Tax Advisors in Houston
There are no specific state help lines or state consultants to assist foreigners with tax advice but Houston has many certified public accountants (CPAs) that can assist you with your specific tax questions.
In general, it is advised to use the assistance of an accountant when filing annual federal taxes. The fee is manageable, often starting as low as $ 150 and advisors know the ins-and-outs of the tax law. They often making it possible for you to save money even after the fee in contrast to filing the taxes yourself. For the first time tax form preparer, it is recommended to use an accountant or a tax service provider. If you don’t own a home and are not itemizing your taxes and only fill out a simple 1040EZ, you may try it yourself right away or see how the first one was done and do the following years yourself. You can also use a software program that will help you with the tax return form by guiding you through a wizard; however, if you have never filed taxes in the U.S. before, are not familiar with tax lingo or are not absolutely comfortable with English, it can be a challenge.
Tax day is generally April 15th of every year. Some years may have exceptions, such as 2010 where the tax day has been postponed to April 18th. On that day, all tax returns have to be filed and if you owe taxes, they are due that day. You can file extensions for a fee and is has to be submitted in time to be approved. On a note, if the government owes you money on your return, it is recommended to file as early as possible so you get your money back.
Houston has chains with CPAs or many individual CPAs.
These are some popular companies for tax service, all with many locations throughout the Houston area:
• H&R Block – http://www.hrblock.com
• Jackson Hewitt – http://www.jacksonhewitt.com
• Liberty Tax Service – http://www.libertytax.com
For referral services for individual CPAs visit:
• Houston CPA Society – http://www.houstoncpa.org
