think about her every year when the tax forms start rolling in from the employers.