Question 1

What are the 2026 federal tax changes a New Port Richey Enrolled Agent is using?

Accepted Answer

For tax year 2026 the standard deduction is $16,100 (single) and $32,200 (joint). The SALT cap is $40,400 with a high-income phase-down. Section 199A (QBI) is permanent. Employee 401(k) deferral is $24,500; IRA $7,500. The estate and gift exclusion is $15 million per person. Florida has no personal income tax. Details: the 2026 tax law page at Wood & Sons.

Question 2

What does an Enrolled Agent tax accountant in New Port Richey actually do?

Accepted Answer

Wood & Sons prepares individual and business tax returns, keeps QuickBooks Online, runs payroll, files Florida sales tax, and represents taxpayers before the IRS. Robert Wood, EA, is licensed by the U.S. Treasury. The office is in New Port Richey, Florida 34655; clients nationwide are served virtually.

Question 3

How much does tax preparation cost at Wood & Sons?

Accepted Answer

The first 30-minute consultation is complimentary. Ongoing tax, bookkeeping, and payroll work is a written fixed fee after we see the file. Cost depends on return complexity (W-2 vs Schedule C, rentals, K-1s, states), whether books are current, and whether catch-up is required. Existing clients may add advisory: $149 a month (45 minutes) if we already prepare the tax, $249 a month (30 minutes) for business-only files (books, payroll, or advisory without tax here).

Question 4

Do you work with QuickBooks Online?

Accepted Answer

Yes. QuickBooks Online is the default general ledger. We set it up, clean it up, close the month, and connect it to payroll and tax. If you use something else and a move is not warranted this quarter, we will work with what you have.

Question 5

Do I have to live in Florida?

Accepted Answer

No. The practice is based in New Port Richey and meets in person in Tampa Bay. Federal tax and IRS representation are nationwide. Other state returns are prepared when the file requires them and are quoted.

Question 6

Can you represent me before the IRS?

Accepted Answer

Yes. An Enrolled Agent may represent taxpayers before the IRS in all 50 states. Representation is scoped and quoted. It is not the same as a CPA audit opinion or a tax attorney’s legal advice.

Question 7

How long until my return is done?

Accepted Answer

Once the file is complete, a typical off-season return is 10–15 business days. In March and April the window is quoted at intake. If the file is not ready, we file an extension rather than guess.

Question 8

What if my books are two years behind?

Accepted Answer

Catch-up is ordinary work. We scope the backlog, quote it as a project, then put you on a monthly close. It is not folded into a cheap monthly fee that cannot actually close the books.

Question 9

When should I contact you if I am not ready to file?

Accepted Answer

Now. Planning, estimated payments, entity elections, and retirement accounts have dates inside the year. A notice, a hiring decision, or a year that already feels off is reason enough.

Question 10

How long should I keep tax records?

Accepted Answer

Keep filed returns permanently. Keep the papers that support a return at least seven years. Property records remain until seven years after you sell. The record retention guide sets out the rest.

Question 11

What do you need from me to begin?

Accepted Answer

Last year’s return and the current books, or access to them, are enough to start. We will then name what else is required — statements, payroll reports, notices — and nothing that is not.

Question 12

Do you work with QuickBooks?

Accepted Answer

Yes. QuickBooks Online is our default. We will restore an existing file, move you onto it, or work with what you already use if a change is not warranted this quarter.

Question 13

Must I come into the office?

Accepted Answer

No. Clients across the United States are served through a secure virtual process. If you are in New Port Richey or Tampa Bay and prefer to meet in person, we do that as well.

Question 14

How do you charge?

Accepted Answer

The work is quoted before it begins. Fixed-fee arrangements for tax, books, and payroll. If the scope changes, we discuss it first. There is no surprise invoice.

Question 15

How is my information kept?

Accepted Answer

Documents move through a secure client portal, not a personal email thread. Access is limited to those on your file. We will never ask you to text a Social Security number.

Question 16

What is an Enrolled Agent, and why does it matter?

Accepted Answer

An Enrolled Agent is licensed by the U.S. Department of the Treasury to represent taxpayers before the IRS. It is a federal credential in tax — the authority that matters when a return is intricate, or a notice arrives and you wish someone to speak for you.

What will surprise you in April?

Where should we send the reading?