When you have a water leak you call in a professional plumber. When your car breaks down on the side of the freeway you take it to a mechanic. Those situations are common enough that most people would understand a professional is needed. However, when it comes to finances, many times people are left feeling confused and alone wondering what to do next when big life changes occur. How do you know if you need to hire an accountant? Well, ADKF, the largest locally owned San Antonio Tax, Audit, and Consulting firm, is going to give you some guidance about when it’s best to seek out a professional CPA firm to be your trusted life advisor.
Life is a journey of zigs and zags, ups and downs. There are moments where one minute you think you understand everything and you have it all under control; then Murphy’s Law pops in to say hello. When that happens, it’s good to have a trusted advisor who knows you and your personal and business situation to help guide you through the challenges. Examples of these situations are divorce, retirement planning, delinquent tax returns, audits, IRS notices, liens or levy's, business mergers and acquisitions, sales tax audits, starting a small business, estate planning, and succession planning to name a few. These situations require care and preparation by an experienced Certified Public Accountant.
Let’s consider a situation like this: you receive a notice in the mail from the IRS. You open the envelope to discover you are being audited. Do you know your rights when being audited? Most people don’t and begin to panic. They start thinking the worst and then begin to wonder what to do next. Fortunately, selecting a San Antonio tax, audit, and consulting firm who’s highly experienced with this sort of thing can help you. Many people may not know you have the right to representation and the right to select a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Enrolled Agent (EA), or attorney to represent you before the Internal Revenue Service. We have an entire Tax Controversy department dedicated to handling audits and IRS related issues.
There are numerous other situations where you may find you need the services of a CPA. What if you own a local small business and you find your business is growing much faster than you anticipated? First, congratulations! However, this wonderful news has its own challenges. Perhaps, up to this point, you were filing a simple Schedule C on your personal tax return. Now, you may be asking yourself whether there are more advantageous avenues to pursue. Should you create an S-Corporation or maybe you want to form a partnership? Maybe your business is an e-commerce business and you wonder if you have NEXUS is the numerous states where you sell your merchandise. Maybe your considering expanding operations outside of your state of residency. What does that mean for you? Do you need to file state tax returns or reports outside of the state you reside? Do you even know you need to file a No Tax Due Texas Franchise Report if you own and operate a business in Texas, even if that business has no revenue? (For more information on this, visit the Texas Comptroller website.) Another situation may be that you have a dependent who is suddenly interested in the family business, and you need to know the best way to bring her or him into the fold. Perhaps you’re ready to retire and have yet to create a succession plan for your thriving business. What if you’re going through a divorce and don’t fully understand how this affects your finances or your business? These are only a few questions and situations that may prompt you to consider seeking a trusted tax, audit, and consulting firm for guidance.
If you have decided you need a certified professional accountant here in San Antonio, TX, or elsewhere, where do you begin? How does one choose a CPA? Here are a few important criteria you need to look for when choosing a local, or not, San Antonio tax, audit, and consulting firm.
- Do a Google search of geographically local CPA firms.
- Ask for a referral from a successful friend or family member you trust. Often, this is the best way to find a CPA.
- Do you due diligence. Read reviews and talk to friends about how the CPA has helped them.
- Interview your chosen CPA. Once you have narrowed your search, make an appointment, and ask them how they’ve helped other clients and how they can help you. For more guidance on this, read our article on Small Business CPA.
It’s never easy to navigate your options when faced with an audit, IRS notice, unexpected changes in tax law, or family dynamics. But a strong, local, dedicated, and caring San Antonio tax, audit, and consulting firm like ADKF can help you by offering their time, experience, patience, intelligent and actionable solutions. Your CPA should be your trusted advisor through life’s difficulties, not just when it’s time to file your taxes or take care of that unexpected audit. Maybe it’s time to think of them as highly skilled guidance counselors who help you navigate sometimes blissful celebrations like adding new family members to the business or household, or fearlessly slaying treacherous dragons like the ramifications of unexpected winter storms in Texas. The best way to handle the ups and downs is to find a proactive, lifelong friend who you can trust and plan with. This is what you want in a CPA. We would love the opportunity to fill that role.