Common questions
Questions we are asked most
If yours is not here, call the office and ask.
Getting started
- I used the previous owner at this office. Are you the same firm?
- It is the same office on West Main Street, now operating as Carolina Tax Service. Client files carried over, so if your return was prepared here before, we already have your history and you are not starting from scratch.
- How do I become a client?
- Book a free consultation or call the office. We will talk through your situation, tell you what your return involves and what it will cost, and set up your secure portal. Nothing is owed for that first conversation.
- Can I just stop by, or do I need an appointment?
- Tuesdays are walk-in days, so you can come to the office on West Main Street between 10 AM and 5 PM without arranging anything first. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday are the same hours but by appointment, which means you are not waiting behind anyone and we have your file open before you sit down.
- Do I have to come into the office?
- No. You can complete a return entirely online: send documents through the portal, review the finished return, approve it, and we file. You are equally welcome to sit down with us in person, and plenty of clients prefer that.
- Are you taking on new clients?
- Yes, individuals and businesses alike. During filing season appointments fill up, so the earlier you get in touch the more choice you have over timing.
Cost and payment
- How much will my return cost?
- Individual returns start at $150 for a standard return with W-2 income, one state, and e-file. Business returns start at $450, and monthly bookkeeping starts at $150. Your price rises with the forms and complexity your situation involves, and we confirm the exact figure with you before any work begins.
- Why can you not quote an exact price over the phone?
- Because the honest answer depends on what your return contains. Self-employment, rental property, investment sales, multiple states, and business entities each add work. We would rather look at your documents and give you a number we will stand behind than guess at one and revise it later.
- When and how do I pay?
- Payment is due once your return is finished and before it is filed. We send a secure invoice you can pay by card, or you can pay at the office.
- Is the first consultation really free?
- Yes. There is no charge and no obligation for the first conversation, whether it happens in the office or over the phone.
Your documents and your return
- What should I bring or send?
- Photo identification, the previous year's return if you have it, and the income and deduction documents that apply to you: W-2s, 1099s, mortgage interest, tuition, childcare, charitable giving, and records for any business or rental activity. If you are not sure whether something matters, send it and we will tell you.
- How do I get my documents to you?
- Upload them to your secure client portal from a phone, tablet, or computer, or bring them to your appointment. We do not ask for tax documents or Social Security numbers by email or text, and you should not send them that way to anyone.
- Is my information secure?
- Your documents are handled inside professional tax software with encryption in transit and at rest, not by email. This website itself stores no tax documents and no Social Security numbers. Our security page explains how this works in more detail.
- How long does a return take?
- Once we have everything we need, a straightforward return is usually ready within a few business days. Returns involving businesses, rental property, or multiple states take longer. In the last two weeks before a deadline everything takes longer, which is the best argument for coming in early.
- Can you file an extension for me?
- Yes, at no additional charge. An extension gives you more time to file but not more time to pay, so if you expect to owe we will work out an estimate to send with it.
Refunds, notices, and prior years
- When will I get my refund?
- The Internal Revenue Service reports that most refunds are issued within 21 days of an e-filed return when you choose direct deposit. Returns claiming certain credits are held longer by law. We will show you how to track yours after filing.
- I received a letter about my taxes. Can you help?
- Bring it in, and do not ignore it. Most notices are routine and answerable, and some are simply wrong. The sooner we see it the more options remain open, because several of them carry deadlines.
- Can you file returns for previous years?
- Yes. Unfiled prior-year returns are common and fixable, and a refund can expire if the return is never filed. If you are behind by several years, tell us how many and we will work out the order to file them in.
- Can you amend a return somebody else prepared?
- Yes. If a return was filed with something missing or wrong, an amended return corrects it. Bring the original and we will tell you whether amending is worth doing in your case.
Businesses and bookkeeping
- Do I need bookkeeping as well as a return?
- If you own a business, current books make the return faster, cheaper, and more accurate, and they let you see how the year is going before it ends. If your books have fallen behind, we can catch them up before filing.
- Can you help me decide how to structure my business?
- Yes, and it is one of the decisions that affects a tax bill most. Whether you operate as a sole proprietor, an LLC, or an S-corporation changes what you pay. It is worth a conversation before you form an entity rather than after.
- Do you handle payroll?
- No. We do not run payroll. We would rather point you to a provider who specializes in it than take on work we are not set up for.
Where we work
- Which towns and counties in North Carolina do you serve?
- All of them. Our office is on West Main Street in Locust, and we prepare returns for clients in every town and county in North Carolina. Most of our work is concentrated in Stanly, Cabarrus, Union, and Mecklenburg counties, so Locust, Albemarle, Oakboro, Norwood, Concord, Kannapolis, Harrisburg, Midland, Mount Pleasant, Monroe, Indian Trail, Waxhaw, Matthews, Mint Hill, and the wider Charlotte area are all routine for us.
- Which states do you serve?
- North Carolina and South Carolina are our home markets. We prepare returns for clients in most other states for an additional charge, with a small number of exceptions: California, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Nevada, New York, and Oregon.
- I moved during the year. Can you still file for me?
- Yes, provided neither state is one of the exceptions above. Part-year and multi-state returns are routine work. They take a little longer and cost a little more than a single-state return.
Ready when you are
Ready to get started?
File online from anywhere, or book a consultation at the office.
Already a client? Sign in to the portalOr call (704) 888-1234