Why are taxes so complex that professionals are needed?

[BAMAPHIN 22]

We have had our tax returns prepared by professionals - certified public accountants (CPAs) - for 42 years. Even CPAs make mistakes.

Every year, I have to order the tax instruction booklets from the federal and state taxing authorities because they do not automatically send them when returns are professionally prepared. Even so, we are still responsible for the accuracy of the returns.


I try to do it myself before receiving the completed returns from the preparer, then I have to go through both copies to see why they don't agree.


Until our current preparer did them, I found more errors in the professionally prepared returns than in mine. Errors included incorrect figures taken from W-2s and 1099s to decimal point errors used in figuring the percent for state tax - pure carelessness and unbecoming the CPA profession.


As a college graduate who keeps detailed records of everything, I am totally frustrated and angry that I cannot understand and complete a relatively straightforward tax return that doesn't even involve itemizing deductions without paying someone to help me. This disgruntles me more than the amount of taxes we pay.


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[WharfRat]

heh...even the ones who make the laws themselves need help doing their taxes... :rolleyes2

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WASHINGTON - Many lawmakers who sit on the tax-writing committees in Congress hire professional preparers to fill out their tax returns, rather than try to decipher by themselves the laws they’ve written

[ILPhinFan88]

I don't know but I'm glad they do, my wife works in a CPA office. :D

[NaboCane]

heh...even the ones who make the laws themselves need help doing their taxes... :rolleyes2

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Quote:
WASHINGTON - Many lawmakers who sit on the tax-writing committees in Congress hire professional preparers to fill out their tax returns, rather than try to decipher by themselves the laws they’ve written

That report is pretty stilted though; the lawmakers made the laws, yes - but those laws were written by professionals, specialists. Also, you can know the law but it's still difficult sometimes to know how they apply to a particular situation such as your own.

Even lawyers hire lawyers...it's smart to have more eyes seeing the issue and more/specialized minds thinking it through.

[PassRush]

I do my own taxes, though I bet my return would be bigger if I used a CPA

[FinaciousOne]

I do my own taxes, though I bet my return would be bigger if I used a CPA

You mean refund, don't you. Yep, taxes are confusing.

[Noodle Arm]

I used turbo tax this year...I'm getting a great refund this year...it was simple and easy to use. (it checked for errors and found none, but there's still that little part of me that hoped I don't get audited :lol: )

[PassRush]

You mean refund, don't you. Yep, taxes are confusing.

ah, more confusing than I thought I guess

[Roman529]

I did my taxes by myself for a while, and then I started using H&R Block....I think most tax preparers do about the same job and after using H&R Block for a few years I decided to just buy a Turbo Tax program that appears to be identical to what most pro's use and I just fill in the blanks. I pretty much copy down the same information from my past year's returns other than the W-2 income variations. I itemize as best as I can and take full advantage of as many deductibles as I can, but a lot of stuff like calculating short term and long term capital gains on stock transactions is a major pain...I do the best "guessing" I can. I have a master's degree and I think I am pretty analytical but they need to simplify this crap so it can be done in under an hour. :mad: