<p>I called the accountant myself, and he claims the reason he was in jail was not related to anything about taxes.
He also claims that although he knew my mom was filing hoh while married, his job is to do whatever his client tells him to do regardless of his personal opinion… ??</p>
<p>I’m glad to hear that your mom and dad are realizing there is a lot at stake here. Need-based assistance was created for students like you, bright and motivated but from families without the means to pay for college. I think you might qualify for a lot of it but to get it you must be able to send verifiable tax returns to the schools. Good luck, we’re all rooting for you.</p>
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<p>I’m not surprised to hear he said something like that. One more person in this tangled web who is saying everyone else made him do something. Well, now if your parents tell him they need legitimate returns that you can submit to colleges that will be what his client has told him to do.</p>
<p>I wonder what he would do if a client told him to jump in a lake?</p>
<p>I am very surprised he would say that. A paid tax preparer is obliged to follow the law and is supposed to not sign off on stuff when he knows it is untrue. There are penalties for doing so. Even tax preparers with minimal training (ie not CPAs) that work for the big box companies have to do “due diligence” and can face financial penalties for knowingly filing fraudulent tax returns. I am appalled that a CPA would make such a statement.</p>
<p>he would probably jump in a lake 
but yea im trying to schedule an appointment…hopefully things get sorted out.</p>
<p>wow i dont like and/or trust the guy but he just has to sort things out
if not, h and r block.</p>
<p>ANY honest tax preparer can help your parents sort this out…the jail bird that “does what his clients ask even though they are not doing something legal” would NOT be my choice for doing the sorting out. He sounds dishonest…and also has put your parents in a pickle…and himself too as the preparer…for doing something illegal. If your parents get audited, does he realize HE would be on the hook too? Audits can take place within many years of filing taxes…he’s not out of the woods on this one…yet.</p>
<p>I would encourage your parents to find someone who is going to abide by the law. I know MY tax accountant would NOT do anything illegal. He would NOT do my taxes or give me any advice if I asked him to do so. That is what an ethical person would do.</p>
<p>Well I wouldn’t go H&R block to try and sort it out. It is too complicated a situation and in general I would not expect them to have the training for this situation. And H&R block and Jackson Hewitt are actually very pricey, they can charge more for a regular tax return than a good CPA.</p>
<p>I would definitely find a different CPA. This one is a big part of the problem and may be more concerned about covering his own backside than helping you.</p>
<p>okay how hard is it to find a new one though?
thats the thing i was worrying about</p>
<p>My guess is that she was claiming earned income credits which gave her substantial refunds that they would not have qualified for if they filed jointly. They should definitely amend this year’s return and they can wait a bit to address previous years. They will likely be contacted by the IRS about that since your dad didn’t file at all. They should respond to their request in a timely manner - avoiding this “bad news” will only lead to worse situations! The IRS rarely pursues criminal cases against small individual taxpayers who are trying to rectify their errors. Payment plans can be negotiated and sometimes they will settle for a lump sum which is less by removing some penalties. In the meantime, they will apply any future refunds toward the balance owed. A good accountant or tax attorney can help make the process as painless as possible. It doesn’t sound like using the ex-con who filed her as HOH would be a good idea at all!</p>
<p>Try a phone book?</p>
<p>Accountants are not that hard to find. They want people to use them. They are busy this time of year but I suspect they’ll listen to your situation and direct you appropriately. Your dad’s company may hire a CPA.</p>
<p>OP, whatever tax professional you use, make sure you/your family gets someone who is enrolled with the IRS. That means they are qualified to represent your parents before the IRS in an audit situation. Ask how many times they have done this.</p>
<p>Okay thanks. I will definitely search for a qualified accountant with a good reputation</p>
<p>YESSS found a tax guyy with a good reputation.
a meeting has been set for mondayy :D</p>
<p>Good luck and keep us posted.</p>
<p>just for an update–
the accountant filed for an extension and is currently trying to find a way to lessen the amount of penalties my mom or dad will have to pay…hopefully this is good news</p>
<p>Thank you for the update. Hope it all works out for you and your family.</p>
<p>yes, thanks for updating us. I’d been wondering what had happened. Hope everything works out ok so that you can start focusing on your college search and applications instead of having to worry about all this stuff that is a lot for a highschooler to deal with. Good luck.</p>
<p>You are a good kid. I hope things all work out for you.</p>