​What Your Tax Preparation Quote Includes

Tax preparation is more than entering information from tax documents. Our objective is to prepare an accurate and complete return, identify the deductions and credits available to you, and make the filing process as straightforward as possible.

The fee provided in your personalized quote includes the following services.

Professional Preparation of Your Tax Returns

We will professionally prepare the federal (and state, if applicable) income tax returns described in your quote, including the forms, schedules, and supporting worksheets required for the filing circumstances you disclosed to us.

Your personalized quote email identifies the returns and significant reporting items included in your quoted fee. Depending on your circumstances, these may include investment activity, self-employment, rental properties, stock compensation, itemized deductions, multistate filings, tax credits, and other specialized reporting.

Review of Your Tax Information

We review the tax documents and information you provide to determine the appropriate tax treatment and identify qualifying deductions and credits. If information is incomplete, inconsistent, or requires clarification, we will contact you before completing your return.

Our online questionnaire is designed to help identify relevant life changes, deductions, credits, and reporting requirements without requiring you to complete a lengthy traditional tax organizer.

Review of Your Prior-Year Returns

For new clients, we review the prior-year federal and state returns you provide for continuity with the current year. This helps us identify items that may affect your new return, including:

• Depreciation schedules
• Capital loss carryovers
• Passive activity loss carryovers
• Credit carryovers
• Prior-year elections
• Estimated tax payments
• Other continuing tax attributes

This review also gives us an opportunity to notice apparent reporting inconsistencies or potentially overlooked items. If we identify something that may warrant further attention, we will discuss it with you. Preparation of an amended prior-year return is a separate service and is not included unless specifically stated in your quote.

Deductions and Tax Credits

We consider the deductions, adjustments, and credits that may apply based on the information you provide. This includes both commonly claimed tax benefits and less obvious provisions that may be relevant to your particular circumstances.

Tax laws and eligibility requirements change frequently. We use current professional tax preparation software and apply the federal and state tax rules applicable to the return being prepared.

Two-Level Review Process

Every return is reviewed for accuracy and completeness before it is released to you. In addition to automated diagnostics within our professional tax software, your return receives a secondary review by another member of our tax team.

This additional review helps us identify potential omissions, inconsistencies, filing issues, and opportunities that may require further consideration.

Ongoing Tracking of Tax Information

When applicable, we maintain continuing tax schedules and carryforward information for use in future returns that we prepare for you. These may include:

• Depreciation and amortization schedules
• Capital and passive activity loss carryovers
• Credit carryovers
• Asset information
• Other tax attributes that continue into future years

Maintaining this information from year to year helps provide continuity and reduces the likelihood that a future deduction or credit will be overlooked.

Secure, Convenient Virtual Service

Our tax preparation process is fully virtual and paperless. Your quoted service includes:

• A secure online portal for exchanging tax documents
• Online questionnaires and worksheets
• Electronic delivery of your completed tax returns
• Electronic signatures for required filing authorizations
• Electronic filing of eligible federal and state returns
• Confirmation when your returns have been accepted
• Direct deposit or electronic payment instructions, when applicable

You may complete the process from your home or office without needing to visit an office.

Questions During the Preparation Process

We welcome questions and want you to understand your completed returns. During the engagement, we will communicate with you regarding missing information, tax treatment, filing results, and questions directly related to the returns we are preparing.

Once your returns are completed, you will receive electronic copies to review before filing. We will answer your questions about the completed returns before requesting your authorization to electronically file them.

Year-Round Support

Our relationship with clients does not end when tax season is over. We are available throughout the year, and we encourage you to contact us whenever a tax question or financial change arises.

Many general questions can be answered at no additional charge. Examples may include:

• What information should I retain to support a deduction?
• What expenses should I track for a business or rental property?
• Could a particular purchase or expense qualify as deductible?
• What tax documents should I expect to receive?
• What records will we need for a home sale, new investment, or other transaction?
• Is a proposed action likely to have tax consequences?
• Should a change in income or circumstances prompt additional tax planning?

Often, a brief question asked in advance can help you maintain the right records, avoid an unexpected problem, or take advantage of a deduction or credit that might otherwise be missed. We would much rather hear from you before an important decision than after the opportunity to plan has passed.

General guidance that can be provided without calculations, extensive research, document review, or a written analysis is typically included as part of our ongoing client service.

Some questions require more substantial work. Our standard billable rate may apply when your request involves:

• Calculating or projecting your tax liability
• Preparing an estimated tax payment analysis
• Comparing the tax consequences of multiple scenarios
• Reviewing contracts, transaction documents, or extensive financial records
• Researching an unusual or complex tax issue
• Preparing detailed calculations or written recommendations
• Evaluating matters outside the scope of the tax returns we prepare

We will always let you know in advance if a question is expected to require billable work. You will have an opportunity to review the anticipated scope and cost before we proceed.

If you are uncertain whether a question will involve a fee, please ask. There is never a charge simply to contact us and find out. We welcome your questions and are glad to be a year-round tax resource for our clients.

Payment After Preparation

We do not process payment for tax preparation services until we have completed the work covered by your engagement. Payment is required before the completed returns are electronically filed or released.

Understanding Your Quote

Your quote is based on the filing needs and information disclosed in your inquiry. We make every effort to provide clear, upfront pricing and will generally honor the quoted fee when the scope and complexity are consistent with the information provided.

If our review identifies additional tax returns, forms, reporting requirements, bookkeeping, accounting cleanup, or substantially greater complexity that was not included in the original inquiry, we will explain the additional work and any related fee adjustment before proceeding.

Services Not Included Unless Specifically Quoted

To avoid uncertainty, the following services are not included in a standard tax preparation quote unless they are specifically listed:

• Bookkeeping or reconstruction of financial records
• Preparation of amended prior-year returns
• Tax projections or year-round tax planning
• Responses to tax notices or correspondence
• Audit or examination representation
• Legal services or legal opinions
• Payroll, sales tax, excise tax, or information-return preparation
• Returns, entities, states, or foreign reporting requirements not disclosed in the original inquiry

If you need services outside the scope of your tax preparation engagement, we will be glad to discuss whether we can assist you and provide separate pricing when appropriate.

Personal Service From an Experienced Tax Team

We are a small, year-round tax firm that purposefully limits the number of clients we serve. This allows us to provide attentive service while maintaining the thorough review standards that our clients expect.

We appreciate the opportunity to provide you with a quote and invite you to review your personalized email for the specific returns and filing requirements included in your proposed engagement.