How to Pay LESS to Uncle Sam

I always get clients and friends that always ask me, "How do I pay less taxes?" For me it is simple, here are several easy, proven techniques to pay LESS:

• Get a professional to prepare your taxes. This gives you a chance to "pick" their brain for additional deductions
• If you don't know, Bring it and Ask...I have had countless clients just ask one simple question that will get me down a path (that I did not know existed) unless they asked
• Always and I mean Always try to itemize. If it saves you an extra $200 in tax savings, and it only took you an additional hour to get the info together...I would love to be paid $200 per hour to look for items
• File on time...or get the extension on time, millions of people do not extend their tax return timely, thus costing penalties when they do file, and
• Plan...Plan...Plan...Last year is gone focus on the current year so you can take full advantage of the tax laws. Pay for an hour of your accountant's time, it may be well work it. (One of my clients bought 3 hours of my time last December, we were able to save him over $20,000 in taxes...very nice trade-off).

Put these proven techniques to use, and pay Uncle Sam LESS.