Poll: As a freelancer, who does your taxes for you? Лице кое објавува дискусија: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "As a freelancer, who does your taxes for you?".
This poll was originally submitted by Firas Allouzi. View the poll results »
| | | | neilmac
Шпанија
Local time: 06:44
шпански на англиски
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I live in Spain and have a "gestor" or "agent" who does that sort of thing for me, defined as:
gestor1 -tora adj
a (que tramita): una agencia gestora an agency which obtains official documents on clients’ behalf
b (que administra) ‹ órgano/comisión › administrative, managing (before n)
He is not an accountant or a lawyer, although he shares an office with a lawyer who provides advice on legal points.
| | | | Ana Naglić 
Хрватска
Local time: 06:44
Член (2005)
хрватски на српски
+ ...
| An accountant | Oct 12, 2013 |
The Croatian tax system is so complicated (and changing so frequently) that I have no time to study laws and regulations in detail and do that on my own. Things get introduced sometimes on a daily or weekly basis, and lots of issues are open to interpretation.
Even the simplest things are defined in several laws, and sometimes they are even contradictory.
I am tax-paying and registered entity, and I issue valid invoices (a private person cannot issue invoices in Croatia, i.e. you mus... See more The Croatian tax system is so complicated (and changing so frequently) that I have no time to study laws and regulations in detail and do that on my own. Things get introduced sometimes on a daily or weekly basis, and lots of issues are open to interpretation.
Even the simplest things are defined in several laws, and sometimes they are even contradictory.
I am tax-paying and registered entity, and I issue valid invoices (a private person cannot issue invoices in Croatia, i.e. you must have either a sole trade, be a registered freelancer or have an Ltd - which bears the minimum cost for contributions (health, insurance, etc. WITHOUT taxes) of approx. 3400 EUR p.a. + taxes).
There are also VAT forms, tax forms, lots of other forms which the Government needs every now and then.
[Edited at 2013-10-12 09:20 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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The German tax system is also quite complex and all good accountants have to keep up to date and know where the border is between legal and illegal. I pay about €2,000 / p.a. for my accountant and he is worth every Penny!!
I did try to do my tax alone when I started, but I spent more time doing that than I would have earned when working.
[Edited at 2013-10-12 11:31 GMT]
| | | | Tim Drayton (X)
Кипар
Local time: 07:44
турски на англиски
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Well, my accountant does my VAT returns, but I submit my own income tax declarations (income tax is very simple in Cyprus).
| | | | | an accountant | Oct 12, 2013 |
I have no problem paying an accountant, i'm not good at doing taxes etc, it's too complicated.
| | | | Noura Tawil
Сирија
Local time: 07:44
Член (2013)
англиски на арапски
Here, frrelancers who work from home in intellectual professions are not noted in the income tax system and classification. Therefor I only pay a pharmacist's income tax, and that is calculated by the gov., not by me, I can either pay their estimation fully, or submit an objection and demand a deduction.
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Jessica Noyes
Соединети Американски Држави
Local time: 00:44
Член
шпански на англиски
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| Software plus grammar note | Oct 12, 2013 |
I do my own, but I use complex tax software that costs about a third of what we used to pay our accountant. (My husband is also self-employed.) I have found many deductions that our accountant used to miss, so financially it's a good move. ("El ojo del amo engorda el Ganado.") (When the master has his eye on them, the cattle get fatter.)
[Edited at 2013-10-12 14:17 GMT]
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I've only been doing it for a couple of years, but I find it relatively simple, if a little tedious, to fill in my UK tax return via the HMRC website. However, my work setup is also relatively simple at the moment. If things were to become more complex in the future I may consider using an accountant, as numbers are really not my strong point.
| | | | Mario Chavez (X)
Local time: 00:44
англиски на шпански
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| Cattle-inspired saying | Oct 12, 2013 |
Jessica Noyes wrote:
I do my own, but I use complex tax software that costs about a third of what we used to pay our accountant. (My husband is also self-employed.) I have found many deductions that our accountant used to miss, so financially it's a good move. ("El ojo del amo engorda el Ganado.") (When the master has his eye on them, the cattle get fatter.)
[Edited at 2013-10-12 14:17 GMT]
Thanks for the funny saying, Jessica.
As a US citizen, I prefer to run Turbotax every year to prepare and pay my income tax. Only on two occasions it miscalculated my taxes, which resulted in a $300 tax bill back in 2007 (I think) and a tax refund years later.
Of course, our tax code is insanely complex and I am no accountant; I just understand basic principles of accounting and finance. I prefer to pay $90/year for the software and do my own taxes. Too much trouble? Well, for one thing, taxpayers in America (for our colleagues elsewhere) are ultimately responsible for the payment of their own income taxes even if they use a tax preparer, an accountant or another third party.
In this particular case, I'm a control freak. 
| | | | Triston Goodwin
Соединети Американски Држави
Local time: 22:44
шпански на англиски
+ ...
| I do my own taxes - USA | Oct 12, 2013 |
I usually use turbotax too, but this year I had to file everything myself because my wife didn't have her green card yet (which she just received last week!!!!) and turbotax doesn't have the legal resident alien option. Last year was pretty simple, but I'm really not looking forward to having to fill everything out again now that I've opened our agency, bought equipment for the office and paid employees.
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Because he used to work at the Osaka Tax Office and he knows the people there who will eventually peruse -- more likely not peruse -- my tax filings. Thanks to this knight in white shining armour, I have had only one tax investigation from the Tax Office in 30 years. And, at that time, they took just less than $200 in additional consumption taxes.
He does crack the whip and gives me a hard time at times -- but this "tough love" has helped me immensely. BTW, this doesn't invol... See more Because he used to work at the Osaka Tax Office and he knows the people there who will eventually peruse -- more likely not peruse -- my tax filings. Thanks to this knight in white shining armour, I have had only one tax investigation from the Tax Office in 30 years. And, at that time, they took just less than $200 in additional consumption taxes.
He does crack the whip and gives me a hard time at times -- but this "tough love" has helped me immensely. BTW, this doesn't involve rubber or candles, either. 
If you want to be professional, employ the services of a fellow professional. IMHO ▲ Collapse
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