My father died in December and in the past he took care of all tax stuff. I have advised Mom to go to an accountant this year, just because there are so many unknowns: e.g Is the life insurance considered income?
Mom wants to go to a national tax chain. I want to ask the Dopers if they have had good or bad experiences with this chain, but I don’t want to risk getting the board in trouble, if there is negative feedback. Is asking this type of question OK?
I’m gonna give you an OK to post your question in the IMHO forum. In your initial post, please be sure to comment that I’ve OK’d it.
Do remember that, especially with a national chain, experiences with different offices or locations might be very different. And also, there are times when saving a couple of bucks – especially if you aren’t aware of whether the service is good, bad, or indifferent – ain’t worth it. You might find the tax-savings from a more experienced accountant far outweight the additional cost.
Thanks! I agree with you. Am now trying to gather opinions so that I can convince my Mom.
Dex’s advice is excellent, and I’ll add this to it: You’d be MUCH better off with an accountant who has experience in estate tax returns. I assume your dad’s estate is being probated (or has been) and that there’s an attorney involved. I would consult with the attorney and get recommendations of two or three accountants qualified to do this kind of return. Interview them and pick the one you’re most comfortable with.
The IRS regs are mind-bogglingly complex, and your average street-corner tax-in-a-box may not be capable of handling it. The last thing your mom needs is an IRS mess on her hands because some seasonal hiree didn’t know the Internal Revenue Code well enough to do the return right.