A new federal report released yesterday about errors by paid tax preparers repeats what past studies have shown: tax return mistakes are extensive and serious, and they put both taxpayers and preparers at risk.  A significant portion of my work stems from errors in self‑prepared returns and in returns prepared by unregulated tax preparers. In almost every case, these problems were not deliberate. Tax law is complicated, facts are messy, and when you mix the two, errors are unavoidable.

Here is my self‑serving but hard‑earned conclusion: a CPA tax specialist with a strong track record in representation before the IRS and state tax authorities, and a solid command of both tax law and procedure, is usually the best person to fix these errors.  I reach this view by process of elimination.

•        Tax attorneys are invaluable when criminal exposure or high‑stakes civil litigation is on the horizon, but for most middle‑income taxpayers their fees are prohibitive relative to the size of the problem.

•        Enrolled Agents excel in substantive tax rules, but may be less comfortable rebuilding books, untangling underlying data, and defending corrected returns that require real‑world accounting work.

•        Unregulated preparers are often encouraged by social media and marketing hype to take on matters that are well beyond their training or infrastructure.

•        A CPA tax specialist typically has additional training in both law and procedure, plus deep familiarity with accounting systems, which often hits the “sweet spot” of expert help at an efficient price.

The point is not to attack anyone’s competency or to assign blame for how a bad return happened. The real objective is to solve the problem as efficiently and safely as possible. In my practice, I often step in as both fixer and mentor: I help repair the case, protect the taxpayer, and, when possible, help the original preparer understand what went wrong so their reputation – and their clients – are better protected next time.