Frequently Asked Questions

Start with a free consultation. It takes about fifteen minutes. You describe your situation, I ask questions, and I tell you what I would actually do and what it would cost. If I am not the right fit for you, I will say so and point you somewhere better.

If we decide to work together, you receive a written engagement letter setting out the scope and the fee before any work begins. Once you sign it, I set you up on a secure portal and give you a list of exactly what to send.

It depends on the scope of the work, and every engagement is quoted in writing before anything starts. Nobody receives an invoice they were not expecting. If you want a number before you call, the pricing tools on the Services page give an instant estimate range for individual and business returns.

If your return is a W-2 and a standard deduction, probably not — and I will tell you that on the call rather than sell you something you do not need. If you have self-employment income, rental property, equity compensation, income in more than one state, or a year with a major life change in it, the answer is more often yes.

Yes. I am licensed in Texas, and federal tax practice is not limited by state. I work with clients outside Texas and prepare the state returns your situation requires. We confirm the details on the consultation.

No. Most of the work is handled securely online, by video or phone, so you don’t have to come in. If you would rather sit across a desk, in-person appointments are available by request — just say so when you reach out.

Federal and state individual returns; business returns for S-corporations, partnerships, and sole proprietors filing Schedule C; fiduciary returns for trusts and estates (Form 1041); and exempt organization returns (Forms 990, 990-EZ, and 990-PF). Quarterly business filings are handled where they apply.

After you sign the engagement letter, you get a checklist built around your situation rather than a generic list. In general, it is your prior-year return, your income documents, records for any deductions you intend to claim, and details of anything that changed during the year — a move, a marriage or divorce, a new business, a property sale.

Individual returns are generally due April 15, and S-corporation and partnership returns generally March 15. Those dates shift when they fall on a weekend or holiday, and the date that applies to you depends on your entity and your fiscal year. I confirm your specific deadlines in writing when we start.

An extension is a normal part of tax practice, not a failure. It gives you more time to file — it does not give you more time to pay. If you expect to owe, an estimated payment still needs to go in by the original deadline to limit interest and penalties. I will tell you what to send and when.

Frequently. I review prior-year returns as part of onboarding. If there is an error worth correcting, I will tell you plainly whether amending makes sense — sometimes it does not, and I will explain why.

Generally, a claim for refund must be filed within three years from the date you filed the original return or two years from the date the tax was paid, whichever is later. There are exceptions and extensions to that window, so please do not rely on the general rule for your own situation — talk to a CPA to learn how it applies to your dates. And whether amending is worth doing is a separate question from whether it is allowed. I look at both.

Preparing a return is historical. It reports a year that has already ended, and by the time your preparer opens the file, nearly every decision that determined the bill has already been made. Planning is forward-looking: it is the set of decisions made during the year — how the business is structured, when income is recognized, what gets bought and when, which retirement vehicle is funded, how much goes to each quarterly payment.

Business owners and self-employed professionals whose income has outgrown a once-a-year conversation with an accountant. If your income is a single W-2 and does not vary, there is usually less to plan around.

Before a decision, not after. The best time to call is when you are thinking about starting the business, selling the property, or making the election — not the following March, when the year is closed and the options are gone.

Sometimes it saves meaningful money and sometimes it costs more than it saves, because it brings payroll, a separate return, and reasonable-compensation requirements with it. It depends on your profit level, how much you take out, and what you are willing to administer. I model it against your actual numbers rather than applying a rule of thumb.

Yes. My Proactive add-on calculates your quarterly estimated tax payments during the year: $50 a month for individuals and $100 a month for businesses, on top of your return fee (pricing). If you are self-employed, my guide to quarterly taxes for 1099 contractors explains what the law requires.

It may, if you are paid overtime as an employee. The deduction covers only the extra half of time-and-a-half pay required by federal law, it has a yearly cap, and it phases out at higher incomes (IRC § 225). See No Tax on Overtime: What Actually Qualifies. If you are an employer, see the W-2 box that decides your employees’ overtime deduction.

Do not ignore it, and do not answer it on your own. Many notices are routine and resolved with a single correct response; some are not. The difference matters, and the deadlines printed on the letter are real. Send it over and I will tell you what it actually says.

Yes. As a CPA, I am authorized to represent you before the IRS. That means reading the notice, determining what the IRS is actually asserting, gathering what is needed, and handling the correspondence.

No, and you should be cautious of anyone who does. Nobody can honestly promise an outcome in a matter the IRS decides. What I will tell you is what the letter means, what your options are, and what I would recommend.

Yes. You do not need to be an ongoing client. If you are holding a notice from the IRS or the state, send it to me and I will tell you what it says, what the work would involve, and the fee in writing before anything begins.

Yes — entity selection, preparation and filing of the formation documents, EIN and registered agent setup, and the ongoing compliance calendar that follows, including franchise tax reporting. Most formation services stop at the paperwork and leave the rest for you to discover later.

Yes. Cloud bookkeeping setup or cleanup, monthly reconciliations and expense categorization, cash-flow and budget reporting, and periodic CFO-level check-ins on what the numbers mean for your next decision. Planning is only as good as the records behind it.

Bookkeeping in Houston, TX, is a flat monthly fee based on transaction volume. Payroll, setup, and catch‑up work are added only if you need them. You’ll get a written quote and an engagement letter before anything starts, so your monthly fee is fixed for the year.

Yes. I offer catch‑up and cleanup as a one‑time bookkeeping engagement to bring past months up to date. After that, your books are maintained monthly in the cloud so the numbers are ready when decisions need to be made—not reconstructed at tax time.

I do not run payroll or file payroll tax returns. For S corporation owners, I can document a reasonable salary through a Reasonable Compensation Study. Contractor compliance includes W‑9 collection and 1099‑NEC filing, priced separately from monthly bookkeeping.

I configure QuickBooks Online for your business, set up a tax‑aligned chart of accounts, and bill the QBO subscription through the firm, so you have one invoice and one point of contact.

Because books are closed and reconciled monthly with financial statements delivered to your portal, quarterly estimated tax figures are drawn from live numbers. Fractional CFO services add cash‑flow forecasting, pricing and margin analysis, and loan/investor/sale preparation when you need them.

Yes. I provide cloud bookkeeping for digital business owners, consultants, agencies, and S‑corporation owners who need reliable, tax‑ready books. If you’re in Houston or working remotely from here, contact me to keep your books current so tax season isn’t a scramble.

A CPA is licensed by a state board, holds a degree, has passed the Uniform CPA Examination, must complete continuing education, is bound by rules of professional conduct, and can represent you before the IRS. Anyone with a PTIN can prepare a return.

I am a Certified Public Accountant licensed by the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy. My license status can be verified directly with the Board.

Yes, and that is the point. The work that actually changes what you owe happens during the rest of the year. Business hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM CST.

Yes. I am bound by the confidentiality rules that apply to Texas CPAs and by federal rules governing the use of taxpayer information. Please do not send Social Security numbers or account numbers by email or through the website chat — I will give you a secure portal for anything sensitive.

No. Any CPA who guarantees a tax outcome before reviewing your facts is telling you something they cannot know. I will tell you what the law allows in your situation, claim every position you are entitled to, and document it.