Frequently Asked Questions

How is By The Book different from any other accounting firm?

I can give you 3 big reasons why:

We aren't your friend's shady accountant. We believe the best way to do your returns is the right way, and we operate our firm under that principle. We won't take aggressive stands on your returns without discussing them with you first.
Our company philosophy is that our business should have a social and community impact (i.e. something beyond just making money). Therefore, we strive to bring financial education to the forefront of every interaction with our clients. We want to not just file your returns, but to help you understand them too.
With By The Book, you can complete your returns from start to finish in your pajamas if you so choose. No need to take time off from work to drive across town, wait around our office, or laugh at our terrible accounting jokes (although we think they're pretty funny). Enjoy all of our services from the comfort of your couch. Our process can be accomplished entirely though emails, texting, phone calls, or our secure portal. Communication method is entirely up to you!

How does your tax return process work?

At By the Book, our tax return process starts with a quick message from you. Call or text our office at (714) 944-8679 or email us at info@bythebooktax.com to let us know what you're looking for. We'll need a copy of your most recently filed tax returns to nail down pricing and then we'll send you an engagement letter with our fees and terms. Next is onto the checklists and organizers that we will provide to you to help you gather everything you need. Keep an eye out for emails from us throughout the process just in case we have some questions for you. We'll let you know when everything is finished so you can e-sign your returns for us to file. Once we submit the returns, you're all done!

What can I expect to pay for my tax returns?

Pricing is dependent on the complexity of your returns. We do not like "nickle & diming" so we try to be as transparent as possible when it comes to pricing. However, due to the varying nature of tax returns there is no one size fits all return nor one size fits all price. We include all common forms and credits in our packages, but we may charge small additional fees for complex situations and time consuming tax forms. Some examples are foreign transactions, employee stock sales, or part year residency issues. We will always let you know if we need to change fee structures or packages before we start any additional work.

What are virtual tax services?

This is by far our most common question: How can we do your tax returns if we don't meet face to face? Our firm embraces technology to make tax season easy for you. We offer online client portals, e-signature options, and spreadsheets or PDF organizers. We are always available by phone or email so you never have to sit in traffic or use vacation time to get your taxes done. For more information on our virtual services, click HERE.