Phew! You survived another tax season – barely. But if you start following this smart tax advice now, next year’s tax season can be a breeze.

You Don’t Always Get What You Pay For
While having a big-name firm prepare your taxes may sound like a good idea – and 20% of taxpayers go through a franchise to file their taxes – many chain tax service employees are seasonal. While not always the case, it’s common for these firms to have limited quality control on the accuracy of refunds. To test the accuracy of the returns prepared by some of these large, well-known firms, staffers from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) had their own returns prepared and reported that “nearly all of the returns prepared for us were incorrect to some degree.” Seek out a local tax advisor who specializes in small business tax law – your fellow small-business owners may be able to refer an expert.

Also, even if you engage a local tax firm to prepare your return, it’s not uncommon for accountants to outsource clients’ returns when time is of the essence. Did you know that H&R Block contracts with many CPA firms to prepare returns? Your accountant isn’t obligated to tell you who’s actually working on your case, as long as your account is outsourced domestically. So, before contracting with a private firm, ask whether or not your return could be outsourced and what review and quality control procedures are in place to ensure your return is accurate.

How Can I Tell If My Tax Pro is Really a “Tax Pro?”
Even if you receive a referral for a tax professional from a trusted source, confirm his or her qualifications. According to the Taxpayer Advocate, “as many as 600,000 tax preparers are unregulated.” If the IRS audits your business’ tax return, only a licensed tax professional or lawyer can represent you before the IRS. So, to be on the safe side, ask to see your tax professional’s qualifications before allowing him or her to prepare your taxes.

Ensuring Accurate Returns
Tax audits are designed to catch errors in returns – and find the faulty tax professionals preparing those returns. The IRS reports that 56% of professionally prepared returns showed significant errors, compared with 47% of returns prepared by the taxpayer. But the odds that a sub-par tax advisor won’t be audited are in his or her favor, since less than 1.5% of returns are audited. The GAO reported that even after they reported poor preparers to the IRS by name, the agency failed to audit a single one. Interested in finding out if your agency has been reported to the IRS? Visit the "Consumer Information" section on the The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) Web site.

Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late
Having your own business can be very time consuming, making it easy to forget to plan ahead for tax season when it’s months away. But, if you’re thinking of switching tax firms or having someone prepare your taxes for the first time, it’s best to meet with him or her this summer or fall. By February, it will be difficult to find a qualified tax professional who isn’t up to their ears in tax refund preparations. Additionally, planning ahead means your tax pro can help you manage your income by increasing your 401(k) contributions, deferring a bonus until the new year, or taking tax-deductible losses.

Beware the Side Pitch
Tax preparation isn’t the big money-maker for many tax preparers. Instead, they supplement that work by offering small business loans, retirement account services or insurance products. If you don’t need those items, don’t hesitate to retain only the services you need.

What does the Worry-Free Guarantee cover?
Not much more than what is already covered in their basic mistake-free guarantee. Tax preparers know that as a small business, one of your greatest concerns may be an audit, so a worry-free guarantee (to cover any back taxes you could owe because of their error) may be appealing. However, the firm has insurance for this reason, so look at the fine print – the basic guarantee already covers fines, penalties and interest.

You Don’t Have to Be Raking in the Dough to Get Audited
As a small business, you may think you’re less likely to be audited. Don’t be fooled. If the IRS thinks any part of your return looks questionable, you can receive a “correspondence audit” in the mail. Cheaper than auditing your whole return, the IRS will contact you regarding the items in question and require you to show proof of your claims.

For more tips to simplify preparing for next year’s tax season, visit http://www.smartmoney.com/.