By Peter Day
Senior Reporter
With less than two weeks before tax deadline, it's crunch time for Cynthia Hinkley.
Literally.
"Our busiest months are January and March," Hinkley says. "There's a lull in February."
With two decades of experience in tax preparation, Hinkley has been running Tax Addicts for the past three years. The last two have been in a high visibility location at 31856 Highway 18 in Lucerne Valley.
Hinkley stays busy, not only preparing federal and state returns for clients in Lucerne Valley, the Victor Valley and beyond, but she regularly takes courses to stay abreast of the latest tax code.
"I learn what the IRS expects from us, and what the IRS expects from the public."
And, as a result, she is a member of several organizations: the National Association of Tax Preparers, the California Tax Education Council, and the National Bookeepers Association, to name a few.
She is studying to become an "enrolled agent," which would give her the authority to represent clients in court, not as an attorney but as a related tax expert.
While some tax preparation offices may be stuffy and sterile, not Tax Addicts. A large living room space has toys for kids and a comfy couch for clients and family members to relax — rather than fretting over taxes. Hinkley proudly displays a custom-made "Tax Addicts" Steelers football jersey, given to her by a client who knows her where Hinkley's sports allegiance lies.
Hinkley's husband is a longtime boat motor mechanic in Big Bear. The couple has six children and 14 grandchildren.
But behind the scenes, Tax Addicts is all business. Client documents are in a securely locked room and backup systems are in place.
Hinkley not only knows her clients' taxes, but she is well acquainted with the history. She has a copy of the first 1040 Form as a reminder.
According to Hinkley, the Internal Revenue Service was established in 1862 by President Abraham Lincoln to help recoup costs from the Civil War.
"There was a tax for every cow. If you didn't pay they'd take your cow."
That first tax form was four pages long. Today's tax return?
"Now it's about 30 pages," she said. "Business tax returns can go up to as many as 60 pages."
For more information on Tax Addicts personal and business tax preparation, bookkeeping and notary services, call 760-248-6200 or email taxaddicts@yahoo.com.