<p>State done! I can’t believe i’ve been paying my (very nice) accountant that much to do this…</p>
<p>S says he will do his, but as a bona fide expert (LOL), I’ll be on standby.</p>
<p>Thank you to all who responded.</p>
<p>Congratulations! And it looks like it didn’t take all that much time either…</p>
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It is still always nice to have an accountant you trust especially one who can help you with those things you cannot do for yourself - like estate planning. I’m hoping to find one sometime soon myself.</p>
<p>The only time I have ever used a preparer (a well know national chain) was when I had relocation issues with income allocated between multiple states and employer reimbursement for said services (including the preparation). And low and behold, even they screwed up. They left out my unemployment compensation, which they had stapled together in the stack of documentation returned to me with the preparer’s business card and receipt on top. When I received the IRS letter, I promptly took the stack back to their office (much less busy in July) and after listening to the office manager lecture me about not covering income that they didn’t know about, I presented him the evidence and he quickly toned down and refiled my taxes and put in for my reimbursement because I was lucky enough to buy the extra insurance that paid not only the penalty (none was assessed though) and interest (a nominal amount) but the missing tax as well.</p>
<p>So now I try to do my own (usually uncomplicated because I can’t itemize) even when I had some nominal (<$200) capital gains issues after my mother’s estate was settled (that was a little work). Thank goodness my CPA sister was the one handling the estate and had things clearly documented. It would have cost me more to have a firm do it than the capital gain itself.</p>
<p>I’m just happy to be able to do my own taxes. And I’m glad I could help you as well.</p>
<p>We started using accountant back when we had two-state issues and/or contract self-employment issues. then, just got lazy; it seemed easier. What a relief to realize I could do it myself. We do itemize, but I basically just cheated and followed the steps the accountant did on last year’s form .</p>
<p>I also just gave my H a haircut–I am Modern Day Frontier Woman (or just cheap…:))</p>
<p>My DW used to give me haircuts when we first got married. We had a professional grade clipper. Still use one to groom our dog. Talk about saving money. Dog grooming is a killer.</p>
<p>I still give all the boys and my husband haircuts. And I cut my own hair.</p>