It's beginning to look a lot like tax time, everywhere you go. What are some things about your tax preparer that you may not have know about? April 15 is the deadline to file.Some of you may be doing your own taxes or you may hire a tax preparer. Today on the Top 5 at 7:45, I'll highlight some things that you may want to consider before hiring someone to take care of your taxes.

  1. They Are Not Record Keepers - Once your taxes are done, it is our responsibility to keep the records. Keep your own records and don't be surprised if your tax preparer comes up empty if you go back to retrieve them after some time.
  2. Savings - Let your tax preparer know up front that you want them to look for tax savings pocket that will benefit you in the long run. They may not do that on their own.
  3. Get Them To Dig Down - Some tax preparers will only apply general tax rules instead of digging deeper to get you the best refund possible. Ensure that they are willing to dig out the best tax refund, but also be prepared to pay some extra fees.
  4. Information Imputation - Many tax preparers do what you could do and that is simply input your tax information into a tax program.
  5. A CPA Isn't Necessarily A Tax Expert - Certified Public Accountants can be very good in the realm of auditing and such like, but not all of them are tax experts. Please do not assume that because you are going to a CPA that they are an expert with tax law. Have that discussion with them prior to having them delve into your tax preparation.

The Top 5 at 7:45 airs weekdays with me, Gary Freeman and sponsored by First Education Federal Credit Union.

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