tax time

[CharlesD]

Ok, that time of year again. I've got my taxes about done, but I've been thinking I wouldn't mind consulting a pro who has a clue about our industry to make sure I'm not missing anything. I think I remember a thread on here a few months ago where some folks were mentioning some good tax preparers who were familiar with trucking, but I'm not having much luck with the search feature at the moment. I seem to remember mention of one in Houston, and since I'm currently sitting in Houston, I thought that would be a good place to start, but I can't find the info and google isn't much help either. Who do y'all use?

 

[dabluzman1]

I have an accountant in Medina Oh who does a number of Fedexers.
If interested PM me and I'll give the info.

 

[TeamCaffee]

John E. Turner, P.C.
12727 Featherwood Dr. Ste 111
Houston TX 77034-4908
282 464 9443
Good Guy seems to know truck taxes forwards and backwards. I believe he is on or used to be on the Dave Nemo show a couple times a month.

 

[highway star]

My CPA isn't a trucking specialist. We often hear that it's good to have a trucking specialist. I do a good job of keeping track of my expenses. When my taxes are done and I get the return back for review, it's all there.

So, Teamcaffee, Leo, anyone? What am I missing out on? Is your guy doing something mine isn't? What have you found out you can do with your taxes that you had no clue about? Inquiring minds want to know.

 

[TeamCaffee]

I feel as if I keep very good records for our truck. I know what I have bought and I also know what category I need to put it in. I also am up to date at all times with how many days we have been away from home and also how many days we have spent in Canada. We had another accounting firm for a year that I had to send in all of my receipts and I was not comfortable with that procedure. There are many things that worry me that I might not deduct correctly or know what needs to be depreciated or what does not. I look at the tax forms and get an immediate headache. I am not comfortable with how the deductions are taken such as our per diem and filling out that form. I am also not at all comfortable with filling out our forms for our corporporation. So I love what I do, but what he has to do each year is something I do not like. I feel as if I could learn it if I had to but as regulations change I do not know that I would always be up to date with that. I think that John gets us every deduction he can and he is always asking questions on this and that so he keeps me on my toes.
I like our procedure as it is now, I keep all of records and he compiles them into what the government wants. I feel as if we are ever audited we have all of the records to back up what we have done and we have John to help us present them to the auditor.
I will add that when we first started this business we kept our CPA we had for many years that I really liked. When talking to her about our deductions she did not understand that XM was a deduction and she did not understand about our per diem and Canada. So when I figured out I was going to have to educate our CPA we went looking for a new one that understood the truck laws.

 

[LDB]

I also recommend John Turner. I can't give you specific line items for reference but I can tell you that he specializes in transportation so his ongoing education supplements and expands on our industry. I'm sure there are good general accountants out there just as there are good general practitioners. I'd rather go to a good g.p. than a mediocre specialist however I'd also rather go to an equally good specialist as the good g.p. There's always a chance John is going to learn of something important for us sooner than the g.p. will. What I get by working with John is peace of mind. I don't have to know all that he is supposed to know so that I can double check his work when he gives it back to me. That's the intangible that puts him ahead of others from my perspective.