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Kraken
Federated Suns
Marshal
Joined: 04-Feb-2002 00:00
Posts: 2755
Location: United States
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 Posted: 13-Jan-2011 19:59 Post subject: Quick question for those who use accountants |
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Here's my situation.
Even though I hardly make anything in a given year, I still have to fill out a tax return anyway due to being on financial aid; not only does the financial aid office and the Department of Education want to see my tax paperwork before they'll help me, I can use whatever refund I might get.
Because of all the deductions I frequently take (such as tuition, charitable donations, and mileage for work), I prefer doing it using an online system like TurboTax; it's a lot quicker and easier to have computer assistance than it is to do it all long-hand on a paper form.
Thing is, over the past 12 months I've been hit by malware on several occasions and so I'm wary of doing it by computer this year. I simply don't want to risk my personal information being captured.
As such, what should I look for in a good accountant? About how much should I expect to pay? Does anyone have any recommendations?
Thanks.
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"I wish I could write as mysterious as a cat." -Edgar Allen Poe"I knew there was something special about you, but I never realized you were really a cat." Wolfwood to a random cat (Trigun)
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chihawk
Clan Blood Spirit
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Joined: 04-Feb-2002 00:00
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Location: United States
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| Posted: 13-Jan-2011 22:03 Post subject: Quick question for those who use accountants |
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Run a decent malware detector. If you need a list let me know.
Then use one of the free online tax services because you'll be wasting your money on an accountant.
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Kraken
Federated Suns
Marshal
Joined: 04-Feb-2002 00:00
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Location: United States
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| Posted: 13-Jan-2011 22:48 Post subject: Quick question for those who use accountants |
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Thus far I have the following on my system:
CCleaner
Microsoft Security Essentials
Spybot
Ad-Aware
Malwarebytes
Eusing Registry Cleaner
McAfee (not by choice; got it with an Adobe update)
On Sunday, I got hit with fraud.sysguard; it looks like the vector was through Wikipedia. I killed the system almost immediately, brought it back up in safe mode, and spent all night running these scans.
At first I thought I killed it, but when I updated Spybot this afternoon I ran another scan and had fraud.sysguard come up again despite having had no symptoms of an infection all week.
At this point, I'm willing to consider the system as simply being borked; the only reason I don't replace it is because Blackboard, the online homework system the college is using, has so many security vulnerabilities that I'd put any computer I used it on at risk; there's no point in getting a new system until I either get my MBA or leave the program.
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"I wish I could write as mysterious as a cat." -Edgar Allen Poe"I knew there was something special about you, but I never realized you were really a cat." Wolfwood to a random cat (Trigun)
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chihawk
Clan Blood Spirit
Master Bartender
Joined: 04-Feb-2002 00:00
Posts: 8072
Location: United States
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| Posted: 14-Jan-2011 06:09 Post subject: Re: Quick question for those who use accountants |
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| Kraken wrote: | Thus far I have the following on my system:
CCleaner
Microsoft Security Essentials
Spybot
Ad-Aware
Malwarebytes
Eusing Registry Cleaner
McAfee (not by choice; got it with an Adobe update)
On Sunday, I got hit with fraud.sysguard; it looks like the vector was through Wikipedia. I killed the system almost immediately, brought it back up in safe mode, and spent all night running these scans.
At first I thought I killed it, but when I updated Spybot this afternoon I ran another scan and had fraud.sysguard come up again despite having had no symptoms of an infection all week.
At this point, I'm willing to consider the system as simply being borked; the only reason I don't replace it is because Blackboard, the online homework system the college is using, has so many security vulnerabilities that I'd put any computer I used it on at risk; there's no point in getting a new system until I either get my MBA or leave the program. |
Turn off system restore and run malwarebytes. If that doesn't catch anything go to cnet and download "superantispyware", and run that with system restore off and in safe mode.
And you had a choice when you updated Adobe, and you chose unwisely. 
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Kraken
Federated Suns
Marshal
Joined: 04-Feb-2002 00:00
Posts: 2755
Location: United States
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| Posted: 14-Jan-2011 10:36 Post subject: Re: Quick question for those who use accountants |
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How do you turn off system restore?
_________________
"I wish I could write as mysterious as a cat." -Edgar Allen Poe"I knew there was something special about you, but I never realized you were really a cat." Wolfwood to a random cat (Trigun)
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chihawk
Clan Blood Spirit
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Location: United States
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| Posted: 14-Jan-2011 23:41 Post subject: Quick question for those who use accountants |
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It depends on your OS...what version of Windows are you running?
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Kraken
Federated Suns
Marshal
Joined: 04-Feb-2002 00:00
Posts: 2755
Location: United States
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| Posted: 15-Jan-2011 10:33 Post subject: Quick question for those who use accountants |
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XP.
I refused to make the upgrade to Vista due to the negative reviews, and the machine's too old to do 7.
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"I wish I could write as mysterious as a cat." -Edgar Allen Poe"I knew there was something special about you, but I never realized you were really a cat." Wolfwood to a random cat (Trigun)
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chihawk
Clan Blood Spirit
Master Bartender
Joined: 04-Feb-2002 00:00
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Location: United States
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| Posted: 15-Jan-2011 12:34 Post subject: Quick question for those who use accountants |
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support.microsoft.com/kb/310405
I was in the same boat with my XP machine...not interested in Vista and not enough system resources for Win7. My XP machine finally reached "end of life" and I got a Win7 machine and absolutely love it.
After you run the scans with system restore off (and feel free to run every scanner you have with it off, each may find some little things others miss) turn system restore back on.
BTW, I would avoid doing anything on the internet with system restore off...
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Raven!
Clan Snow Raven
Galaxy Commander
Joined: 04-Feb-2002 00:00
Posts: 1326
Location: United States
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| Posted: 16-Jan-2011 00:49 Post subject: Quick question for those who use accountants |
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Just as a note, AARP is probably running free tax advice seminars near you. I use this service every year, and they have certified public accountants that run your taxes for free. Anyone can go. Trust me, I'm not old enough for AARP 
They will go over your taxes with you, and then they will also file electronically for you!
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Mordel
Mordel.Net
Administrator
Joined: 03-Feb-2002 00:00
Posts: 6061
Location: United States
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| Posted: 17-Jan-2011 19:25 Post subject: Re: Quick question for those who use accountants |
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| chihawk wrote: | Run a decent malware detector. If you need a list let me know.
Then use one of the free online tax services because you'll be wasting your money on an accountant. |
I disagree with the last statement. Depending on your financial situation and the variety of other factors (stocks, mortgage interest, etc, etc), getting an accountant could be the very best thing! However, I believe chihawk was eluding to your situation. Which sounds like you won't really benefit from having one.
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chihawk
Clan Blood Spirit
Master Bartender
Joined: 04-Feb-2002 00:00
Posts: 8072
Location: United States
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| Posted: 18-Jan-2011 09:12 Post subject: Re: Quick question for those who use accountants |
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| Mordel wrote: | | However, I believe chihawk was eluding to your situation. Which sounds like you won't really benefit from having one. |
Yep...
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