12/15/2025
📢Tax season is COMING!!! Hey guys just wanted to let you know. Although I would love everyone to be my client lol :) when looking for a preparer here are a few things to stay away from!! Educate yourself!! If you have a bad feeling about ANY preparer or office....get up and politely excuse yourself and say you would rather go somewhere else!! Until you sign those papers you are NOT obligated to stay with any preparer. (But dont just allow tax preparers to fully file your taxes and you want to not file with them because you want a bigger refund , etc)
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASEEEEEEE be careful where you file!!! Even who you ask for an estimate (An estimate does NOT need any personal information for a tax professional to give you one)
There are sooooo many scammers, UNEDUCATED, UNETHICAL, and just straight up thieves out here.
There is absolutely NO Mandatory level of Tax Education for someone to open a tax office and prepare taxes. (Trust me I know what you're thinking, us professionals have been fighting this for yearrrrrrrrssss) I mean all these "virtual preparers" out here claiming they can file in all 50 states...DONT EVEN KNOW how to complete state returns or know what states have credits 🤦🏼♀️
Im going to throw a few MAJOR Red Flags out there.
🚩 If you see a preparer say they are licensed, certified, etc especially by the IRS (saying I am a certified tax preparer from the IRS)🏃♂️🏃🏾♀️🏃🏽RUNNNNNNN
✅️ Call ourselves certified or licensed by the IRS is tax 101 and its illegal for us to do. Tax professionals have designations. AFSP, CPA, EA, etc. Now there are a few STATES that are now making it mandatory for preparers to take courses and pass exams in order to file taxes from their state. CA is one of the biggest. And some of those preparers will say they are Licensed by the state. Just please do your research.
First step should be to make sure they are at the very least on the IRS RPO
🚩Any tax preparer or office telling you they can apply for the advance using your last paystub.
✅️This is 100% illegal for tax professionals. On top of it being against the Refund Banks policies.
If a tax preparer is willing to break that law, just IMAGINE how many other illegal things they do
🚩It is illegal for tax preparers to submit returns/advances WITHOUT you signing all the tax forms. Its also illegal for a tax office to submit a return if they make any changes that are more than $50 from when you initially signed. Finally they also need your signature AGAIN when filing an amendment. PLUS giving you a full copy of the return (showing all fees) BEFORE anything is submitted.
✅️Do NOT allow any tax preparer to tell you, they arent giving you a copy of the return until your refund comes. Or ONLY giving you the 2 first pages of the 1040. A full return can be up to 35 pages.
🚩Finally DO NOT believe these tax preparers that tell you, they can get you hundreds and even thousands more than other estimates youve been getting or you did yourself. ESPECIALLY if you have only w2s. ITS 100% FRAUD!!!
✅️Every tax professional that receives the same tax documents and asks all the right questions will have the same exact amount!! There are no covid credits, no fuel credits, no hidden secretive only they know credits. ITS ALL BS!!
Remember no matter who preparers your taxes, at the end of the day YOU are held responsible for what is on your return.
