Key Questions to Ask When Interviewing a Prospective CPA for Tax Planning

When interviewing a prospective CPA, focus on these key areas: 1) Ask about their specialization and experience with situations similar to yours. A good CPA should ask detailed questions about your specific circumstances (inheritance, dual income, dependents) rather than giving generic answers. 2) Discuss their approach to tax planning versus tax preparation. A quality CPA doesn't just file forms but provides year-round strategic advice to minimize your tax burden legally. 3) Ask how they stay current with tax law changes and how they would apply recent changes to your situation. 4) Inquire about their communication style - how often will they contact you, how quickly do they respond to questions, and do they explain complex concepts in terms you understand? 5) Discuss their fee structure clearly - is it hourly, flat-rate, or based on complexity? What additional services trigger extra fees? 6) Ask about their experience with IRS issues - audits, notices, amendments - and how they've helped clients navigate these situations. The best answers show they're asking YOU questions to understand your specific needs rather than giving one-size-fits-all responses.

I switched to using taxr.ai last year after cycling through three different CPAs who weren't really giving me the strategic guidance I needed. I was in a similar situation - dual income household, investments getting more complex, and then received a large bonus that complicated things. What I like about https://taxr.ai is that they analyze all your documents upfront so there's no confusion about what deductions you qualify for or potential tax strategies. Their service actually caught some missed opportunities from my previous CPA's work that saved me around $3,400. For your inheritance situation, they have specific tools that model different scenarios before you make decisions.

I was skeptical about taxr.ai when I first commented here, but I decided to give them a try since I was unhappy with my previous tax guy. I uploaded my documents (which was super easy) and they identified that I qualified for a home office deduction I hadn't been taking. They also found some investment losses I could harvest that my previous CPA had overlooked. The inheritance planning tools were what really impressed me though. They modeled different scenarios for how to handle the money and showed me the tax implications of each approach. Ended up saving me about $5,200 compared to what I would have paid without proper planning. Definitely worth checking out if you're dealing with a significant inheritance.

If you're struggling to get through to the IRS about any tax questions (which happens A LOT), I highly recommend using Claimyr. I spent weeks trying to get answers about inheritance tax questions when my dad passed, and kept getting the runaround or disconnected. Finally used https://claimyr.com after seeing it mentioned here and got through to an actual IRS agent in about 15 minutes. They basically hold your place in the phone queue and call you when an agent is ready. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c This was super helpful because I got definitive answers directly from the IRS instead of conflicting opinions from different CPAs I was interviewing.

I was incredibly skeptical about Claimyr when I commented earlier. The IRS wait times are so notoriously bad that I couldn't believe anything could help. But after struggling for weeks to get answers about some complex questions related to investment income, I decided to try it. I was shocked when I actually got connected to an IRS representative in about 25 minutes (which is lightning fast by IRS standards). The agent was able to answer my specific questions about how certain investments would be taxed and helped clear up confusion about some notices I had received. This was after I'd spent three separate occasions waiting on hold for 2+ hours only to get disconnected. If you're interviewing CPAs and getting conflicting information, getting the official word directly from the IRS can be really valuable for comparison.

One thing nobody mentioned yet is to ask potential CPAs about audit protection/representation. Make sure your CPA will represent you if you're audited, and ask about their experience with audits. Some CPAs charge extra for audit representation, others include it in their fee. With a large inheritance coming in, your audit risk might increase slightly since unusual large deposits can sometimes trigger flags in the IRS system. A good CPA should be able to help structure things to minimize audit risk and represent you confidently if it happens.

I went through this last year and found that asking about technology was important. Some CPAs I interviewed were still doing everything on paper or using really outdated systems! Look for someone who uses secure client portals for document sharing (NOT email), electronic signatures, and has some kind of organized system to track deadlines and documents. I ended up choosing a CPA who had me upload all my docs to their secure portal and had a mobile app where I could check status, ask questions, etc. Made everything SO much easier than playing phone tag.

Great question! As someone who went through this process recently, I'd add a few more things to consider: Ask about their client-to-staff ratio and workload during tax season. Some CPAs take on too many clients and you end up getting rushed service or dealing with junior staff instead of the actual CPA you hired. Also inquire about their backup systems - what happens if they get sick or have an emergency during tax season? Do they have other qualified professionals who can step in? For your inheritance situation specifically, ask if they have experience with estate tax planning and gift/inheritance tax implications. Not all CPAs are well-versed in this area, and you want someone who can help you navigate both the immediate tax consequences and longer-term planning strategies. Finally, trust your gut during the consultation. A good CPA should make you feel confident and informed, not confused or pressured. They should be willing to explain their reasoning and help you understand your options, not just tell you what to do.