Tax preparation: a guide for pros
What customers ask, how to win the job, and what to put on your profile.
Offering tax preparation
Taxpayers are anxious about mistakes and deadlines. A clear document checklist and honest limits make you easy to hire.
What customers ask
- What do I need to bring?
- Will you sign my return?
- What if I get a notice?
- Can you file for prior years?
- How do you protect my information?
How to win the job
- Send a document checklist when the customer first contacts you
- State your credentials and how the customer can verify them
- Explain your review step before filing
- Say whether you can represent the customer on a notice
- Never base your fee on the size of the refund and say so
- Describe how you secure identification numbers and documents
- Do not promise a refund amount
What to put on your profile
- Credentials and registrations you hold
- Return types you prepare, such as self employed or rental
- Whether you offer prior year filing
- Your document checklist and secure upload method
Follow-up that helps the customer
- Send a copy of the filed return and a summary of key figures
- Offer a mid year check on records and estimated payments
- Send a records checklist for next year
Licenses and permits
Register as a paid preparer with the tax authority where required, and check state rules. Represent clients before the tax authority only within your credentials.
Questions
Can I promise a refund amount?
No. Explain the information you need and the review you do.
What should I never do with a return?
Never file a return you did not sign as preparer, and never route a refund to your own account.
Pro reviewers
Pros who offer tax preparation remotely can improve this guide, like Wikipedia. We check every edit before it goes live. Every approved edit is credited in the edit history and on the pro's profile.
Edit history
- Oct 29, 2026: Drafted by infinibell to our content guidelines.
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