By Dr. Bill Whitley, CPA
Faculty Member, School of Business, American Public University
Traditional approaches for getting the tax return completed include a certified public accountant (CPA), an enrolled agent, and a tax service business such as H&R Block or Jackson Hewitt. But changes in technology have provided a number of challenges for accountants who would like to specialize in tax preparation services.
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To assist taxpayers, a number of software companies now offer do-it-yourself tax preparation software. Two examples are TaxAct and TurboTax.
In addition, the Internal Revenue Service has a free filing site.
Some Taxpayers with Complicated Returns Will Still Need Professional Tax Preparation
People with more complicated returns will still need professional help, but the days of having a high volume of quick and easy returns may be a thing of the past.
These days, accountants will be involved in preparing tax returns that involve more complicated tax issues such as business income and expenses, rental property income and expenses, investments, and farming. Most people will people will benefit if they contact a tax professional for help with some of the following issues:
- Rental property
- Business income
- Investments
- Partnerships
- Corporations
About the Author
Dr. Bill Whitley is a full-time professor in the School of Business at American Public University. He holds an M.B.A. in business administration from the University of Houston – Victoria and an Ed.D. in higher education administration from the University of Alabama. Dr. Whitley has a CPA with a license to practice in Alabama.
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