the following appeared in the Wall Street Journal:

"The Treasury Department has named the 560 individuals who either renounced U.S. citizenship or gave in their green cards in the third quarter. The total for the year so far is 2,369, a 33% increase on the previous record number of taxpayer repatriations. Freddi Weintraub at law firm Fragomen Worldwide suggested, as well as being due to higher income and estates taxes in 2013, the exodus is also due to tougher law enforcement; FATCA comes into effect in 2014, which requires foreign financial institutions to report information about U.S. taxpayers to the IRS. Since 2009 over 38,000 people have paid $5.5bn in back taxes due from undisclosed offshore accounts, and it is thought that the same sum again is yet to be paid."

Home-Based Business CPA Explains Tax Benefits

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If you are not planning on filing your own taxes this tax season, choose a preparer you can trust.

Choose a preparer who is knowledgeable about deductions you may qualify for so that you will pay the least possible amount of tax.


Choose a preparer that will be there for all of your tax and accounting needs year-round.

I chose these photos to represent various aspects of the decision to higher a qualified professional for your tax preparation needs.  Most people who have a pool in their backyard could clean the pool themselves and even find out what the correct chemical balance should be so that they could then put forth the effort to maintain that balance.  Do they want to take the time to clean and maintain their pool themselves or perhaps their time is better spent on other aspects of their life.  I could compare the decision to hire a tax professional to how to handle a home repair; will you decide to DIY, hire a handyman, or spend the extra money for a licensed contractor.  You do get what you pay for and you must decide what results you want.