Your adviser asks questions for a reason
During tax or financial planning sessions, you may
expect to ask lots of questions. What can be unexpected is the number
of questions your advisor will ask you — questions that might leave you
wondering, why do you want to know that?
The answer: To add value to the solutions you're
seeking. Effective inquiries reveal potential problems, eliminate
assumptions, and develop a full understanding of your financial
situation.
Illustration:
Say you've set up a Web site. You consider the site a hobby, and you're
surprised when your tax advisor begins asking questions.
Yet, if you're selling products or services, or
collecting advertising revenues from links or referrals, you may have
sales and income tax responsibilities. Your estimated tax payments
might need to be adjusted to avoid underpayment penalties.
Questions from your advisor now can prevent
surprises at year-end.
Other benefits of questions posed by your advisor
include:
- Tax-saving opportunities.
Questions move the advice you receive beyond 'yes or no' answers. An
example: Asking about your business operations might lead to an
asset-purchasing strategy that lets you take advantage of immediate
expensing.
- A big picture outlook.
Questions draw out your overall situation. For instance, maybe you're
planning to make a state estimated tax payment, and you're focused on
tax savings generated by the itemized deduction. But the deduction may
be worth less than you believe if the alternative minimum tax comes
into play.
An advisor's questions can help you achieve the
greatest tax savings available in your specific circumstances. We
encourage you to contact us with all your questions — and to expect us
to look out for your best interest by asking questions in return.
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