Tax Preparation in Riverhead, NY

Tax season without the knot in your stomach

Every spring, the same worry goes around Riverhead's kitchen tables: did I file right, did I leave money on the table, is a letter from the IRS going to show up in August? You don't need to carry that alone. Bring your documents to our counter on West Main Street and sit down with someone who prepares personal returns all season long and explains what's happening as they go.

We prepare personal income tax returns only. That focus is deliberate. It's the return that matters for the working families of this town, and it's the one we know inside and out. If your situation needs a corporate accountant, we'll say so honestly instead of experimenting with your paperwork.

No Social Security number? You can still file. We help you get an ITIN.

If you work and earn income in this country, you can file taxes even without a Social Security number. The IRS issues an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) exactly for this. Filing with an ITIN creates an official record of your income and the taxes you've paid, and that record can matter enormously later, from renting an apartment to future immigration processes.

We help you complete the ITIN application and submit it correctly along with your return. If you've heard the process is confusing, that's because it is when you do it alone. At our counter it's a conversation, in your language, with someone checking every field before anything gets sent.

What to bring

• A valid photo ID.
• Social Security cards or ITIN letters for you, your spouse, and any dependents.
• All your W-2s and any 1099 forms from the year.
• Last year's tax return, if you have it.
• Records of childcare or education expenses, if they apply to you.
• Your bank account and routing numbers if you want your refund by direct deposit.

Missing something? Come in anyway. We'll tell you exactly what's needed and you can drop it off on your next trip downtown. We're open every day, so "I work during business hours" is never a problem here.

Why file here instead of a seasonal pop-up

The tax chains staff up in January and vanish in May. We've been at 76 West Main Street since 1996, and we're here in August when a letter arrives or you need a copy of your return for the bank. That continuity is worth more than any coupon.

One more practical advantage: this is a multiservice shop. If your return needs a document notarized or translated, or you need copies of your paperwork for your records, it all happens in the same visit.

Credits, refunds, and getting what's yours

A good return is more than data entry. Depending on your household, you may qualify for credits that shrink what you owe or grow your refund, and the rules around them change more often than most people hear about. We ask the questions that surface what applies to you: who lives with you, who you support, what you paid for childcare, what a student in the family cost you this year.

If a refund is coming, direct deposit gets it to you fastest. And if someone offers you a "rapid refund" loan somewhere else, read the fine print twice. Those advances take a bite out of money that was already yours.

Common questions