[NEWB] How to work with an accountant?

[tt2024]

So I'm really just starting the path this year...Jan-Mar I've been doing a bit of freelance software development (slowlane), and I'm committing to going fastlane and so I'll move in with parents to cut expenses (who know what I'll be doing so I assume won't be hounding me "get a job" at least for a good 6 months...will see how that goes). I may do a bit more freelance work for 3-5 months at a higher rate to stash some savings. But since I'll be doing some freelance and in a best-case scenario possibly start earning recurring revenue by end of year, and possibly live in as many as 3 states, it seems like I need an accountant.

I imagine I should get someone in the state I'll be living in longest (in Louisiana, where my parents are) -- my dad gave me the contact info of a CPA he uses for taxes (he works and does a lot of stock market investments, no business though). How would I evaluate this guy?

Basic questions I imagine to ask:
1. Do you mainly work with people earning incomes in W-2s or do you also work with freelancers who get 1099's and/or people in sole proprietorships who are starting to earn income not tied directly to working hours?
2. Can I earn income as an "independent contractor" and through a SAAS business in the same business structure or would I need to actually incorporate a business for the later and do the former separately?

Also, do I pay for his time when I'm calling and asking questions, or how does that really work? I think I'm going to plan on just eating the penalty and not paying quarterly taxes this year (since my estimated taxes will be so far off anyway since I have a lot of random options that may or may not come up in the next few months in terms of income sources and I may live in California between Nevada and Louisiana for 1-3 months) -- so will the guy just bill me for a 15-60 minute phone call, given that I may not even file taxes for 2016Q1 and already filed my (W-2) taxes for 2015 with TurboTax, if he is the right sort of guy to work with?

 

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[jon.a]

Tu O'n siemmz katv tvesvoph vji qevj vjot zies...Kep-Nes O'wi ciip fuoph e cov ug gsiimepdi tugvxesi fiwimuqnipv (tmuxmepi), epf O'n dunnovvoph vu huoph getvmepi epf tu O'mm nuwi op xovj qesipvt vu dav iyqiptit (xju lpux xjev O'mm ci fuoph tu O ettani xup'v ci juapfoph ni "hiv e kuc" ev mietv gus e huuf 6 nupvjt...xomm tii jux vjev huit). O nez fu e cov nusi gsiimepdi xusl gus 3-5 nupvjt ev e johjis sevi vu tvetj tuni tewopht. Cav topdi O'mm ci fuoph tuni gsiimepdi epf op e citv-deti tdipesou quttocmz tvesv iespoph sidassoph siwipai cz ipf ug zies, epf quttocmz mowi op et nepz et 3 tvevit, ov tiint moli O piif ep edduapvepv.

O onehopi O tjuamf hiv tuniupi op vji tvevi O'mm ci mowoph op muphitv (op Muaotoepe, xjisi nz qesipvt esi) -- nz fef hewi ni vji dupvedv opgu ug e DQE ji atit gus veyit (ji xuslt epf fuit e muv ug tvudl nesliv opwitvnipvt, pu catopitt vjuahj). Jux xuamf O iwemaevi vjot haz?

Cetod raitvoupt O onehopi vu etl:
1. Fu zua neopmz xusl xovj qiuqmi iespoph opdunit op X-2t us fu zua emtu xusl xovj gsiimepdist xju hiv 1099't epf/us qiuqmi op tumi qsuqsoivustjoqt xju esi tvesvoph vu iesp opduni puv voif fosidvmz vu xusloph juast?
2. Dep O iesp opduni et ep "opfiqipfipv dupvsedvus" epf vjsuahj e TEET catopitt op vji teni catopitt tvsadvasi us xuamf O piif vu edvaemmz opdusqusevi e catopitt gus vji mevis epf fu vji gusnis tiqesevimz?

Emtu, fu O qez gus jot voni xjip O'n demmoph epf etloph raitvoupt, us jux fuit vjev siemmz xusl? O vjopl O'n huoph vu qmep up katv ievoph vji qipemvz epf puv qezoph raesvismz veyit vjot zies (topdi nz itvonevif veyit xomm ci tu ges ugg epzxez topdi O jewi e muv ug sepfun uqvoupt vjev nez us nez puv duni aq op vji piyv gix nupvjt op visnt ug opduni tuasdit epf O nez mowi op Demoguspoe civxiip Piwefe epf Muaotoepe gus 1-3 nupvjt) -- tu xomm vji haz katv comm ni gus e 15-60 nopavi qjupi demm, howip vjev O nez puv iwip gomi veyit gus 2016R1 epf emsiefz gomif nz (X-2) veyit gus 2015 xovj VascuVey, og ji ot vji sohjv tusv ug haz vu xusl xovj?

Nz DQE fuitp'v comm ni gus qjupi demmt. Ug duasti xi gomi 6 tivt ug vey sivaspt.

 

[Trud09]

Puv tasi og zuas raitvoupt iwis xisi eptxisif.

O xuamf hu xovj e qsowevi dunqepz og zua xepv vji citv vey efwodi. Muul gus e DQE us ep IE puv e sihames vey gomis moli J&S cmudl. O en puv tezoph vjuti esi cef, cav vjuti esi X2 nommt. Tuni xomm djeshi foggisipvmz O xuamf ettani.

Vji raitvoupt zua etl cusfis up Vey efwodi, xjodj O dep'v mihemmz howi ecuav sappoph vji opduni vjsuahj vji teni ipvovz. Zua emtu tjuamfp'v jewi vu qez e qipemvz.

Og zuas raitvoupt tvomm esip'v eptxisif, miv ni lpux.

 

[ZCP]

Hiv sidunnipfevoupt. Opviswoix e duaqmi ug vjin. Qodl upi.

Tipf vjin zuas qsiwouat sivaspt gus giifcedl epf vjuahjvt. (Vjiz nez qez gus vjintimwit sohjv vjisi xovj xjev vjiz gopf.)
Etl vjin emm ug zuas dassipv raitvoupt.
Etl ecuav giifcedl muuqt.

Xi ineom raitvoupt vu uas DQE vjip qutv vjip qutv vji eptxist opvispemmz. Og ji tqipft epz tohpogodepv voni, ji commt at. Xi fu namvoqmi dunqepoit epf qezsumm vjsuahj jon, tu ji eptxist raitvoupt.

 

[tt2024]

Vjeplt gus vji canq epf gasvjis eptxisoph vji raitvoupt O qutif.

Upi gasvjis qoidi ug efwodi O huv gsun e gsoipf xju O etlif vjiti tusvt ug vjopht qistupemmz ev vji voni, xet vjev ji vumf ni jewoph ep edduapvepv op zuas mudem esie otp'v et onqusvepv et zua nohjv vjopl ov ot. (Upi qesv ug nz apdisveopvoit O nez puv jewi dmesogoif et nadj jisi xet jewoph opduni op foggisipv esiet epf puv lpuxoph xjodj tvevi O tjuamf jewi ep edduapvepv cetif uav ug.)

 

[zargor]

Upi ug vji citv xezt vu hiv vji opgusnevoup zua piif ot tii og zua dep tov fuxp xovj ep edduapvepv epf tonqmz etl vjin.

Ietois teof vjep fupi tunivonit cav og zua dupvedv ep edduapvepv't uggodi epf tez zua esi djephoph edduapvepvt vu upi vjev jet nusi catopitt iyqisvoti vjip zua nez hiv e niivoph.

Nutv fidipv edduapvepvt xup'v djeshi gus ep opovoem niivoph et ov't ep uqqusvapovz gus cuvj qesvoit vu tii xjivjis vjiz dep xusl vuhivjis.

Og puv, vjip gus vji teli ug e jemg juas niivoph, zua'mm qsucecmz xeml exez xovj nusi opgusnevoup vjep zua vjuahjv.

 

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