Questions to ask a tax professional before you sign on

A call script for choosing a tax professional: experience, work process, fees, security, and what to put in an engagement letter.

Once you have confirmed someone's credentials, the next question is whether they fit your situation. A short call or meeting answers most of it. These questions work for an Enrolled Agent, a CPA or another preparer. General information, not tax advice.

Before you call

1. List what you need: a return, a notice response, a business, back years.
2. Gather last year's return and any IRS letter.
3. Pick two or three practices, perhaps from this directory. Our listings show what practitioners filed in the IRS preparer file. We do not rate or recommend them.
4. Confirm each credential first with how to verify a tax professional.

About their experience

• "How often do you prepare returns like mine?" Rental income, self-employment, equity compensation, multiple states and foreign accounts each have traps. A good answer is specific.
• "What credential do you hold, and what is your PTIN?" They should answer easily, and you can confirm both.
• "Do you represent clients before the IRS?" If you may get a notice or audit, you want someone with representation rights who will say what the engagement would cover. See Enrolled Agent vs CPA vs tax preparer.

About the work

• "Who will prepare my return, and who reviews it?" In many offices staff prepare and the credentialed practitioner reviews. Either way, the paid preparer who signs is responsible for the return.
• "What documents do you need, and by when?" Ask for a checklist and the date after which you may need an extension. An extension to file is not an extension to pay, so ask how a balance due will be estimated.
• "Will you e-file, and will I get a copy?" You should receive the full return and the filing confirmation.
• "What happens if the IRS writes to me later?" Ask whether answering a routine notice is included, what costs extra, and how they would be authorized to speak for you (Form 2848). See what to do when you get an IRS notice.

About the cost

• "How do you charge?" Flat per return, hourly or per form. Get the price and what changes it in writing.
• "Is any part of the fee based on my refund?" A good answer is no.
• "What would representation cost if I am audited or owe back taxes?" This is often a separate engagement. Ask for the scope and an estimate.

Worked example (illustrative): Practice A quotes $250 for a simple return and says a notice response costs $150 an hour. Practice B quotes $400 and includes up to one hour of notice response. If you expect no notice, A is cheaper. If you are worried about a mismatch from last year, B's inclusion may matter. The point is to compare what is included, not only the headline price.

About access and privacy

• "How do you receive and store my documents?" Look for a secure portal rather than emailed scans of your Social Security number. The IRS expects tax professionals to protect client data, so ask what they do.
• "Will you be reachable after April?" A practice with an office, a phone number and a record of answering in the off-season is easier to work with if a notice arrives in the fall.
• "Where will refunds be deposited?" The answer should be an account in your name.

Red flags and good signs

Red flags: fees tied to your refund, a promise of the biggest refund before seeing documents, reluctance to sign the return or give a PTIN, and vague answers. Good signs: a clear written fee, a plain explanation of how they would approach your situation, an engagement letter, and a willingness to say when something is outside what they do.

After the call

Compare at least two practices and note how clearly each explained things. A clear, patient explanation is a better sign than a promise of the biggest refund. Put the scope, fee and deadlines in an engagement letter, and keep it with your tax records.

Official sources: IRS: Choosing a tax professional and IRS: Understanding your notice or letter.

A one-page script

If you prefer a short list to read from, use this: (1) What is your credential and PTIN? (2) How many returns like mine do you prepare in a year? (3) Who does the work and who reviews and signs? (4) What is your fee, in writing, and is any of it tied to my refund? (5) What is included if the IRS writes to me? (6) How do I send documents securely? (7) Will I get a full copy and the e-file confirmation? (8) When will you finish, and what if something is missing?

Take notes on the answers and compare them across practices. If you decide to hire someone, ask them to confirm the scope and fee in an engagement letter before you send documents. If you are hiring for a specific problem, such as back taxes or a notice, say so at the start and ask what steps they would take first.

One more point: ask what they need from you beyond documents. A good practitioner will ask questions about your year, such as a move, a new job, a sale of property, a marriage or a new child, because those events change a return. If they never ask, they may be working from last year's return alone. Also ask how and when you will see a draft, and how you approve it before it is filed, so there are no surprises on the signature page.

Updated 2026-10-02.

General information only, current as of the date above. The information on Enrolled Agent Finder is not investment, tax, legal or financial advice. We are not an investment adviser, broker-dealer or tax professional, and we do not recommend any firm. Registration with the SEC or a state does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Rules and programs change; check the official sources linked in this guide.