Common Questions
Answers to the questions we hear most often, especially around refund timelines, balances owed, tax withholding, and tax forms. If you can't find what you're looking for, reach out and we're happy to help.
If your return was E-filed and you chose direct deposit, your refund will typically arrive within 3 weeks from the date the return was filed. The timeline can be longer if you're receiving a paper check, or if your return was filed by mail instead of E-filed.
Amended tax returns take considerably longer to process — plan on up to 16 weeks.
If you haven't received your refund within the expected timeframe, there are a few common reasons. First, confirm that you've signed and returned your E-file authorization forms to our office and paid your preparation fee — your return cannot be transmitted until we have both.
If you've done that and still haven't received your refund within the expected timeframe, you can check its status directly using the IRS or New York State refund tracking tools:
IRS — Where's My Refund
New York State — Check Your Refund
We suggest checking one of these tools before calling our office to inquire about your refund status.
This is typically due to one of a few things: we may have set a future withdrawal date on your return that simply hasn't arrived yet, there were insufficient funds in the account on the withdrawal date, or the account number on file was entered incorrectly.
Before calling our office, please check the letter on the first page of the tax return copy we provided you — it states the method and date of withdrawal we filed with your return. Please also verify that the account number listed is correct.
The right withholding depends on your particular circumstances, including your credits, deductions, and other factors. We recommend reaching out to our office so we can give you an answer based on your specific situation.
We'll usually need a recent paystub to do this properly.
This depends on your circumstances, but the answer is typically yes. We do not recommend that clients begin collecting Social Security or a pension, or take IRA withdrawals, without consulting us first so we can calculate the proper withholding.
It's true that taxes in retirement can be lower for some people, but we never recommend having zero tax withheld without some planning first.
This is a common misconception. Social Security is typically tax free in New York, but it can be taxed at the federal level based on a formula that factors in your other income.
There has been a lot of misinformation about this issue. If you have questions about how it applies to you, we recommend getting information directly from our office.
Many employers and issuers now email tax forms or make them available through an online account instead of mailing them. Some forms, such as 1099s for investment accounts, aren't available until late February or March.
It's also possible a form wasn't issued at all if the amount fell under a certain threshold — for example, under $10 of interest income. If you believe you're missing something and can't locate it, we recommend reaching out to the issuer directly.
No. We will not prepare a tax return without all of your current tax forms, and we cannot use the same amounts as the prior year.
Yes. Even if you've already filed, we need a copy of the corrected form so we can amend the tax return. If you receive a corrected tax document, please provide it to us as soon as possible.
Reach out if you have a question — we'll let you know if we can help.
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