It’s April and Spring is here! The birds are chirping and the flowers are blooming. It’s also the deadline to file your taxes. Filing taxes is a stressful time for everyone. Being prepared and armed with knowledge can help make tax time less stressful. Having a conversation with your accountant can help you figure out how to make the best decisions for your finances. You have probably met with your accountant by now to file 2018 taxes, but before you finish with them for the year, ask these questions so you can be better prepared for your 2019 taxes. 

1. Should I change my filing status to avoid owing the government next year?  It’s a good idea to ask your accountant if the filing status on your W4 should be changed. If you owed a lot of money to the government this year, you likely need to adjust your W4 deductions or flat amounts to have more taken out throughout the year to avoid a large balance at the end. Also, if you received a large refund, you may want to adjust your deductions so less is taken out, and you can have access to your money throughout the year.  Your accountant should be able to advise you on what option is best for you. 

2. Is there a list of credits and deductions I should use throughout the year to increase the  likelihood of getting a refund? Your accountant should be familiar with your unique situation as well as knowledgeable of possible credits and deductions you may be able to take on your next tax return. Being aware of these credits and deductions ahead of time allows you to be able to keep proper documentation and take appropriate action throughout the year so you can pay the lowest possible taxes. 

3. What advice do you have for me?  This a good open-ended question to ask your accountant. It will make him or her think outside of the box. Maybe it is as simple as suggesting a filing status change, or maybe it is something larger that could reshape what you do throughout the year. Your accountant is the expert in this field, and it is a good idea to pick her brain for your benefit.

4. Is my return putting me at risk for an audit? No one wants to have their tax return audited. Your chances of being audited are very low. According to the IRS, in 2016 approximately 0.5% of all returns were audited. There are some things on your tax return that may increase your chances of being audited, such as failing to report all of your taxable income or claiming large charitable deductions. Ask your accountant if there are any red flags on your tax return that may lead to an IRS audit. 

5. Will my life changes affect my taxes? 2019 might bring some big changes for you. Are you getting married or divorced? Are you having a baby? Are you buying or selling a home? All of these life changes may change your tax liability. Be sure to inform your accountant of any of these changes that will be taking place in 2019 and find out what changes you may need to make for your taxes. 

We love to hear from our readers! Please share what questions you asked your accountant this year. 

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5 comments on “5 Questions to Ask Your Accountant

    • Hi Randall,
      We are happy to hear you would like to switch to the wonderful world of Banktivity! We have live chat available 7 days a week from 9-5 Monday through Friday and 10-4 Saturday and Sunday. If you need help when live chat is not available, you can open also open a ticket on our website and one of our agents will get back to you by email. Please let us know if you have any other questions. https://www.iggsoftware.com/support.php#livechat

  • Make the switch! After nearly 20 years using Quicken I switched to Banktivity 7 in October 2018. Let there be no misunderstanding initially you will be very frustrated (and probably regret making the change!) because Banktivity does not do things the way you have always done it. The Banktivity agents were always very helpful whenever I contacted them and provided accurate suggestions to help mitigate the differences in approach between the two systems. Six months on I cannot believe how much time I am saving each month.

  • I just switched from a pc to an iMac and am looking at switching from quicken to Banktivity

    it looks like I can import my quicken file over and it will auto-populate, correct? I have about 20 years of data…

    auto download from banks into quicken is included. is that the case with Banktivity, or do I have to pay extra to auto download from my financial services?

    • Hi Jim,
      We are happy you hear you would like to make the switch to Banktivity!

      You can import your Quicken file into Banktivity.

      There are 4 ways you can get your transactions into Banktivity.
      -You can manually enter it
      -Import from your bank
      -Use direct connect (ofx) – Not all banks have this and some may charge
      -Use Direct Access. We charge for this but one subscription works for all devices. You can learn more here https://www.iggsoftware.com/direct-access/

      Banktivity offers a free 30 day trial so come check it out and see what you think.

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