Any accountant recommendations? (Mesa, Scottsdale: sales, promotional, income)

[Voebe]

Looking around again for an accountant, hoping for:

• Someone inexpensive
• Scottsdale-ish, or if not Scottsdale, maybe a major street like Camelback or 24th
• A small firm or, ideally, maybe a one-man operation

I tried this before, and it turned out to be harder than I expected.

[BigEinAz]

My neighbor. https://www.linkedin.com/in/marilyn-galiano-3721a39

NE Mesa so maybe outside your preferred area . . .

[jmw51882]

Your question does not provide enough information for an accurate recommendation. Are you needing bookkeeping on a monthly basis, payroll, annual tax returns, monthly sales tax returns, tax planning, ect? This is only a small example of what services accountants may provide.


For cost, the amount of time your project requires, as well as complexity, and the experience of the accountant are all considerations. What do you consider inexpensive?


As a side note, most accountants I know will not even return your phone call if the first point of importance is cost. This is not because they are only interested in overcharging you. It is because we have a professional knowledge base, credentials, and education that far exceeds the tax advice you get from your buddy in a bar who knows a guy who knows a guy. The annual software licenses alone for an accounting firm are 10s of thousands of dollars.

[Mouser]

Originally Posted by Voebe

Looking around again for an accountant, hoping for:

• Someone inexpensive
• Scottsdale-ish, or if not Scottsdale, maybe a major street like Camelback or 24th
• A small firm or, ideally, maybe a one-man operation

I tried this before, and it turned out to be harder than I expected.

Check your in-box

[Skerzz]

Originally Posted by jmw51882

Your question does not provide enough information for an accurate recommendation. Are you needing bookkeeping on a monthly basis, payroll, annual tax returns, monthly sales tax returns, tax planning, ect? This is only a small example of what services accountants may provide.


For cost, the amount of time your project requires, as well as complexity, and the experience of the accountant are all considerations. What do you consider inexpensive?


As a side note, most accountants I know will not even return your phone call if the first point of importance is cost. This is not because they are only interested in overcharging you. It is because we have a professional knowledge base, credentials, and education that far exceeds the tax advice you get from your buddy in a bar who knows a guy who knows a guy. The annual software licenses alone for an accounting firm are 10s of thousands of dollars.

As a CPA, I couldn’t agree more with this.

[Voebe]

Originally Posted by jmw51882

Your question does not provide enough information for an accurate recommendation. Are you needing bookkeeping on a monthly basis, payroll, annual tax returns, monthly sales tax returns, tax planning, ect? This is only a small example of what services accountants may provide.

For cost, the amount of time your project requires, as well as complexity, and the experience of the accountant are all considerations. What do you consider inexpensive?

As a side note, most accountants I know will not even return your phone call if the first point of importance is cost. This is not because they are only interested in overcharging you. It is because we have a professional knowledge base, credentials, and education that far exceeds the tax advice you get from your buddy in a bar who knows a guy who knows a guy. The annual software licenses alone for an accounting firm are 10s of thousands of dollars.

Sorry, it seemed so obvious to me that I didn't think how others might read it. I'm just looking for someone to do income taxes. It's fairly simply. Most recently, last time around, I spent about a half-hour or less with my guy.

I'm puzzled, though, at your saying most accountants "will not even return your phone call" if price is a consideration. First, apart from the fact that returning calls from anyone is the most basic professional courtesy there is, I don't know how they'd intuit my preferences before talking to me. It's also quite sad if you're implying that the result of streamlining with electronic aids has multiplied costs rather than reducing costs.

[Skerzz]

If you are concerned about cost get a turbo tax license for $25 and move on. If you want quality advice be prepared to pay for it. Otherwise, the professional advice you receive will be about as good as a turbo tax license or a visit to H&R Block

[yukon]

Originally Posted by Voebe

It's also quite sad if you're implying that the result of streamlining with electronic aids has multiplied costs rather than reducing costs.

We're more productive now with technology, so labor costs are about the same but we put out more work. OTOH, software costs are very high. Skerzz is right in that professional tax software is very expensive. Then you have the efile fees, annual registrations and continuing ed classes, other office software (usually involving multiple licenses), cloud hosting fees or IT for desktop/network expense, etc. on top of the tax software expense.

[Voebe]

Originally Posted by Skerzz

If you are concerned about cost get a turbo tax license for $25 and move on. If you want quality advice be prepared to pay for it. Otherwise, the professional advice you receive will be about as good as a turbo tax license or a visit to H&R Block

I'm sorry, but I disagree. I've had terrific accountants who are reasonably priced, and to claim that an ordinary client with fairly simple taxes needs to spend huge amounts seems silly (or self-promotional, if claimed by an accountant). There are, to begin with, companies with large staffs paying for large offices in expensive locations with support staff - and there are individuals who don't.

I'm actually rather surprised that people here don't have low-end accountants they like.

[Colt AZ]

Originally Posted by Voebe

I'm sorry, but I disagree. I've had terrific accountants who are reasonably priced, and to claim that an ordinary client with fairly simple taxes needs to spend huge amounts seems silly (or self-promotional, if claimed by an accountant). There are, to begin with, companies with large staffs paying for large offices in expensive locations with support staff - and there are individuals who don't.

I'm actually rather surprised that people here don't have low-end accountants they like.

Who on earth needs accountants or tax professionals when we have Turbo Tax? Do-It-Yourself, Veebs!