If the Treasury Secretary Can’t Figure Out the Tax Code, How Should Anyone Else?
Channel: Esquire Group
Date: 19/01/2022

I get it, taxes suck. And paying someone to figure out how much you have to pay is like rubbing salt in the wound.

Potential clients are sometimes like “Why should we pay your prices to have our taxes prepared when we could hire a budget tax preparation service or use TurboTax for less?”

Because your taxes are your responsibility. You are responsible for the accuracy of your tax returns and you are liable for the penalties if there are mistakes.

Budget tax preparation services and TurboTax are fine if you live in the US and have a simple tax return. Once you introduce an international component, however, things get tricky. 

If the tax preparer you hired to do your taxes isn’t competent in the area of taxation required to accurately prepare your tax return, you can’t use the fact you relied on a tax professional to get out of penalties.

And remember former Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner? He famously messed up his own taxes using TurboTax. If the Treasury Secretary can’t figure out his own taxes using TurboTax, how should anyone else.

To get it right, you need an international tax professional who is educated and experienced in international taxation prepare your tax return accurately.