Swaim & Associates

Comprehensive Assistance From Professional Tax Professionals

Swaim & Associates

Comprehensive Assistance From Professional Tax Professionals

How Our Enrolled Agents Can Help North Carolina Residents

When you are trying to prepare your taxes on your own or do your federal and state taxes online, whether they are business taxes or income taxes, a single mistake in any of your tax forms can leave you with considerable tax liability issues. Get the tax assistance you need from the local tax consultants at Swaim & Associates.

When you come to our Greensboro, NC office, you can meet a tax accountant with the skill and knowledge necessary to help you with your tax return preparation so that you are in compliance with the tax law. We want you to avoid any penalties for violating tax regulations. Whether you are looking for tax tips to maximize your tax refund, or you need a tax pro who is fluent in tax law to represent you in an audit, tax compliance, or other tax issues, our Enrolled Agent Tax Preparers are the tax experts you are looking for. 

What is an Enrolled Agent?

An Enrolled Agent (EA) is a tax practitioner licensed by the United States Treasury Department to represent taxpayers in affairs with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The United States Department of Treasury empowers EAs to represent taxpayers for any audits, appeals, or collections. Enrolled agents are licensed to prepare tax returns, and advise and represent individuals, estates, corporations, partnerships, and trusts. Enrolled Agent Tax Preparers are experts who keep up with the ever-changing area of tax laws. Enrolled Agents are therefore effectively able to represent persons who are audited by the IRS. EAs are required to show they are competent in tax practice before they can represent a taxpayer before the IRS. EAs receive their license from the U.S. Treasury Department.

As an Enrolled Agent Tax Preparer, we have unlimited practice rights. This means they are unrestricted as to which taxpayers they can represent, what types of tax matters they can handle, and which IRS offices they can represent clients before.

To earn an EA designation, they have to either be a former IRS employee (minimum 5 years experience) or pass a comprehensive 2-day exam administered by the IRS. Then, there are continuing education requirements.

An EA is authorized by the U.S. Department of the Treasury to offer services such as:

  • Represent taxpayers before the IRS for audits, collections, and appeals
  • Advise and represent taxpayers
  • Prepare tax returns for individuals, partnerships, corporations, estates, trusts, and any entities with tax-reporting requirements

In addition to an IRS-administered testing and application process, enrolled agents must complete at least 72 hours of continuing education every three years.

Overcome Your Tax Problems With Our Tax Advisors

From the small business owner looking for answers to their tax questions about their business income to someone looking for professional tax preparation services for a tax-fraud investigation, our tax advisors can help with your tax challenges. Whether you need someone to help you file taxes instead of relying on professional tax software or other online tax preparation services, or you need help with tax-planning and bookkeeping consult a tax advisor at our Greensboro, North Carolina office today for the tax consulting and tax solutions you deserve.

I.R.S. LIENS:

The I.R.S. Can Ruin Your Life By Filing Federal Tax Liens.

Federal tax liens are a public record that shows you owe back taxes. Liens are filed with the County Clerk of Court. Because these liens are public records, they will show up on your credit report. This makes it nearly impossible for you to obtain a car loan or home mortgage. A lien effectively freezes your assets to the point that you cannot sell or purchase anything. Issuing a lien is a drastic step that the I.R.S. takes when they tried to and failed to get the taxpayer to respond to collection letters. Ignoring the I.R.S. is the work thing you can do. They are not going to give up and go away.

 

I.R.S. PENALTIES

Each Year The I.R.S. Assess Billions Of Dollars In Penalties Against Taxpayers.

They charge penalties on top of penalties and double penalties. There are penalties for: failure to file; filing late; failure to pay; paying late; underpayment; there is even a penalty if you make a mistake writing down your social security number on the return and are off by one digit. To make matters worse, the I.R.S. charges you interest on the penalties and interest on the interest.

Penalties can be anywhere from 25% to 100% of the take owed and after they add on the interest you can end up owing triple the amount of tax. Penalties can be “abated” (erased/forgiven), but the I.R.S. will never do it voluntarily. You must have a representative who knows the tax code to petition for abatement.

OUR PRACTICE HAS ALWAYS concentrated on what we call “troubled tax” situations, especially in I.R.S. collection procedures. We have about 20 active collection cases at any one time and very aggressively represent our clients.

Most accountants avoid this type of work. This is because they are not well trained in it. They become very frustrated and actually do their client damage. But we love going toe-to-toe with the I.R.S. on your behalf.

We know what the I.R.S. can and cannot do and have dedicated our practice to protecting you from their awesome power. We know our way around the bowels of the I.R.S. as well as anyone and we can put that knowledge to work for you.

 

TAX RETURN PREPARATION:

We do not prepare tax returns to please the I.R.S. We prepare tax returns to insure that our clients pay the very least tax possible under the laws passed by Congress, as interpreted by the federal courts.

We prepare federal and state income tax returns (all 50 states), for individuals and businesses. We are adept at preparing complex returns involving complicated and unique legal issues.

Our clients have unusual and almost unlimited access to us. Each client has an extensive office consultation prior to the preparation of the tax return. We ask a lot of questions, and we will answer all of your questions, anytime. You will get sound and assertive tax advice and planning tips from us. We have the legal knowledge and the accounting expertise that you need.

Almost 50% of our new first-time clients end up asking us to amend prior year returns for them because they, or their accountant, overlooked (or never looked for) lawful deductions that they are entitled to under U.S. tax law.

EAs: The Taxpayers’ Tax Experts

Q: What does the term Enrolled Agent mean?

A: “Enrolled” simply means EAs are licensed by the federal government. “Agent” means EAs are authorized to appear in place of the taxpayer at the Internal Revenue Service.

Enrollment dates back to 1884 when Congress acted to regulate persons who represented citizens in their dealings with the Treasure Department after questionable claims had been presented for Civil War losses.

Q: What exactly do Enrolled Agents do?

A: Enrolled Agents specialize in taxation. Throughout the year, they advise, represent and prepare tax returns for individuals, partnerships, corporations, estates, trusts, and any entities with tax-reporting requirements. In the United States there are over 34,000 enrolled agents scattered in the 50 states who prepare millions of tax returns each year. The National Association of Enrolled Agents counts over 8500 active members. Enrolled Agents’ expertise in the constantly changing field of tax law enables them to be effective representatives when tax-payers are audited by the IRS.

Q: How do Enrolled Agents differ from other tax agents?

A: EAs are the only practitioners who have demonstrated competence specifically in matters of taxation. Also, they are the only representatives for taxpayers who receive that right from the U.S. Government.

An individual may become an Enrolled Agent in one of two ways: The primary way is to pass a difficult, two-day examination given annually by the IRS. The test covers taxation of individuals, corporations, partnerships, estates and trusts, as well as procedure and ethics. Less than one-third of individuals taking the examination have passed, allowing them to apply for enrollment and subject themselves to a background investigation. 

The other way is to have been an employee of the Internal Revenue Service for five years, regularly applying and interpreting the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code and regulations.

Q: Are there other requirements?

A: In addition to the stringent testing and application process, Enrolled Agents earn 72 hours of continuing professional education, reported every three years, to maintain their status. Because of the difficulty in becoming enrolled and maintaining that enrollment, there are fewer than 35,000 Enrolled Agents in the United States.

Q: How can I find out more about Enrolled Agents?

A: Contact a local Georgia Association of Enrolled Agent Member or – www.4gaea.org