How Much Does It Cost to Have Someone File Your Taxes

Although there are semi-free options available to file your taxes each year, many people choose to work with local tax services instead. There are several reasons for taking this approach, including the ability to deal with a live expert and have access to professional help regarding complex tax situations.

If you’ve never paid a tax service to prepare and file your taxes before, you may be wondering how much these services cost. While it’s true that paying someone to do your taxes may be more expensive than using a free federal filing solution on the web, only you can decide whether the benefits are worth the trade-offs.

Costs Depend on Your Area

One of the biggest factors affecting the cost of having someone file your taxes is your location. For instance, a Queens CPA in New York is likely going to charge more than a CPA in rural Mississippi. Then again, a Queens CPA will be the best solution if you’re filing your taxes as a New York resident since a CPA in another state won’t have as strong a grasp on New York tax laws and may not even be able to legally help you.

Costs Depend on the Complexity of Your Return

If you have a simple tax return that only involves your W2 from your employer, you might only be looking at around $50 to have someone file your taxes. If you have a more complex tax situation that involves write-offs, capital gains, property taxes, medical bills and other elements that can change your tax situation, the cost to have someone file your taxes can go up by quite a bit.

Is a Free Tax Service Better?

You might think that free tax software is the better choice since, after all, these services are advertised as free. Unfortunately, it’s not always that easy.

Most free tax services only allow you to prepare and file your federal return. You still have to pay to do your state taxes. Also, free tax solutions may not be free if your tax situation is complex, and you might also have to pay for things like live support from a tax expert.

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