Do you find any difference in quality between your rural vs city accountant? I'm wondering if paying more actually gets you better service or tax savings?

Honestly, my rural accountant is more attentive and responsive - probably because she has fewer clients overall. The Chicago firm has more specialized expertise in certain areas (particularly for e-commerce tax issues), but for day-to-day service and general tax matters, the rural accountant provides better value. The big difference is that the Chicago firm has more specialists under one roof, so if I have a very specific tax situation, they can usually handle it in-house. With my rural accountant, she occasionally needs to bring in outside expertise for complex situations. But for standard business tax planning and preparation, I haven't found that paying more necessarily results in better service or outcomes.

How do you find a good EA? Is there a directory or certification board? I've only ever used CPAs and H&R Block type places.

You can find qualified EAs through the National Association of Enrolled Agents website (NAEA.org) - they have a directory searchable by location and specialization. I found mine through a business owner networking group, which was great because I got to hear about direct experiences from other small business owners. When interviewing potential EAs, ask about their experience with your specific industry and business structure. A good EA should be able to discuss relevant deductions and planning strategies in your initial consultation. Also check if they offer audit representation (most do, it's a core part of their expertise). The right EA can provide the same level of tax expertise as a CPA, often with more specialized tax knowledge and lower fees since they focus specifically on taxation rather than broader accounting services.

Do you think it's better to just bite the bullet and pay a CPA upfront? I'm worried TurboTax might miss some deductions for my small business but the refund transfer feature is so convenient.

If you have a small business, paying for a qualified CPA is often worth it, especially in your first year or two of operation. A good CPA doesn't just fill out forms - they provide tax planning advice that might save you significantly more than their fee. Think of it this way: TurboTax might be $100 cheaper upfront, but a CPA might find $500+ in legitimate deductions you'd miss. The software only knows what you tell it, while a CPA knows what questions to ask based on your specific situation. Plus, having a professional relationship with a CPA means you have someone to call when you have questions throughout the year, not just at tax time.

I used a refund transfer through my tax preparer last year. It added about 5-7 days to my refund timeline, and cost me $35. Honestly wasn't worth it for me, but if you're really tight on cash and absolutely need the tax prep done, it might make sense. Just be aware you're basically paying $40 for a very short-term loan.

Not OP but I had a similar situation with equipment I sold. The service contract portion gets allocated separately as ordinary income, not as part of the capital transaction. At least that's how my accountant handled it.

Yeah actually I did have a service contract that transferred to the new owner with about 8 months left on it. I hadn't even thought about that part. I paid $3200 for a 3-year service plan originally.

Location, location, location. I put it in what I thought was a great spot near a lake where people go fishing and boating, but it turns out most people just bring their own ice in coolers. The property lease was expensive, electricity costs were higher than projected, and I had several expensive repairs in the first year. Competition from nearby gas stations with cheaper ice didn't help either. The ROI calculations from the manufacturer were... let's just say optimistic.

8 Wait really? So even if they get married on December 31, they're considered married for the WHOLE tax year? That seems weird... does that mean you could strategic time your wedding for tax purposes?

15 Yes, that's exactly right. The IRS only cares about your marital status on the last day of the year. If you're married on December 31st, you're considered married for the entire tax year. And yes, some people do strategically time their weddings for tax purposes, though I wouldn't recommend making such an important life decision solely based on taxes! But it's something to be aware of as you plan. In some cases, delaying a December wedding to January could be beneficial, while in other situations (like the original poster's with disparate incomes), getting married before year-end might save money.

2 I disagree - their withholding seems reasonable. The effective tax rate for someone earning around $570k would be close to 20% after deductions, and they're at 18.5% with a quarter of the year left. They're probably on track.

Thanks for these specific suggestions! I hadn't even considered infrastructure asset reporting. Do you know of any good case studies or examples of municipalities that have interesting approaches to this? I feel like having a real-world example would really strengthen my paper.

The city of Portland, Oregon has an excellent comprehensive annual financial report that details their modified approach to infrastructure assets. They provide condition assessments and demonstrate how they've maintained service potential without traditional depreciation methods. For a contrasting example, look at Cincinnati's reporting which uses the more traditional depreciation approach for most assets. Comparing these two methodologies side-by-side creates a compelling analysis of how accounting choices impact financial position representation and budgeting priorities.

That's such a unique angle! How do these organizations typically handle the currency conversion issues in their financial statements? I imagine that could lead to some significant reporting challenges.