FAQ - Can We Help You?

What is an Enrolled Agent?

Enrolled Agents have been around since 1884 and are federally licensed to practice before the IRS. In contrast, CPAs are licensed by the state, not the United States Government. All Enrolled Agents specialize in taxation, unlike CPAs and attorneys, who may or may not specialize in taxes. EA's are subjected to a rigorous background check conducted by the IRS, and take a comprehensive examination administered by the IRS which covers all aspects of the Tax Code. All are required to complete 72 hours of continuing education to stay abreast of any and all tax law changes. Enrolled Agents are authorized to appear in place of a taxpayer before the IRS. We are required to abide by the provisions of Circular 230. Susan has been an enrolled agent since 1984; Karen since 2006. For more about Enrolled Agents, visit naea.org.

What Services Do You Offer?

We provide full tax, accounting, and financial services; including tax planning and preparation, electronic filing, S-corporations, trusts, estates, partnerships, and IRS audit representation. We specialize in multi state and complicated tax returns.

Do You Prepare State Returns?

Yes. In addition to preparing Pennsylvania income tax returns, we prepare many out-of-state returns. We are also experts in completing all local and Philadelphia returns.

How Much Do You Charge?

All income tax returns are charged per form according to a fee schedule, with some exceptions. Because of the great variation in the complexities of returns completed, it is difficult to determine exactly what the charge will be until we consult with you regarding your personal tax situation. Our prices are competitive with other private tax professionals. Additional fees may be added to your bill if your records are not in good order. Separate fees may be charged for additional consultations, meetings, or complicated computations. Susan's hourly consultation rate is $300/hour and $150/hour for bookkeeping. We accept Visa, MasterCard and Discover Card for tax and accounting services only.

Do I Need an Appointment?

We are now working remotely, but we are available by phone, email or zoom for consultations. For our tax clients, you may upload your documents via our portal or mail them to us via US mail to our PO Box. Please call our office for more information.

Are You Available Year-Round?

We are available all year to answer your tax questions. However, we may charge for inquiries requiring 15 minutes or more, or involving computations. Fees will be based primarily on the time devoted to the assignment, including conferences, phone calls, factual investigations and analysis, research, document preparation and other services rendered on your behalf. Remember, just because your question may seem “easy” or “quick”, we may need to thoroughly research a topic and/or run calculations in order to answer your query.

Who's Who?

Susan does need a little help during the busy tax season!   Karen Walla wears many hats while working full-time with Susan, including: Enrolled Agent, bookkeeper, office manager, technical guru and webmaster. Carol  also assists with tax preparation and client contact. She has many years of tax experience.