← Back to Gear Tax Services Services and client fit
Clear scope.
No guessing.
See what Gear Tax Services routinely handles, what needs an individual review, and how a service request becomes a firm written quote.
What Gear handles
Practical help for real-world tax needs.
These descriptions are a public overview—not a promise that every situation is accepted. The signed engagement letter identifies the exact returns, periods, services, deadlines, and fees Gear agrees to handle.
01Individual tax returns
Federal and state preparation for individuals, families, retirees, investors, and taxpayers with common credits and deductions.
Usually handled
- Form 1040 preparation and federal e-file
- Resident state return preparation when included in the engagement
- W-2, retirement, interest, dividend, itemized-deduction, education, and health-insurance reporting
- Year-end tax planning and common individual tax schedules when included in the engagement
Individual review required
- Multiple states, local returns, foreign income or assets, digital-asset activity, unusual basis issues, or substantial investment transactions
- Returns involving separation, disputed dependents, injured-spouse issues, or other facts requiring special review
02Self-employment and rentals
Preparation for freelancers, contractors, sole proprietors, side businesses, and rental-property owners with usable records.
Usually handled
- Schedule C businesses evaluated by actual complexity
- Mileage, home-office, ordinary asset, and depreciation reporting when applicable
- Standard long-term rental activity
- K-1 and pass-through reporting when included in the engagement
Individual review required
- Inventory, cost of goods sold, numerous assets or vehicles, mixed-use property, short-term rentals, property sales, unusual allocations, or missing basis records
- Incomplete, unreconciled, or reconstructed books and records
03Entity and business returns
Federal and state return preparation for partnerships, S corporations, C corporations, and estates or trusts that fit the firm’s capacity and experience.
Usually handled
- Forms 1065, 1120-S, 1120, and 1041
- Owner and beneficiary reporting associated with the covered return
- Ordinary fixed-asset and depreciation schedules when included in the quote
- Additional owners and business states when identified before engagement
Individual review required
- Late or incomplete bookkeeping, unclear ownership or basis, prior-return errors, multi-entity structures, major transactions, or significant balance-sheet work
- Consolidated, international, tax-exempt, highly regulated, or industry-specialized matters
04Bookkeeping and payroll support
Right-sized monthly support for owner-operated businesses that stay within the selected package limits.
Usually handled
- Monthly bookkeeping services based on transaction and account limits
- Owner-only S corporation payroll and small-employer payroll administration
- Quarterly tax planning when specifically included
- Routine monthly reporting under the written service scope
Individual review required
- Historical cleanup, inventory, job costing, sales tax, accounts payable, invoicing, benefits administration, or multiple payroll jurisdictions
- Software conversions, catch-up work, unusual reporting, or work outside package limits
05Prior-year, amended, and notice work
Help getting caught up, correcting a filed return, or understanding tax-agency correspondence when the records and deadline allow responsible service.
Usually handled
- Prior-year returns
- Amended returns after review of the original filing and supporting records
- Initial review of IRS or state notices
- Defined correspondence support included in a written quote
Individual review required
- Imminent deadlines, missing records, identity-theft matters, examinations, appeals, collections, liens, levies, or representation before a taxing authority
- Matters requiring legal advice, an attorney, a licensed representative, or services outside the signed engagement
Service boundaries
Some work needs a different professional—or a separate agreement.
Not automatically includedAudit, examination, appeal, collections, legal, investment, valuation, attestation, assurance, and forensic services are outside ordinary return preparation unless a written engagement specifically includes them.
No assumption from past workPreparing one return or period does not automatically include another return, entity, notice, amendment, calculation, or future year.
Facts controlActual forms, record condition, jurisdictions, deadlines, risk, and complexity determine whether Gear can accept the work and what it will cost.
Referral may be bestIf a matter falls outside the firm’s scope or capacity, Gear may decline it or recommend that the client seek another qualified tax, legal, payroll, or financial professional.
Request to engagement
Five checkpoints before work officially begins.
- 01
Request service
Submit the short form so Gear can review fit, timing, capacity, and the general scope.
- 02
Initial fit review
Gear reviews the request and determines whether the service appears to fit the firm’s scope and availability.
- 03
Clarify the actual work
Gear may request records or answers through an appropriate secure method before confirming scope.
- 04
Receive a written quote and engagement letter
The written terms identify what is included, the fee arrangement, client responsibilities, and important deadlines.
- 05
Gear accepts the engagement
The client relationship begins only after the engagement letter is signed, Gear accepts it, and any required retainer is received.
The controlling documentIf this website and a signed engagement letter differ, the engagement letter controls the client relationship and the services Gear has agreed to provide.
Ready to check fit?
Start with a service request.
Tell us what you need. Gear will review the request, clarify the scope if necessary, and provide a written quote before accepting the engagement.
