I have been using Picket Fence for many years. They are just wonderful. Kind, professional,…read morethorough, expert and since I moved to Florida, they do online returns! Very reasonable rates. Merry Christmas! M. Alvarado

As they said, "take the stress out of taxes. " It is very relax place, they offer free coffee and…read morepastries while you are waiting your taxes done. Tax preparer are friendly and experienced. They answered all my questions. This is my second year here. They have the best tax preparation service in Bel Air. Thanks.!

DO NOT HIRE THIS FIRM -- $30,000 in IRS penalties and complete radio silence for 8+ months…read more I paid this firm $8,000 for a package that included tax planning and filing of both my business and personal 2024 tax returns. What I received instead was missed deadlines, a return containing errors they refused to correct, an unfiled RITA return, and over $30,000 in IRS interest and penalties -- all while being ignored across nine documented attempts to reach them. Here is exactly what happened: My returns were due October 15, 2024. They were not filed until March 2, 2025 -- nearly five months late. My RITA municipal tax return has still not been filed as of today. To make matters worse, the draft return I received contained a clear error: it showed a RITA tax payment that I never made. I flagged this in writing multiple times. Not one person at this firm ever acknowledged it, explained it, or corrected it. Here is my documented attempt to resolve this before writing this review: * Oct 15 - Emailed Jessica Garner. No response. * Oct 29 - Emailed Katie Richards. No response. I later discovered she had left the firm -- I was never notified. * Dec 5 - Emailed the owner directly. No response. * Dec 20 - Emailed Jessica Garner again. No response. * Jan 10 - Called the office. Was told it would be handled the following Monday. It was not. * Jan 16 - Emailed again. Was told Kristen Carroll was taking over and would reach out. She did not. * Jan 21 - I tracked down Kristen Carroll myself. She promised the return would be revised once the IRS portal opened. It was not. * Jan 22 - Kristen emailed me asking for my 2025 documents -- while my 2024 return was still unresolved and unfiled. * Feb 20 - Emailed Kristen asking a basic question about their client portal. She promised a follow-up by Monday, February 23. I never heard from her again. Nine contacts. Four months. Zero resolution. This is not a case of a firm that made an honest mistake and tried to make it right. This is a firm that took $8,000, missed every deadline, made errors they refused to own, cycled me through staff who made promises they never kept, and ultimately went silent while the penalties accrued. If you are a business owner or individual considering hiring this firm for tax planning or return preparation, I urge you to think carefully. When something goes wrong -- and based on my experience, it may -- do not expect accountability, communication, or resolution. Expect to be ignored. I have retained all correspondence and documentation and am pursuing formal remedies through the appropriate channels.

DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THIS GROUP. I contracted with them less than 2 years- not only was their…read moretax planning off in the tune of me owing 25k above their "plan" to the IRS each year, they made made an error in filing my state taxes for all of my companies, resulting in 3k in penalties. In addition, I didn't have 1 "quarterly tax planning" meeting all year, yet they charged the $5500 per quarter regardless. I cancelled all services in December 2025, then they charged me $5500 in January 2026. The literally owe me $30,500 for the services they charged for, yet did not provide plus tax penalties. I reached out 4 times to try to resolve amicably- no action on their end. I hate to do it, but a lawsuit seems necessary.

Me and my husband have been going to Jackson Hewitt for many years you always feel welcome when you…read morewalk in everyone is nice we never half to wait they make sure to explain everything and make sure we understand they have diffrent things for kids todo if you half to bring them jackson hewitt is like family we see once a year we would never go anyware elas

I recommend everyone to JH the staff is professional and friendly. The establishment is always neat…read moreand clean have been a customer for over 11 years.

Many of us do not know the ins and outs of accounting and filing taxes so speaking to us in lamens…read moreterms is appreciated but being short and rude is unacceptable or speaking condescending is also rude. Simple answers to simple quesitions should not leave a person feeling belittled. You are the experts and should maintain professionalism and make a potential customer feel comfortable. I did not and would not recommend. Thank you for your time. Crystal B.

This business is in a house on Belair Rd and has convenient parking in the back. Thomas was nice,…read moreprofessional and quick. He likes to knock out your taxes so bring everything with you or quickly mail it to him when you get home. He'll get it back to you... just file early :-) I don't like paying other people to do my taxes but I like to save my sanity and have peace of mind. I require a bunch of forms so going to H&R Block wouldn't be a great idea because they can't handle more than a simple tax filing well. They are also expensive and Thomas isn't much more. He's also way more experienced. I'll be going back next year.

I have been using this outfit for several years now. They are very professional, responsive, and…read morefast with answering any questions. They use the latest technology, ensure the tax filing is consistent yearly, and provide extensive guidance and explanations to any questions. Their fee schedule is very reasonable.

I have been using Thomas as my tax preparer for quite a few years...5 or 6 I think. I always enjoy…read moregoing into the office but of course with Covid that didn't happen this year! His assistant Ms Kline made the change seamless and was always there in case I had a question! My return was filed on the first day it could be, 2-12-2021. Also, Thomas is always happy to answer any questions I may have through the year! Highly recommend!

Wish there was more than , THANKS. When I enter the Ellicott City properties, I didn't know what…read morewas in store...however when leaving, felt as though this huge weight was LIFTED. Not knowing the IRS next move....and trust, the IRS can do whatever this large conglomerate want to. In so many words, " The Syndicate" In other words," Bullies" .......I could not, any longer, sit by and wait for the bricks to come FALLING!!! Praises due to Alice Porter, C.P.A.

From the owner: Alice L Porter CPA, MST is an experience certified public accounting with expertise and accounting,…read moretax, and advisory services, serving small to midsize clients, including an individuals in various industry such as medical construction, assisted living facilities, transportation, and childcare. Emphasis on tax preparation, planning, resolution, compliance, audit representation parentheses IRS and multi state parentheses and tax administration Specialization and trust and estate Accounting, Partnerships, C-Corp, S-Corp individuals, and nonprofits. Also transforming financial data though data extraction, data cleaning, and data mapping and structuring, integration and automation. Review and manage task, compliance processes in ensure accuracy and adherence to regulations, while guiding clients and staff on pending legislation and various tax issues. Providing consulting to individuals and businesses to maximize operational, efficiency and minimized tax exposure, which included tax research. Maintaining training and continuing education, provided through professional organizations, Managing and providing supportive staff. Excellent communication and analytical skills are exhibited with clients and staff to foster a positive culture .

Very helpful at tax time !!! Went to this business for the first time last year at the…read morerecommendation of other family members and friends. Was very pleased with the ease and thoroughness of their tax preparation services. Am returning this year for tax return preparations again for my husband and myself as well as for our 22 year old child.

From the owner: small business accounting individual income tax preparationread more

A great professional and knowledgeable accountancy service. I'm very impressed with Alsmart…read moreservice, my returns are done quickly and accurately. If you are looking for a CPA for your personal tax return or business return, I highly recommend Alsmart Consulting.

Excellent accounting team! What I particularly appreciated was their transparent and affordable…read morepricing for work of such quality. An investment that's truly worth it.

I never had to worry about filing my returns when I was living at home. My parents Accountant…read morealways took care of it. I moved to Cockeysville and tax season came before I knew it. The staff at Jackson Hewitt were and still are extremely curious and took very good care of me, explaining the process step by step. They even send me Birthday and Christmas cards every year.

My husband and I had to use this location for our 2013 taxes because our situation has grown so…read morecomplicated over the years that we now need professional assistance to "iron it out", so to speak. We worked with Robert at this location and he proved to be efficient, knowledgeable and friendly. He explained everything step by step, making sure that we understood where we were in the process and inviting us to keep in touch with him over the coming weeks to make sure that things were correctly processed. It took quite a while to get our refund, but that's due to our individual circumstances - certainly not the fault of the company. My only complaint is that the service itself is pricey - but that's the price that you pay for professional help, I suppose. Our pain will be eased somewhat, knowing that we can deduct the preparation fees off of our taxes this year. Will we use this location again this year? Most likely. We're just waiting on the required documents - Robert will definitely be seeing us soon. Recommended.