Tax preparation

[zachp13]

I joined a small local accounting firm where I live. This will be my second tax season working there. I would like to know what the rest of the country is paying to have an accountant prepare their taxes. The practice hasn't raised prices in years and It looks like to me that we aren't charging enough.

[Frank Molé]

my guy charges $150.00

[Hottrucks]

Turbo Tax $30.00 seems to work well ......I just have a few deductions being a single home owner with no kids ?????

[scfireman]

$220 for the wife and I. She doesnt itemize but mine is a nightmare.

[Allison's Allison]

My wife is a cpa at a local tax office. For a "basic" tax return they charge $125 an hour.

[SnakeBit]

Anthony and connie - 475.00 Dollars - well worth it
Where are you ? That should have something to do with your rates.

[zachp13]

Thanks for all the input. I am located in a small town in california, just north of San Francisco.

[pyro]

Last year I had mine done at H+R Block. Filing single with misc deductions, I think it was around $55.

[halveb]

I prepare taxes for approximately 30 clients (as a side business) some are fairly easy and they I usually charge $150 for a fairly straightforward return. Some are very complicated and can run into the thousands of dollars. The high cost returns are for businesses where I spend the majority of that time fixing incorrect accounting entries before the tax preparation can begin.

Most people with really simple returns I usually advise to do their own as it isn't worth the amount of time I have to spend in maintaining a copy of their records. I think my average return is usually around $250 for someone with a 1040, Schedule A, plus a few other items (usually tuition deductions, home based business).

I am looking at charging a fee based on forms filled with an upcharge when the information for the form isn't correct or available. The IRS publishes estimates of the amount of time to accomplish the record keeping and completing the forms which usually seems high (probably based on estimates of someone having to read the instructions to figure it out,, etc). If you went by the IRS estimates of time I would only be charging about $6/hour. :)

[WILDMAN]

I paid $1150 last year. Bastard goes up $100 every year!

[Noah1]

I paided 60 bucks in MN..

[tpsupreme]

I use Web based Tax Act cost me for Fed and State $16.95