January through April is a wonderful time. There are Daddy-daughter dances, Valentine's Day, Spring Break, and at the end of it all you have to help your kids get ready for summer daycare programs, summer jobs, prom, and one day, college. Or maybe you are living up the single or retired life: doing what you want, when you want.
Maybe you just don't want to spend your free time doing your taxes. You probably just want to hand them off to someone else and know they will get done right, right?
At Pelican, we are happy to help! Not only does Kenny have a loyal following of clients who have trusted him to do their taxes for the last six years, but we also accept drop-offs. You are welcome to visit our office in person to hand over your original documents, or you can send them to us online!
We have done taxes for two cool Canadians, one successful young woman in Florida, my 99-year-old grandma, a great guy in Texas, and... you get the picture. Getting your taxes done remotely is not for everyone (especially when you have such a personality as Kenny for your tax guy!), but if you are interested then read on to get some pointers for remote tax returns.
Who could benefit from a remote tax preparation?
Personal Returns: If you only have W2's (or retirement) and a few other documents (such as mortgage interest, charitable contributions, or investments), then your tax return does not have to interrupt your day at all! Some documents will require additional information, such as a tuition statement, which is just a simple phone call or email away.
Simple Business Returns: If you are well-organized, (congratulations!) then your small business documents should be able to explain themselves. If we have any doubts or need clarification, we will give you a call or drop you an email. Remember, a "Small Business" is one that files their business tax return as part of their personal. If you file a separate tax return from your personal return, then you are not considered a "Small Business" even if you have very few employees - just like Kenny & Addie at Pelican!
When sending us your documents, scanning is ideal, but a camera phone image works, too!
Make sure you take the picture where there is plenty of lighting, and see if you can put a couple of white papers behind it as background, to save our poor toner from printing the beautiful dark hue of your kitchen table.
Your document should be legible - no blurred text!
The entire document should be visible in a single photo; two half-photos are okay if you have trouble fitting the entire document into a single, legible image.
Alterations made to the photo may compromise the validity of the document.
Don't forget to send us a picture of your driver's license and include your Client Information Sheet. Not sure what else you might be missing? Check this blog post for a quick run-down of potentially pertinent paperwork)
How do we keep your digital documents secure? We use a great online portal designed for just that purpose. Learn about the portal here. Once we have your documents, it may take some time before we complete them - but there's nothing to worry about; we will contact you if we need more information or documents. When everything is ready to go, we will give you a call to let you know that the tax return is ready to be signed, which can be done remotely as well! We will send you the pages that need signatures, you sign them and then send them back to us (see the bullet points above!).
When we receive the signature pages, we will send you a full copy of your return and get it electronically filed. Any document in your tax return that is sent to you is password protected, to doubly ensure your personal data is secure.
With a system like this, you can move to any place in the world and never have to change your tax professional!
Send us an email to get started! PelicanTaxServices@gmail.com
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