As tax season creeps in, many folks may be looking for assistance to make sure they get the most out of this year’s returns. The stress of the season can seem overwhelming at times, but there are some things taxpayers can do to mitigate it this year.
Mina Elizabeth Lam is a certified public accountant (CPA) who moved to the region about a year and a half ago. She worked at Price Waterhouse Cooper (PwC) for two years, and then at Intact for four years before starting her own accounting business to offer more flexibility for her clients. Since she’s new to the region, she says she “figured it would be a good way to get to know the people in the area.” She offers accounting services in both English and French.
She will even visit your home and help with your taxes as part of her new service, Taxe Mobile. This makes accounting services more accessible, especially since she noticed that there aren’t many services like it in the region. “I think taxes in general feel overwhelming to people because they don’t understand [them] and they don’t understand the nature of the documents that are requested – or why it’s being requested,” she says. This explains why many people don’t know where to start. Her goal is to help fill the gaps of information and help the process go more smoothly.
In order to be best prepared for this tax season, Lam recommends starting as early as possible. “It’s always about going to a tax person in advance and asking them what is needed. And a tax person can walk them through what the documents are, what they mean, or how to obtain the documents.” This can also help the client and accountant to work together to make plans for things like investing or retirement, or find credits that clients may be eligible for.
Lam acknowledges that “Taxes seem so complex to the average person.” She stresses that the number one thing to remember is to “Get in early. There’s always a rush, and people are always late. It’s always better to get in early and to be prepared.”
Lam’s services can be booked by contacting her by phone at 514-445-6159, or by email at taxemobileca@gmail.com.