Christine Johnson, CPA has a simple billing structure. We charge you for your tax preparation, which includes the one-hour professional tax interview. Your fee also includes a year-end tax organizer and update package, as well as newsletters throughout the year. We charge an hourly rate for non-client consultations.
Our personal tax preparation fees are based on the forms you are required to file. It is a very objective approach to your billing. We can give you an accurate estimate of the cost prior to doing your return. Our minimum charge for a 1040 with itemized deductions is $150, a 1040 with itemized deductions and schedule C (self-employed) starts at $250 - this includes electronic filing. Partnership/corporation tax preparation is based on the complexities of the business. Again, we are happy to give estimates with no obligation. In most cases, our minimum fee for a partnership/corporation return is $600.
Keep in mind that the fee depends on how well organized your business records are. The amount of time we have to spend in additional meetings and digging through receipts. Naturally, we are quite versed in the ART of receipt digging and we don’t mind as long as you understand there is additional cost of $85 per hour involved.
Income tax planning services are charged at an hourly rate -- generally $100 per hour.
Tax representation services for audits, appeals and collections (back taxes) are generally charged at an hourly rate of $125 with a minimum 4-hour retainer required. Additional hours are billed in advance in four-hour increments. Payment for any hours not used is refunded at the end of the engagement.
Be advised that many places in town will charge less than we do. No, we are not a mass-production "return mill" and therefore are not the cheapest, but if you are looking for quality for your money, your decision to use Christine Johnson, CPA will be a good one - especially if you take advantage of the wide range of tax and financial planning services available to our clients.
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Refund Anticipation Loans (RAL)
Because we care about our clients, and act in their best interest, we will not participate in a RAL program which will loan a client his or her own money for three weeks, and charge the client an excessive fee.
RALs are high cost loans secured by and repaid directly from the proceeds of a consumer’s tax refund from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Because RALs usually run for a duration of about 7-14 days (the difference between when the RAL is made and when it is repaid by deposit of the taxpayer’s refund), fees for these loans translate into triple digit annualized interest rates. RALs drain billions from the pockets of consumers and are targeted at the working poor, especially those who receive the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), a refundable credit provided through the tax system and intended to boost low-wage workers out of poverty.
