Individual Tax Preparation · Redding, CA
Filed accurately, completely, by someone who reads every line.
- CA License #96754
- Flat fee, agreed before you start
- CA License #96754
- Flat fee, agreed before you start
- Serving Shasta County since 2007
TC
Redding Taxpayer
Before switching to Susan
Before
Home sale exclusion applied
Missed
Rental depreciation captured
Not tracked
K-1 income reconciled
Partial
Prior-year carryover applied
Overlooked
After Susan
Filed right. Not just filed.
The reality
Tax software completes your return. It doesn’t optimize it.
- DIY software asks what you give it. It doesn’t know you sold a rental property in 2019 and have a suspended passive loss carrying forward. It doesn’t know your cost basis on the stock you inherited. It answers the questions you answer — and skips the ones you don’t know to ask.
- Franchise chains run a volume model. Your preparer sees hundreds of returns each season and may see yours for the first time on the day it’s due. There’s no continuity, no memory of last year’s return, and no one available to answer questions in July when the IRS sends a letter.
- Non-CPA preparers can’t represent you. If the IRS or FTB sends a notice, or opens an exam, an enrolled agent or non-licensed preparer has limited ability to respond on your behalf. A licensed CPA can represent you in front of the IRS at any level.
17+
Years filing CA returns
1999
In the field since
100%
Prepared by Susan directly
What a missed item actually costs
- Forgetting the Section 121 home sale exclusion: taxable gain of up to $250,000 that didn’t have to be
- Missing QBI deduction on self-employment income: up to 20% of qualified business income not deducted
- Wrong cost basis on inherited stock: overpaying capital gains tax on a stepped-up asset
- Skipping rental depreciation: losing a deduction you’re required to take — and will be taxed on at sale whether you took it or not
“The most expensive return isn’t the one you paid too much to file — it’s the one that missed something.”
What’s included
Every form, schedule, and line item that belongs on your return.
- Federal Form 1040 — wages, interest, dividends, Social Security, retirement income, credits, and standard or itemized deductions, prepared and e-filed.
- California Form 540 — state return filed alongside federal with California-specific adjustments, SDI deduction, and CA credit coordination.
- Schedule C (self-employment) — sole proprietors, freelancers, gig workers, and single-member LLCs taxed as individuals. SE tax deduction, home office, vehicle, and ordinary business expenses fully accounted for.
- Schedule D and Form 8949 (capital gains) — stock sales, crypto, RSUs and ISOs with basis tracking, long-term vs. short-term treatment, and carryover losses from prior years.
- Schedule E (rental income) — rental property income and expenses with correct depreciation, passive loss rules, and real estate professional status if applicable.
- K-1 pass-through income — income, loss, and credit items from S-corps, partnerships, and trusts you hold an interest in, reconciled against the entity return.
- Retirement and IRA distributions — RMDs, Roth conversions, 72(t) substantially equal payments, inherited IRA distributions, and early withdrawal penalty exceptions.
- Form 1041 (trust and estate returns) — fiduciary income tax returns for estates and trusts, including the Schedule K-1 issued to beneficiaries.
- Prior-year and unfiled returns — reconstructed from records and filed in sequence to stop penalties from accumulating and restore good standing.
Best for
- W-2 employees with multiple income streams or investment accounts
- Self-employed individuals and sole proprietors with Schedule C income
- Rental property owners tracking depreciation year over year
- Individuals with capital gains, RSUs, ISOs, or crypto transactions
- Retirees managing RMDs, Roth conversions, or Social Security taxation
- Beneficiaries of a trust or estate with K-1 income
- Executors or trustees needing a Form 1041 filed
Also looking for business returns?
Forms covered
1040
Sch C
Sch D
Sch E
1041
CA 540
Tax situations Susan handles that software gets wrong.
Sold your home
Form 1040 · Sch D
Self-employed or freelance income
Schedule C · SE Tax
Rental property income
Schedule E · Depreciation
Stocks, RSUs, ISOs, or crypto
Schedule D · Form 8949
Retirement distributions & RMDs
Form 1040 · Form 8606
Inherited assets & stepped-up basis
Sch D · Form 8971
K-1 pass-through income
Schedule E · K-1
Trust and estate returns (Form 1041)
Form 1041 · K-1
Unfiled or prior-year returns
Multi-year · All schedules
Why a licensed CPA
The difference between a completed return and a correct one.
She knows what changed year over year
Susan keeps a record of your prior returns. If you added a rental property, converted a traditional IRA to a Roth, or sold a business interest, she knows — and the current-year return reflects it accurately. That continuity catches errors and surfaces opportunities that a first-time preparer misses every time.
She reviews before she files, not after
Every return gets a second read before it goes out. Not because the software made an error, but because individual returns are where context matters: what type of activity is this income, is this expense categorized correctly, is this deduction defensible if examined. A preparer who reviews is different from a preparer who just enters.
She can represent you before the IRS
If a CP2000 notice arrives, or the FTB questions a deduction, or an examination is opened, Susan can respond on your behalf as your licensed representative. Non-CPA preparers and tax software companies cannot do this. The representation right is built into every return she files.
One person, start to finish
Susan prepares your return and signs it. There is no junior preparer who enters the data while a senior reviewer glances at the summary. The person whose name is on the return is the person who worked on it. If you have a question in August, you call Susan — not a general support line.
How tax prep is priced
Flat fee. No hourly surprises.
Standard individual return
W-2 income, interest, dividends, standard or itemized deductions. Priced at complexity review.
Complex individual return
Adds Schedule C, Schedule E, Schedule D, K-1s, or multiple states. Fee reflects additional forms.
Form 1041 (trust / estate)
Fiduciary income tax return. Priced separately based on number of beneficiaries and complexity.
Free 15-minute call
Describe your situation. Susan will give you an honest assessment of complexity and cost before you commit.
How tax prep works, from first call to filed return.
01
A free 15-minute call
You describe what made your taxes interesting this year — a job change, a sale, a distribution, a new rental, an estate. Susan identifies whether the return is straightforward or complex, gives you a fee estimate, and tells you what documents you’ll need to gather. No questionnaire required.
02
Document gathering
Susan sends a tailored document checklist based on your specific situation — not a generic list of every possible tax form. W-2s, 1099s, brokerage statements, rental income and expense records, prior-year return for comparison. You provide what’s relevant; Susan flags anything that appears to be missing.
03
Preparation and review
Susan prepares your return, cross-references it against the prior year, and reviews every schedule for accuracy and completeness. If a number looks unusual or a deduction raises a question, she resolves it before the return is finalized — not after it’s filed.
04
Review, sign, and file
You receive the completed return for review along with a plain-language summary of what was reported, any major changes from last year, and the outcome (refund or balance due). Once you approve and sign the e-file authorization, Susan files federal and state electronically. Confirmation in your hands the same day.
Common questions about individual tax prep with Susan.
I’ve been using TurboTax for years. Why would I switch now?
For straightforward returns — W-2, standard deduction, no major life events — TurboTax works fine. The reason people switch is usually one of four things: a year got complicated (home sale, divorce, inheritance, new rental), they got a notice and realized they weren’t sure the return was right, they want someone who can represent them if questions arise, or they’re tired of trusting software with something they don’t fully understand. A quick call will tell you whether switching makes sense for your situation.
What’s the difference between individual tax prep and business tax prep?
Individual tax preparation covers the Form 1040 and all its schedules — wages, self-employment, rentals, investments, retirement, and trust income that flows to you personally. Business tax preparation covers entity-level returns: S-corps (Form 1120-S), C-corps (Form 1120), partnerships (Form 1065), and nonprofits (Form 990). If you own a business that files its own return, you likely need both. Susan handles entity and individual returns and coordinates them.
Do you handle trust returns (Form 1041)?
Yes. Form 1041 is the fiduciary income tax return required for estates during administration and for ongoing trusts. It’s filed separately from any individual’s personal return, and it generates a Schedule K-1 for each beneficiary showing what income is taxable to them. If you’re the executor of an estate, the trustee of an irrevocable trust, or a beneficiary receiving K-1s from a trust you didn’t set up, Susan handles the preparation and can explain what each line means for your own return.
I sold my house this year. Do I owe capital gains tax?
Maybe, and the answer depends on several factors. The Section 121 exclusion lets you exclude up to $250,000 of gain ($500,000 if married filing jointly) if you owned and lived in the home for at least 2 of the last 5 years. If the home was previously a rental, if you claimed depreciation on it, or if you’ve used the exclusion recently, the calculation gets more complex. The exclusion isn’t automatic — it has to be applied correctly on your return. This is one of the most commonly missed items on individual returns.
I haven’t filed in a few years. What happens now?
The IRS and FTB both have long memories, but the path forward is straightforward: file the missing returns in order, starting with the oldest. Susan can reconstruct returns from whatever records you have — W-2s, bank statements, 1099s, prior returns — and request wage and income transcripts from the IRS directly if documents are missing. Once filed, penalty abatement can often be requested for first-time or reasonable-cause situations. The worst outcome is continuing to not file. Penalties and interest compound; the underlying tax doesn’t go away.
Can Susan handle my return if I don’t live in Redding?
Yes. Susan is licensed in California and serves clients throughout the state virtually — document exchange by secure portal, review by phone or video, e-file authorization signed electronically. Most of the individual tax preparation process happens remotely anyway: statements come from brokerage accounts, employers, and financial institutions, not in-person drop-offs. If you’re a California resident or have California-source income, Susan can help regardless of where you live.
