Tax laws are very complex and changes to the laws are made daily. No computer program or franchise employee armed with a six-week course in tax preparation can replace the professionally-trained tax accountant. Asking the “right stuff” in a client interview is the foundation for preparing a complete and accurate individual tax return.

Online tax software programs and non-professionals ask general questions to cover every taxpayer in every scenario. Answering one of these questions incorrectly could change your tax situation drastically and could lead to an incomplete return with penalties and interest, or worse yet, an audit.

Tax services for individuals include:

• Tax returns (including returns for sole proprietorships)
• Personal property tax returns
• Estate tax returns
• Gift tax returns
• Trust income tax returns

Individual tax planning should take place throughout the year. With up-front planning and client education about tax changes, we can shift income from one tax bracket to another and discover additional deductions. With the personal tax accounting service Messina & Associates provides, we take the time to discuss your particular situation with careful consideration of your goals. The result is a solid plan to minimize your taxes and make the most of your financial resources.

Tax planning services for individuals include:

• Income tax planning
• Gift tax planning
• Estate tax planning

Each year we spend more than the required number of hours in Continuing Professional Education. This knowledge helps us provide you with the latest and greatest tax strategies that saves you taxes and avoids audit exposure.

In the unfortunate event of an audit, Messina & Associates offers representation services. You won’t need to deal with the auditors… we will. That’s our job.

We represent individual clients in the following situations:

• Internal Revenue Service audit
• State income tax audit