Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with employed

Should I pay an accountant to do my taxes? What are my options to protect me if I do them myself but make an error?

mintchip — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 18:33:50 -0800

Should I pay an accountant to do my taxes? What are my options to protect me if I do them myself but make an error? Ideally, I would like to do my own taxes. However, I have several W2s, some self employment income, a period of 2008 when I was still a full time student, etc...these things make one's taxes that much more complicated.

I did a test run of my 2008 taxes online using H&R Block software. There are a bunch of things on the return I have questions about and I'm wondering if it would just be better to go to a professional. It would cost at least $300.

Is the peace of mind offered by a professional accountant worth it or is it better to learn it oneself? How "dummy proof" is this software? I'm not sure how to handle the questions I have...I guess I'm really afraid to make a mistake and get dinged with back taxes at some future date! I feel that what I really need is a second set of eyes to review my return and check it for errors and also to make sure I didn't miss any deductions...is there any service that offers to check your return for errors without charging a full fee for completing it?

What's the profitability of getting into the restaurant industry?

CWitt — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 11:27:19 -0800

What is the profitability of a small restaurant? I'm a young entrepreneur graduating soon from college and can not bring myself to getting a 9 to 5. I want to be self-employed and I know that I will be successful. I think the first step is entering a business that I know will make me some residual income.

I've become very interested in owning a small restaurant. I cannot decide if the restaurant industry is for me or not, but I think I could succeed. I could obviously start my own local cafe or something, but I'm worried of the risks. I quick fix could be to open a Subway or Quizno's franchise (something with a low franchise fee), but I don't know if they are very profitable. Does anyone own a franchise restaurant or regular restaurant that could offer some rough figures to get me going in the right direction?

TaxesFilter: Moving abroad, not raising flags

sirion — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 06:04:29 -0800

TaxFilter: Student abroad (moved in August), and don't want to get red flagged/audited due to sudden drop in income! How do I tell the IRS I moved? I moved to Austria in Aug 2007. I was making pretty good money teaching music (self-employed) in the US, and stopped working altogether after I moved. What's the best way to make all of this clear in my tax return and do whatever I can to not raise flags? (An audit when I'm in another country would be a royal pain in the ass)

I figure being self employed is almost enough of a flag on its own without having a sudden unexplained drop in income.

Advice for a new work at home dad?

rus — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 03:49:04 -0800

I currently am self employed and work at home. We have our first kiddy on the way. What am I going to need to compromise on/totally change? Currently I work relatively long hours running a web hosting company from home but my work allows me to takes lot of little breaks to speak to the wife, get a drink etc. I generally don't have to concentrate hard for anything more than 15-30 minutes at one time but its a long day to cover support for customers.

Now I'm aware there are going to be major changes but are there any work at home dads (or mums) who can tell me what to expect. Obvious would be to hire someone to cover me but that isn't doable currently. Any hints / tips would help

I need dental insurance

Chuck Cheeze — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 14:34:26 -0800

Is there a Dental Insurance Plan out there that will allow me to cover my family? My employer offers no dental coverage. I own a business that my wife runs, but she is not an employee. Most self-employed plans I have found (like at Costco) require at least 2 employees. I am willing to pay, but everything I have found semms more like a plan that reduces what you pay for dental work. I want a real insurance plan. Is there anything out there?