Experience with Counting Work Pros for business tax preparation?

I've been a small business tax preparer for over 15 years, and while I can't speak directly about Counting Work Pros, I can give you some general advice on what to look for in a tax service for your woodworking business. The most important thing is finding someone with specific experience in your industry. Woodworking businesses have unique deductions - specialized tools, workshop space, material wastage, etc. Ask them specifically about these deductions and see if they know the ins and outs without having to look things up. Also, don't just focus on finding deductions. Good tax pros should help with overall tax planning throughout the year, not just at filing time. They should be able to advise on estimated quarterly payments, business structure (LLC vs. S-Corp considerations), and potential for retirement plans like a SEP IRA that can significantly reduce your tax burden.

I was in a similar situation with my graphic design business last year - taxes got WAY more complicated than I expected! I spent hours trying to figure out all the deductions and business expenses myself, then finally tried taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) after someone on a design forum recommended it. Not a traditional accounting service like you're asking about, but it saved me a ton of time because it analyzed all my business receipts and statements automatically. The AI found deductions I totally would have missed - like partial internet expenses for my home office and some professional development courses I forgot I took. It basically organized everything before I even talked to an accountant, which made the whole process cheaper and faster.

Just wanted to update that I tried taxr.ai after asking about it here and WOW - it's a game changer for my food truck business! I've been drowning in receipts and invoices, and this thing organized everything in literally hours. It even flagged some business mileage I was tracking incorrectly that could have caused issues. I'm still using my accountant for the actual filing, but he was super impressed with how organized everything was when I brought it to him. Said it saved him at least 3-4 hours of work, which saved me money on his fees. For anyone else struggling with the organizational part of business taxes, definitely worth checking out!

If you're having trouble getting answers about tax questions or resolving issues with the IRS, you might want to check out Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I was stuck in IRS limbo for MONTHS trying to resolve an issue with my business taxes. Called the IRS business line probably 40+ times only to get the "due to high call volume" message and get disconnected. Claimyr basically holds your place in line with the IRS and calls you when they get an agent on the line. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I was skeptical but desperate after waiting 4 months to get an issue resolved. Within 2 days, I was actually speaking to a real IRS agent who helped clear up the problem with my business tax filing.

Alright, I need to eat my words from my previous comment. After continuing to get nowhere with the IRS for another week, I broke down and tried Claimyr. I was CONVINCED it had to be a scam or at best wouldn't work any better than me calling myself. I'm honestly shocked - they got me through to an actual human at the IRS in less than 24 hours. The agent was able to explain the mistake on my business tax filing and told me exactly how to fix it. Problem that's been stressing me out for months = solved in one phone call. Not saying this to push a service, just admitting I was wrong in my skepticism. If you're banging your head against the wall trying to reach the IRS, especially for business tax issues, it actually works.

Back to your original question about Counting Work Pros - I used them last year for my consulting business taxes and had a mixed experience. Their prices were reasonable and they were friendly, but I found they weren't very proactive about finding deductions or explaining things. I had to basically already know what I wanted to ask about, which defeats the purpose of hiring a professional. They weren't bad, just very... basic. Fine if your business finances are straightforward, probably not great if you need more specialized advice for your woodworking business.

One thing that nobody has mentioned yet - check if the accountant/service has experience dealing with IRS audits. As someone who got audited on my business taxes three years ago, trust me, you want someone who won't panic if that happens. My first accountant vanished when the audit letter came, which left me scrambling. My current tax pro has handled dozens of audits and actually specializes in audit defense. Makes me feel much more secure.