By Anonymous September 29, 2014
I've used Tax Matters Solutions for the past two years and they have been fantastic. They are always professional, knowledgeable, and will take the time to teach you what you can do better as a business owner in prep for the next year. Highly recommended! ...read more
By Anonymous September 23, 2014
Try them! They are great!! ...read more
By Shirona G. at Judy'sBook November 03, 2011
These guys are really good. Talk to any of their present or past customers and they will agree. Tax Preparation Service in Fort Wayne, Indiana. ...read more
--> Have you reviewed your Social Security Statement lately? You know, that piece of paper you get from the Social Security Administration (SSA) every year, a few months prior to your birthday. I know, you probably have little to no recollection of this. However, it's important that you spend at least a few minutes familiarizing yourself with the document – checking it for accuracy. The SSA estimates that more than 50 million Americans will collect nearly $614 billion in Social Security benefits this year. Additionally, they estimate that nine out of 10 individuals age 65 and over receive benefits. If this isn't enough, they estimate that Social Security represents at least half the income for two-thirds of the elderly population. Social Security isn't only about retirement and the elderly. Depending on you work and income history – or that of your spouse, if married – you may be entitled to benefits in the case of a disability or even death. Now, this certainly shouldn't be relied upon as your only source of income in these unfortunate circumstances. Since you've likely already paid into the system, it definitely won't hurt to make sure all the information is correct and up-to-date. I recommend carefully reading over the information contained in this document – when you receive it. If something seems odd or blatantly wrong, contact the SSA as soon as possible to get it corrected. It's also important to make sure your contact information is correct and that your current employer has the right information for you (e.g., social security number, address, etc). ...read more
By Solid Path Financial, LLC January 22, 2011
--> I get a little frustrated when I read through various articles in the press relating to the role of finances and financial advisors in one's life. I often find myself wondering the same thing over and over – why is there such a focus on the money? Now, this question may seem odd coming from a financial advisor but allow me to explain. Traditionally, someone would seek the advice or services of a financial advisor for the purposes of investing or managing wealth. This means that the person would have already attained a high amount of financial success before seeking advice. Perhaps the person had a successful business, was an heir to a successful estate, or simply had a solid work history with a strong attitude toward saving. In any event, traditional financial advisory focuses on the client's money. The problem with this traditional approach to financial guidance revolves around the premise that one must have a certain amount of worth in order to become worthy of financial advice. Today, the tides are changing in the profession, but the media doesn't always seem to follow suit. I often come across articles that spout advice such as, if you are young and just starting out that you should take time to learn things on your own rather than seeking sound financial advice. I've also heard it said that those in the younger demographic couldn't possibly afford to hire a financial advisor. I once worked as a tax return preparer for a firm who's financial advisors were nothing more than money-driven salespeople. Behind the scenes, prior to meeting with a new client, they'd often discuss topics like, "How much money does he have?" or, "she doesn't come close to meeting our account minimums". These may have been legitimate concerns. However, what I found remarkably interesting is that they altered their quality of service and advice based on the client's net worth. I found that the vast majority of these clients just really desired someone they could trust to help them fully understand their financial situation. Sadly, a large majority of them wound up being sold unsuitable financial products or services that did not even begin to address their real needs and goals. This focus on the money mentality misses the mark for nearly every average individual and family – young and old alike. I'm a firm believer that all people – even financial advisors – can benefit from having a trusted and objective advisor on their side. Like many professions, I'm certain there are plenty of wolves in the financial industry prowling around searching for their next prey. However, I also believe that there are strong, ethical financial professionals who desire to have life-long clients, regardless of net worth. After all, isn't it the advisor's job to help his/her clients build their net worth? In the end, the focus should be on YOU, not your money. ...read more
By Solid Path Financial, LLC January 11, 2011
This article is based on the following assumption: You don't like to pay taxes. In fact, whenever you even thinkabout paying taxes, you get so mad you end up "all workedup with nowhere to go." Now, if paying taxes makes you so upset, what have you doneabout it lately? Why was your tax bill so hight last year? You paid too much tax last year (and the year before that,and the year before that . . .) because you have probablybeen an innocent victim of many popular myths about taxes. Here they are. Get rid of them or you'll be stuck payingtoo much tax forever! Tax Myth #1: "I don't make enough money to worry aboutreducing my taxes." Nothing could be further from the truth. People at alllevels of income can pay less tax. Tax reduction strategies are not just for the rich andfamous. No matter how much money you make, you can pay less tax. For example, it you are self-employed or run a small business (even part-time), and you had a loss last year, you can use that loss to offset othersources of income, such as wages from a "regular" job, yourspouse's wages, investment income, rental income, otherbusiness income. And if your business loss is so great that it more thanoffsets all your other income, you can take advantage of aspecial rule that lets you: a) Carry back that excess lossto previous a previous year, thereby entitling you to a refund oftaxes you already paid for that year; and/or b) Carry forward that excess loss to the afuture year, so that any income you earn in the futurewill be reduced by that excess loss. Tax Myth #2: "Tax reduction strategies are too complicatedfor me to use." Again, total and complete hogwash. There are plenty of ways for you the average American taxpayer, to reduce your taxes. Tax reduction is not just for the wealthy who pay high-priced attorneys to finagle their way out of paying taxeswith sophisticated tax-avoidance schemes, like off-shoretrusts and foreign bank accounts. The average American has plenty of tax reductionstrategies at his/her disposal. You just have to know whatthey are and how to use them. Tax Myth #3: "I had my return prepared by an Accountant, soI know I paid the right amount of taxes." There are thousands of excellent, hard-working accountantsdoing a great job. And if you use a tax professional, maybehe/she has done everything possible to reduce your taxes tothe legal minimum. Based on my own experience, however, I'm convinced that manytaxpayers who use professional tax preparers are overpayingtheir taxes, sometimes by thousands of dollars each year! Why is that? Well, there are many reasons. The mostobvious one is this: Many professional tax preparers arejust that: tax preparers and tax preparers only. A good tax accountant may know how to prepare a tax returnin his/her sleep. He knows the forms backwards andforwards. He knows what numbers go on which form perfectly. But that's it. That's all he/she knows. A good tax preparer is not necessarily knowledgeable in taxreduction strategies. There's a big difference between agood tax preparer and a savvy tax reduction specialist. When you look for a good accountant, make sure you find onewho doesn't just "do the returns", send out a bill and say"Next, please." Tax Myth #4: "My tax situation is OK because my BLANK (fillin the blank with a family member or other "good friend")takes care of my taxes." There are various versions of this myth. Do any of thesesound familiar?"My brother-in-law takes care of my taxes." "My uncle takes care of my taxes." "My college buddy takes care of my taxes." And of course, the same problem exists with Myth #4 as Myth#3. Even when someone you know and trust does your returns,how do you know that this person is a good tax reductionspecialist? And often, many of these family members or "buddies" are noteven professional tax preparers. This person just happensto be "The Family Accountant. Just like every family hasone person who knows a lot about cars (or mutual funds, orcarpet cleaning, or whatever), many families have someone who "knows enough to be dangerous" with regard to taxes. And even if your "Family Accountant" is a professional taxpreparer, he's probably not charging you for the return.He's doing you a favor. He prepares your return; you changehis oil. My first reaction to this kind of situation (when someone isgetting his/her return prepared for free) is this: You getwhat you pay for! When a family member does your return"for free", how much attention can he give to your need fortax reduction strategies? Probably very little. Tax Myth #5: "My tax situation is OK because I prepare myown returns." If this statement applies to you, then perhaps you are a"do-it-yourself-er". Money is tight and you are used todoing things yourself anyway, so why not save a few buckseach year and do your own returns? So you've spend countless hours over the years pouring overthe forms and instructions, trying to figure out how to dothe returns. And you've done OK. No letters from the IRS,no audits. Hey, pat yourself on the back! And now that tax preparation software is so readilyavailable and affordable, doing your own return is a breeze!Just key in a few numbers here and there, push the printbutton, and presto, you've got your return done in record time! And now you can even e-file your return with your own computer. Have you ever heard of the book, "The Millionaire Next Door"(by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko)? This book describes the common characteristics ofmillionaires in our country. My favorite millionairecharacteristic is this: Millionaires become millionaires by minimizing their taxesand getting their tax&other; financial affairs in order. Now comes the "Million Dollar Question": How do you thinkmillionaires get their tax affairs in order? By doing theirown tax returns? Of course not! Millionaires NEVER dotheir own tax returns! They have more productive things todo with their time. Instead, what millionaires do is spend time and money eachyear on tax planning and tax reduction strategies, notfiguring out what number goes on which line of Form XYZ. So my challenge to you is this: What are you going to dothis year to reduce your tax bill? Are you a believer in any of these 5 myths? Now's the timeto get rid of them, once and for all. Your financial well-being depends on it. ...read more
By Wayne Davies - Fort Wayne Tax Preparation Services August 07, 2010
Many people give money to family members as a gift in their time of need or if they come into a substantial amount of money. Giving money to a family member can sometimes be taxed; however, there are ways to avoid this this and give money to family members free of tax. ...read more
Many people have opted to learn to file their taxes themselves. This is a great way to save money, and it puts people in control of their own tax return. The process can be confusing, but there are enough resources to learn the correct method. ...read more