Frequently Asked Tax Questions & Answers

No time to come in to the office? No problem!
You can get taxes done and develop a plan for next year without a single in-person meeting.

Here’s what to expect from a virtual appointment:

1. We start with a phone call. I get to ask all my questions, and give you time to ask all of yours. Give us the paperwork. You can mail it, email it, fax it, or drop it off. Just don’t send it through text or social media (this is how we keep it confidential!).

2. Give us the paperwork. You can mail it, email it, fax it, or drop it off. Just don’t send it through text or social media (this is how we keep it confidential!).

3. We fill out your return, ask any last minute questions that may come up, and send you a copy to review.

4. A second phone call to review your return together. Here, we can discuss any options or future plans. Once you approve, sign it and send it back.

5. With services 95% complete, you’ll receive an invoice. Pay online or mail us a check. Then we can officially file your taxes at your leisure. Et fin!

Quick answer: Yes!

Vermonters start saving on taxes when they donate $20 or more in a year! That may only be a credit of $1, but it’s a start. Claims max out at $20,000 in donations, or a credit of $1,000.

Unfortunately, federal tax laws since 2018 have made it so few people receive credit for charitable donations at a federal level anymore.

The most frequently asked question in the biz.

And we DO have a real answer. But we can’t tell you here (in case our competitors are trying to steal the secret formula!).

Good Steward Tax & Finance makes security its highest priority. Nothing is more important than making sure your private information is kept that way. Still, it can be hard to trust someone new. We understand. So feel free to ask around in your community - chances are, you already know one of our clients. We’re confident they’ll vouch for us.

The local and federal governments trust us too. Good Steward is a member of several tax prep and local business organizations. Hope is even an *Enrolled Agent* which means she is permitted to operate by the IRS. (It’s a whole complex process, but if you’re curious about what Enrolled Agents are…

But beyond all of the training and certification, what makes Good Steward the right tax team for you is that we’re just like our clients: a small local business, doing our best to support our families.

We have spent years learning the in and outs of tax policy so that we can help our clients, our neighbors, and friends, to pay the least amount legally possible. And we do it all in a calm, judgement-free environment.

Why can’t I do it myself? There’s a YouTube tutorial for everything!

Tax policy is far from black and white; there are exceptions for everything!

Instead of spending hours searching the internet and eventually making a best guess, let the professionals at Good Steward handle it for you. Not only can we free up time in your busy schedule, but together we have more than forty years of experience handling tax stuff for individuals and small businesses here in Vermont (and in some other places too). Our professionals will almost always be able to get you a more beneficial return than you can get for yourself.