There’s always that one friend. You know the one. The one that knows how to do everything – they’ll tile their bathroom, pave a patio area, make their own wedding invitations and do their own tax. They’re the friend that will always say – sure, what didn’t you do it yourself?

Many people are guilted into feeling they should be able to do these things themselves – but really, the truth is, you just don’t want to! Here we’ll weigh-up the pros and cons for DIY tax returns and for most people – it’s just not worth the hassle!

I started with Red Oak 12 months ago and even though I manage tax refund applications every day, it still took over 6 months of training and mentoring before I had a good understanding of how to navigate the tax maze.

From start to finish, if you were to spend all day reading through all the information from Revenue – it would take you weeks to work it out. And even then, many people make mistakes filling in the forms or claim tax credits they aren’t entitled to. Trying to do-it-yourself, is ok for those people who are interested and will spend the time learning all about it, but for many people it’s a time drain.

Red Oak’s philosophy is that unless tax is something you are interested in, you probably have better things to do with your time than trying to learn the ever-changing Irish tax system. Our Tax Agents are specially trained to know what you can and can’t claim and how to deal with Revenue.

As a fluent Lithuanian and Russian speaker, many of my clients are foreign nationals. Trying to learn a new tax system when English isn’t your first language is a monstrous task and most of my clients just don’t have the time. Plus trying to get answers from Revenue can be a nightmare.

But, that’s what we do everyday – we know the questions to ask and we know what tax credits can be automatically applied. Revenue won’t advise you on that. So if you’re not sure, it’s always best to get the advice of an expert.

Red Oak provides a no refund, no charge service for applying for tax refunds. To find out more, visit here.

Written by Dalia Simanskyte.

I am originally from Lithuania and speak fluent Lithuanian, English and Russian. I’ve adopted Ireland as my home and have been living here for 14 years. With 5 years experience in Payroll, I have great insight on both sides of sorting-out tax problems for PAYE Taxpayers. When not getting refunds, I propagate orchids and clock-up the miles bringing my girls swimming training.