Individual Tax Preparation
Software can file some W-2s just fine. It is harder to trust if your year included a home sale, buying/selling investments, a new child, a side business, an inheritance, higher education expenses, or income from more than one state. That’s usually when people call us.
When it’s worth talking to a CPA instead of software
You don’t need a complicated return to benefit from having a person look at it. We tend to hear from people after:
A job change or a new side business
Marriage, divorce, or a new dependent
Buying or selling a home
Selling investments, exercising stock options, or receiving a large inheritance
Moving to or from Missouri, or earning income in more than one state
Getting a letter from the IRS or the Missouri Department of Revenue
What we actually do differently
Software takes the numbers you give it and files a return. We ask why the numbers look the way they do. If your tax bill jumped $3,000 from last year, we want to know why before we file. Not so we can second-guess you, but because that answer usually points to something worth planning around next year.
If you got a notice
An IRS or Missouri Department of Revenue letter isn’t automatically bad news. It’s often a mismatch between what you reported and what a third party reported, or a request for missing information. Send it to us as soon as it arrives.
What to bring
Most returns need some combination of W-2s and 1099s, mortgage interest and property tax statements, charitable contribution records, and last year’s return. If you had a major life event, like a home sale, a new business, or an inheritance, bring the paperwork for that too. We’ll tell you if we need anything else.
Individual tax returns in Mid-Missouri
We prepare federal, state, and multi-state individual returns for clients in Columbia, Jefferson City, the Lake of the Ozarks, and the surrounding communities, from a straightforward W-2 return to a return with rental property, self-employment income, and investments layered on top. Our price for individual tax returns starts at $295.
Ready to have someone actually look at your return this year? Schedule a consultation and bring your questions.