Discussion:How to find a local Tax Professional

Please keep in mind that (a) simplistic answers to questions that are more complicated than you may even realize can be more dangerous than helpful to you, and (b) the users on this site actually make their living helping people like you answer questions like yours, and are not always inclined to do the same thing for free.

You will likely be best served by seeking out a local tax professional who will have the opportunity to understand your entire business and/or tax situation and can provide both advice and follow-up, which obviously cannot be done in this online forum. Some sites that can help you find a local tax professional are listed below.

Find a Tax Professional:

• National Association of Tax Professionals - search for a tax professional by location and designation
  NATP members include many CPAs, EAs, and other tax professionals
• National Society of Accountants - search for members by attributes such as credentials (EA, CPA, etc.) and/or location
  NSA members include many CPAs, EAs, and other accounting professionals
• Finding The Right Tax Preparer by NATP
• Tips for Choosing a Tax Preparer from the IRS
• Advice for Choosing a Tax Return Preparer from the IRS

Find an Enrolled Agent:

• NAEA.org - search for an enrolled agent by location and specialty. NAEA members adhere to a strict code of ethics.
• An Enrolled Agent (EA) has passed a test about his/her knowledge of taxes. The test is administered by the IRS. The Enrolled Agent designation allows them to represent you at any level of the IRS, short of going to Tax Court, whether or not they prepared your return. EA's must take Continuing Professional Education(CPE) and pass a background check. EA's are the only Tax Professional licensed directly by the United States Treasury.

Find a CPA:

• California CPAs (search)
• Virginia CPAs (search)
• Hawaii CPAs (search)
• Georgia CPAs (search and also advice)
• Michigan CPAs (search)
• links to other state CPA search engines - offsite link, may not all be up-to-date
• How to Choose An Accountant from the NY State Society of CPAs
• A CPA is a Certified Public Accountant who has met the licensing requirements of the state in which he/she practices. These requirements, which vary from state to state, are established by law and administered by the state boards of accountancy. They include: completing a program of study in accounting at a college/university; passing the Uniform CPA Examination, which is developed and graded by the AICPA; and having a certain amount of professional work experience in public accounting (not all states require this). CPAs must take Continuing Professional Education (CPE).

Find an Accounting Professional:

• Bookkeeping Help.com Accounting professional referral service - free to consumers to search, fees paid by the advertising accountants
• National Society of Accountants NSA members include many CPAs, EAs, and other accounting professionals
• List of Professional Designations from the NSA website

Low Income Taxpayer Clinic List:

• IRS Publication 4134
• Low Income Taxpayer Clinics (LITCs) represent low income taxpayers before the Internal Revenue Service, assist taxpayers in audits, appeals and collection disputes and can help taxpayers respond to IRS notices and to correct account problems.
• If you are a low income taxpayer who cannot afford professional tax assistance or if you speak English as a second language (ESL) and need help understanding your tax rights and responsibilities, you may qualify for help from a LITC that provides free or nominal cost assistance. Although LITCs receive partial funding from the IRS, LITCs, their employees, and their volunteers are completely independent of, and are not associated with, the federal government. These clinics are operated by nonprofit organizations or academic institutions.

VITA, TCE or AARP sites:

• NEW - from University of Missouri, find free tax prep locations by state/county/city: VITA/TCE/AARP Search