Comments on: Saving Money at the Hairdresser

By: Lola Goetz

Lola Goetz — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 05:24:00 +0000

i’ve used TT for about 7 years or so. and the first year i used it? saved hubby more money than his accountant ever had. great luck w/TT. and when i do finally need an accountant, i will look for a good cpa who is hopefully familiar with writers.

By: Lori

Lori — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 11:24:00 +0000

I’ve heard that about the large chains, Debra. They do hire first-timers and non-accounting types during tax season, which is great for the economy but lousy for your return.

By: Debra

Debra — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 01:37:00 +0000

I used to go to one of the big name companies to have my taxes prepared.

This year, wanting to support another woman in business, I went to an independent bookkeeper. She not only charged me way less, she also found an error on last year's return and saved me more than seven hundred dollars! I'm sticking with her from here on out.

By: Jennifer Williamson

Jennifer Williamson — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 20:50:00 +0000

I use an accountant. There is no WAY I would do any of this myself. You gals are brave.

By: Tei

Tei — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 20:20:00 +0000

Oh, me. I've just moved to a new city and am trying to launch a copywriting business proper (as opposed to contract work that I pick up piece by piece), and I am seriously considering pulling a little trick my other freelancing artist friend pulled last year:

Don't file this year.
Bust serious tail to get a nest egg.
Hire an accountant ASAP for this and next year to do an amended return.

I also have a friend who never files her taxes, just waits for the IRS slip to come. Is that even legal? Anyone know?

I usually do them myself, and I never get a correction slip, but I am rarely in the same place year to year, so now that I'm stable, they may catch me. Ohdear.

By: Lori

Lori — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 19:06:00 +0000

Hear hear, Lisa. I’d rather find a good accountant any day, but alas, I avoid it so much I just don’t get around to it.

Good to hear you had a good experience, Nikki! Kathy, I really didn’t mind taxes this year. Mind you, I still don’t know how much human error I introduced into the equation (and if I get another IRS love letter, I’m hiring an accountant), but it wasn’t bad.

By: Lisa

Lisa — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 16:11:00 +0000

We spend about four hours ourselves. Our taxes are somewhat complicated, so here's what we do. We collect receipts all year, make sure all of our spreadsheets are in order and that we have all of the other necessary paperwork together.
We tally receipts and break them down on an overview sheet, then we stick all of that into a big, fat folder and I drive over to the accountant and hand it to him.

I hate the process all year long as we're trying to keep good records throughout and dread the day we compile it all! But thank goodness for our tax man. He's saved us a small fortune over the past decade I'm sure.

By: Irreverent Freelancer

Irreverent Freelancer — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 14:26:00 +0000

Ohhh, don’t get me started. I too spent a good 3-4 hours doing taxes yesterday. I’m rather mathematically adept, so I tackle the whole process on my own. (And I don’t think the government has ever scolded me for getting my calculations wrong. LOL) Still, I hate EVERY minute of it. I’ve heard really good things about the tax software, so maybe next year I’ll give it a whirl.

By: Nikki

Nikki — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 14:18:00 +0000

We use taxact online and this was the first year I had to do the schedule C. I have to admit that I cheated and had my tax person right there next to me the whole time but everything came back rosy! ;-D