Polish Accountant in the USA — How to Find One, What They Do, Costs (2026)

The American tax system is complicated — federal + state + local taxes, FBAR (foreign accounts), FATCA, ITIN, business taxes. For most of the Polish community: it's worth having a good Polish accountant. This guide explains whom to look for, how much it costs, and when it's mandatory.

Who Can Do Taxes in the USA

CPA (Certified Public Accountant)

• Highest qualifications
• Requirements: bachelor + 150 credit hours + passed CPA exam + 1-2 years of experience
• Licensed by state board
• Can represent you before the IRS
• Most expensive: $200-500+ per filing

EA (Enrolled Agent)

• Specialization: federal taxes
• Licensed directly by the IRS (passed Special Enrollment Examination)
• Can represent before the IRS at any level
• Cheaper than CPA: $150-300
• Many Polish accountants = EA

Tax Preparer (Annual Filing Season Program)

• Lowest qualifications
• Required: PTIN (Preparer Tax Identification Number) from the IRS
• Can fill out returns, but limited IRS representation
• Cheaper: $100-200
• Often Polish offices have only tax preparers

Unregistered "Accountant"

• No PTIN — ILLEGAL to fill out returns for payment
• Beware of "cousin accountant" who "does it for $50"
• If there's an error → you are liable before the IRS, not them

What an Accountant Does

Standard (everyone)

• Form 1040 — federal income tax
• State return (NY: IT-201, NJ: NJ-1040, IL: IL-1040, etc.)
• Schedule A — itemized deductions (if worth it)
• Schedule B — interest + dividends
• W-2 and 1099 filing

Self-employed / business

• Schedule C — sole proprietor business
• Schedule SE — self-employment tax
• 1099-MISC / 1099-NEC processing
• Estimated quarterly taxes setup
• LLC / S-Corp tax filing (Form 1120, 1120-S, 1065)

Multi-state

• You live in NJ, work in NYC — filing for both states
• Cross-state issues, credit for taxes paid in another state

Polish Income / FBAR / FATCA

• Foreign Tax Credit (Form 1116) — credit for taxes paid in Poland
• Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (Form 2555) for those living abroad
• FBAR (FinCEN 114) — report foreign accounts >$10k
• Form 8938 (FATCA) — foreign assets
• Polish pensions (ZUS), rental properties in Poland — taxation
• See [[tax-treaty-poland-usa-avoid-double]]

ITIN

• Form W-7 — ITIN application
• Certifying Acceptance Agent (CAA) — many Polish accountants are CAA
• See [[itin-tax-number-what-is-it-how-to-get-it]]

Other

• Audit defense — representation before the IRS in case of an audit
• IRS payment plans — negotiation with the IRS
• Amended returns (1040-X) — corrections for previous years
• Back taxes — unfiled returns from previous years
• Estate planning — wills, trusts, inheritance
• Estate tax — Form 706 for large estates
• Gift tax — Form 709 for gifts >$18,000

Costs (2026)

Where to Find a Polish Accountant

NYC area

• Greenpoint, Maspeth, Ridgewood, Manhattan
• NJ: Linden, Garfield, Wallington, Newark
• "Nowy Dziennik" classified ads
• Polish churches — bulletins

Chicago area

• Belmont/Milwaukee Ave
• Norridge, Niles
• "Polonia Polish News", "Dziennik Związkowy" classifieds

Other Cities

• Detroit, Hamtramck
• LA, Garden Grove (smaller Polish community)
• Boston, Quincy

Online

• Informacja.com — category Accountants/Tax Preparers
• Polish Yelp reviews
• Polish FB groups — recommendations

How to Choose a Good Accountant

Check

• PTIN — Preparer Tax Identification Number (IRS database)
• License — CPA, EA, or AFSP
• Experience — how many years, how many Polish clients
• Specialization — your situation (self-employed, multi-state, foreign income)
• Reviews — Yelp, Google, Polish groups

Questions for Consultation

• How much does my tax situation cost?
• Do you have experience with Polish income / FBAR?
• Do you represent in case of an IRS audit? Additional cost?
• What information is needed (list of documents)?
• What is the response time for questions during the year?
• What happens after the tax season — are you still available?

Red Flags — RUN AWAY

1. "I guarantee a refund" — no one can guarantee
2. "100% audit-proof" — nonsense
3. Cash only
4. No PTIN — ask directly
5. "Give me a blank signed tax return" — federal felony
6. Inflating deductions ("Your dog = business expense") — IRS audit later
7. "Sign right here, I'll fill it in later" — NEVER
8. Refund anticipation loans — expensive loans on refunds
9. No physical office — only a website, only phone
10. Speaks English with a strong Hispanic/Latino accent but claims to be "Polish" — some offices lie

Self-prep Alternatives

TurboTax

• $60-130 federal, $50-60 per state
• Supports most situations
• Free for simple returns
• NOT for complex foreign income

H&R Block (in-person + online)

• $80-300 depending on complexity
• Online + branch
• Sometimes Polish preparers in the office

FreeTaxUSA

• $0 federal, $15 per state
• Solid for simple returns

IRS Free File

• Free for income <$79,000 (2026)
• Choice of software from IRS partners
• irs.gov/filing/free-file

VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance)

• Free for income <$60,000
• IRS-certified volunteers
• Some locations have Polish volunteers
• IRS — VITA Locator

When You MUST Have a Professional

• Significant Polish income (rent in Poland, pensions, business)
• FBAR / FATCA requirements
• Multi-state taxes (you live in 2+ states in a year)
• Self-employed with large expenses
• S-Corp / LLC / Partnership
• Real estate investments (depreciation, 1031 exchange)
• Inheritance of $100k+
• IRS audit
• Back taxes (multiple years)
• Complex immigration situation (dual status, expat, etc.)

Tax Season — Calendar

• January 15: IRS opens filing season (typically)
• January 31: employers send W-2, 1099
• March 15: deadline for S-Corp / Partnership filing
• April 15: deadline for 1040 (federal + most states)
• June 15: automatic extension for expats
• October 15: extension deadline

File early! — faster refund, less chance of audit.

What to Bring to the Accountant

• SSN / ITIN (yours + family)
• W-2 (all!)
• 1099 (NEC, MISC, INT, DIV, B, R)
• Previous year's tax return
• Mortgage interest statement (1098)
• Property tax bills
• Health insurance (1095-A, 1095-B, 1095-C)
• Childcare expenses
• Educational expenses (1098-T, 1098-E)
• Charity donations (receipts)
• Medical expenses if >7.5% AGI
• Business expenses if self-employed
• Polish income — translations
• FBAR info — all foreign accounts >$10k peak balance

Common Mistakes

1. Choosing an inexperienced accountant with Polish income
2. No FBAR — penalties up to $129k
3. Not reporting Polish pension — IRS receives information through FATCA
4. Self-prep with a complex situation
5. Late filing — penalty 5%/month
6. Underpayment of estimated taxes if self-employed
7. Not reporting cash income — IRS matches bank deposits
8. Making up deductions — audit risk
9. Trusting "your cousin who does taxes" without qualifications

Useful Links

• IRS — Internal Revenue Service
• IRS — Choosing a Tax Professional
• VITA Locator
• AICPA — CPA Directory
• NAEA — Enrolled Agent Directory

Related: [[first-tax-filing-usa]] · [[tax-treaty-poland-usa-avoid-double]] · [[itin-tax-number-what-is-it-how-to-get-it]]