Tax preparation How TaxFunders works

Before we toucha single line,we learn
your year.

A year can bring a job change, side income, a change at home or a business of your own, plus details you may not know are worth mentioning. First we work out what applies to you. Then your return is prepared from the facts.

Your return is built from your year, not a template.

Prepared virtually.Supported by a real tax team.

Schedule Your Free Tax Consultation See what to gather

Why tax season feels heavy

Most tax stress comesfrom not knowing.

The math is rarely the hard part. The hard part is the questions that stay open: whether a new job, side income or a change at home matters, whether something is still missing, and what happens after you hand things over. Until those have answers, the whole season feels unfinished.

  1. What actually applies to me?

    A new job, a side gig, a new baby, a move. Which of it matters?

    We sort out what counts.

    We go through what changed and what didn't, and tell you what applies to your return and why.

  2. Is something still missing?

    You've sent what you have, and you still aren't sure it's everything.

    We name exactly what's missing.

    Anything we still need shows up as a specific request on your portal to-do list. Your return waits for it. We don't fill gaps with guesses.

  3. Where does it stand, and what's next?

    You handed everything over. Now what?

    You can see the next step.

    Your portal shows what's waiting on you and where your return is. If you'd rather ask, message the team preparing it.

Who we prepare returns for

Tax returns for
employees,
families,
the self-employed

and everyone in between.

Every return we prepare is an individual Form 1040: wages from one employer or several, a household that changed, income from more than one source, or self-employment reported on Schedule C. These are the situations we see most often.

Employees & families
W-2

A paycheckand a household

Wages, plus the people and changes at home that shape your return.

  • Wages from one employer or more, including a job change
  • A new dependent, a marriage or another change at home
  • Childcare you paid for so you could work or look for work
  • Marketplace health coverage (Form 1095-A)
  • Tuition (Form 1098-T) or student loan interest (Form 1098-E)
  • Savings interest (Form 1099-INT), when you have it
See what to gather
More than one income source
W-2 + 1099

Wages plusother income

A paycheck and something more, reported together on one return.

  • A job plus freelance or contract work on the side
  • Unemployment compensation (Form 1099-G)
  • Payments through apps, platforms or online sales (Form 1099-K)
  • Dividends and other investment income
  • Retirement or IRA distributions (Form 1099-R)
  • Income that never came with a form
How that gets handled
Self-employed & sole proprietors
Schedule C

A business onyour own return

Work you do for yourself, reported on Schedule C with your Form 1040.

  • Independent contractors, freelancers and consultants
  • Rideshare, delivery and other gig work done on your own
  • Service professionals who bill clients directly
  • Licensed real estate agents, when their pay and contract make them self-employed
  • Business income, 1099-NEC or 1099-K, a profit & loss summary, expenses and mileage
  • Estimated tax payments, and home office details when they apply
The self-employed process

Your forms show what was paid.Your year shows what happened.

A W-2 or 1099 can't show a job that ended, a child who arrived or a business that took off. We look at what actually happened during the year, then work out what belongs on your return.

Your TaxFunders client portal

Everything your return needs,in one secure place.

Answer guided tax questions, upload or scan your documents and message the Tax Team securely. Review and e-sign your return, view and pay invoices, and follow your to-do list, all in one place, on your computer or your phone.

  • Guided tax questionsTell us about your tax year, one step at a time.
  • Upload or scan documentsFrom your computer, or with your phone's camera.
  • See what still needs attentionA to-do list of anything waiting on you.
TaxFundersClient Portal

Work in progress

Status

Your tax return

  1. Info received
  2. Prepared
  3. Ready for review
  4. E-filed

Your to-do list

2 to do
  • Finish your tax questionsDone
  • Upload your 1099-INTDone
  • Review your tax returnReady
  • Sign your e-file authorizationSignature needed

Message from the Tax TeamYour return is ready for your review. Anything you want to go over, message us right here.

DocumentsTax return.pdf

BillingInvoice ready to view

NextReview & e-sign your return

Illustration of the portal experience. Your screens may look different.

Inside your portal

  • Message the Tax TeamSecure messages, kept in one place.
  • Review & e-signSign electronically when your return is ready.
  • Documents & billingShared documents and invoices, together.

From first conversation to filed

How your returnmoves forward

Seven stages, in the order they happen. Each one is there for a reason.

  1. Free consultation

    We talk through your year and what your return involves.

    You know what to expect, and whether we're the right fit.

  2. Get set up

    You're invited to your client portal, on computer or phone.

    Everything for your return stays in one organized place.

  3. Complete your tax file

    Answer your tax questions and provide the documents that apply.

    Your answers show which forms and records your return needs.

  4. Tax preparation

    We prepare your return from your answers and documents.

    If something doesn't line up, we ask before going further.

  5. Ready for your review

    Your full return arrives in your portal to review.

    You see the refund or balance due before signing anything.

  6. Sign

    You e-sign your e-file authorization in the portal.

    Nothing is filed until you've reviewed it and signed.

  7. E-file & billing

    We e-file your signed return and let you know once it's been submitted.

    Your invoice lives in the same secure portal as everything else.

Some steps depend on your situation. If your return needs more than expected, we tell you before we go further.

The TaxFundersTax Team

Know who preparesyour return.

Every TaxFunders return is prepared by an experienced tax professional and held to one standard: accuracy first. We read your records closely, apply professional judgment where the details matter, and review your return carefully before it reaches you. Anything that needs explaining, we explain clearly, so you understand your return before you sign it.

Leads the Tax Team

Steven Figueroa, Founder and Lead Tax Professional at TaxFunders Financial Group
Steven Figueroa Founder & Lead Tax Professional

Tax Team

Angel Figueroa, Tax Professional at TaxFunders Financial Group
Angel Figueroa Tax Professional

Tax Team

David Vazquez, Tax Professional at TaxFunders Financial Group
David Vazquez Tax Professional

From your answers to your return

The right return startswith the right questions.

First we understand.Then we prepare.Then you review.

We learn about your year, go through the documents and information you provide, and ask wherever something needs clarifying. Your return is prepared from those facts. Then it comes to you to review before you sign.

Your review matters. Read it when you have time, ask about anything that isn't clear, and sign only when it makes sense to you.

Example
  1. Ask, completed
  2. Clarify, completed
  3. Prepare, completed
  4. Review
  5. Sign
  6. E-file

Return summary

Built from your answers

How what you tell us becomes the return you review

1Filing status
Married filing jointlyFrom your answers
2Income
W-2 wages + applicable 1099 incomeFrom your W-2 and 1099 forms
3Business activity
Schedule C, by categoryFrom your P&L or organized records
4Credits & deductions
Education credit, if eligibleFrom your Form 1098-T and what you paid
5Result
Refund or balance dueShown before you sign

Questions to confirm

  • Is the account for your refund still current?
  • Are every name and dependent exactly right?
E-signature Waiting for your review

What to gather

What you may
need dependson your situation.

Start with what you already have. As we learn about your year, what's missing becomes clear, and we ask for it.

AIncome

Bring the forms that apply to your year.

  • W-2s from each employer
  • 1099-NEC or 1099-K from clients and platforms
  • 1099-INT or 1099-DIV for interest and dividends
  • 1099-R for retirement distributions
  • Records of any income that didn't come with a form

BHousehold

Details for everyone on your return.

  • Last year's tax return, if you have it
  • Names, dates of birth and Social Security numbers or ITINs for everyone on the return
  • Your childcare provider's name, address and tax ID, if you paid for care
  • Education forms such as 1098-T, if they apply

CBusiness

If you're self-employed or run a side business.

  • Business income records beyond your 1099s, such as invoices or payment app reports
  • A profit & loss summary or organized expense records
  • Mileage records kept during the year, if you drove for business
  • Home office details, if you use part of your home regularly and only for business
  • Estimated tax payments you made during the year

DOther

Only the ones that apply to you.

  • Marketplace coverage statement (Form 1095-A)
  • Mortgage interest statement (Form 1098), if you itemize
  • Student loan interest (Form 1098-E)
  • An IRS Identity Protection PIN, if the IRS issued you one
  • Bank details for direct deposit
  • Does my side income count?
  • Do I need my 1095-A?
  • What about my home office?

A free consultation can help

Not sure what appliesto your situation?

Bring what you have. We'll tell you what your return needs, and what it doesn't.

Ask about my situation

Business records

Your Schedule Cis only as clear asthe records
behind it.

When records are unclear, a return ends up built on guesses. We help you sort it out before preparation starts, so your return is built from records instead.

What many self‑employed taxpayers aren't sure about
  • What counts as business income?
  • Which expenses should be organized?
  • What records should I keep?
  • Where does business end and personal begin?

The records behind the business

A profit & loss summary, a bookkeeping report or organized income and expense records can help us understand the business activity behind your return.

  1. Organize: Business activity, sorted

    Income and expenses gathered in one place, separate from personal activity.

  2. Document: Records that support the numbers

    Receipts, statements and mileage logs, kept together in your portal.

  3. Prepare: Schedule C, with your individual return

    Your business activity prepared on Schedule C, as part of your Form 1040.

  4. Understand: Reviewed before you sign

    Your return reflects the business information and records you provided. You review it before signing, and can ask about anything that needs clarifying.

Your next step

Bring your questions.We'll bring ours.

A free consultation with a TaxFunders tax professional. Walk us through your year and leave knowing what your return involves, what to gather and whether we're the right fit.

Your free tax consultationwith theTaxFunders Tax Team

  • Talk it through with a tax professional
  • See how the process and portal work
  • Know your next steps before anything starts
  • Decide whether we're the right fit
Schedule Your Free Tax Consultation

12 answersbefore youget started.

The questions people ask us most, answered plainly. Anything else, ask in your consultation.

Ask us your question

We prepare individual tax returns: for employees and families, for people with more than one source of income, and for self-employed people and sole proprietors whose business activity is reported on their individual return. We don't prepare partnership or corporate returns. Not sure whether your situation fits? Ask during your free consultation.

Yes. You never need to visit an office. After your consultation, your questions, documents, messages and signature are handled through your secure client portal, from your computer or phone. If a return has to be mailed, as some prior-year returns do, we'll explain how to sign and send it.

That's common, and it belongs on one return. Your wages, your other income and any business activity are reported together on your Form 1040. And a 1099 on its own doesn't decide anything: some of that income belongs on a Schedule C, some of it belongs elsewhere on the return, and we work out which before anything is prepared.

We tell you what's missing and ask for it. Your portal keeps a to-do list of anything waiting on you, so nothing gets lost in an email thread. We prepare from what you provide, so a return waits until the information is there.

Yes. You'll be notified when your return is ready, and you review it before you sign. Ask us anything, before you sign and after.

When your return is ready, you sign your e-file authorization electronically in your client portal. Married couples filing jointly each sign for themselves. The IRS requires an identity check for electronic signatures on that authorization; if it can't be completed, we'll explain how to sign on paper instead.

We e-file your return once you've signed, and we let you know it's been submitted. If a return has to be paper-filed, we'll tell you what to do.

Yes. Documents we've shared with you stay in your active client portal, where you can view and download them. We recommend keeping your own copy as well.

Pricing is based on the forms your return actually requires, so a straightforward return costs less than a complicated one. We tell you the price before we start, and if your situation turns out to need more than we expected, we tell you before we do the work. We never take a percentage of your refund.

No, and be careful with anyone who does. Whether you receive a refund or owe a balance depends on your own situation: your income, your withholding and the credits and deductions that apply to you. What we can promise is that your return is prepared from your facts.

No. We don't offer refund advances, refund anticipation loans or other bank products. Your refund goes from the IRS to you.

Often, yes. Prior-year returns follow the rules for that year and some have to be mailed rather than e-filed. Tell us which years you're behind on and we'll explain what's involved.

Official IRS resources

Sometimes the best
source isthe source itself.

These links go directly to IRS.gov, the official website of the Internal Revenue Service. TaxFunders is not affiliated with or endorsed by the IRS.

Three things worth stating plainly.

01Your return

TaxFunders Financial Group prepares individual tax returns based on the information and documents you provide. You review your return before you sign it and remain responsible for what it contains. Whether you receive a refund or owe a balance depends on your individual situation, as do the credits and deductions that apply. No refund amount, credit or deduction is guaranteed.

02Refund products

We do not offer refund advances, refund anticipation loans or other bank products.

03Examples and links

The documents, portal screens and return summary shown on this page are illustrative examples, not client information. Links to IRS.gov go to official government resources; TaxFunders is not affiliated with or endorsed by the IRS.