Do you hire an accountant to help you do your taxes?

[imported_Tomato]

Last year I did mine online through H&R Block, but I didn't get much back. Would it be worth it to hire an accountant for $50-100 and have them do all the paperwork?

 

[jagec]

Just get CPA to do them for free

 

[FoBoT]

i use a tax preperation service

i used to use tax cut, but last year and this year i have some complicated stuff so i am going to a tax service for the next few years

 

[GrouchyLadybug]

Lucky me - my father-in-law is an accountant. Free tax services for us!

 

[Electric Amish]

I used to have a guy do them for $40....but all he did was basically fill out the documentation. It took him like 20 minutes. So, I got sick of paying him to do that and now I just do them myself. I have used Taxcut that last couple of years.

 

[blackdogdeek]

if you have an easy return i'd say just use the tax prep software or do it yourself.

if it's complicated then use an accountant.

EDIT: i wouldn't recommend h&r block, my wife works there and she has told me nightmares about how bad the tax preparers are.

 

[meltdown75]

Last year we went to H&R Block and some dude did it for us. There was a calendar next to his desk with this penciled in on one of the days:

"Sex Change Operation"

That's my biggest standout memory from that day, and trying not to laugh in his face once my wife pointed it out.

This year I think we'll buy QuickTax and do it ourselves.

 

[SpunkyJones]

Yes, we find it is better if just for the piece of mind that we don't totally screw ourselves. Plus we have some one to blame if there is a problem.

 

[imported_Tomato]

Originally posted by: blackdogdeek
if you have an easy return i'd say just use the tax prep software or do it yourself.

if it's complicated then use an accountant.

EDIT: i wouldn't recommend h&r block, my wife works there and she has told me nightmares about how bad the tax preparers are.

Thanks, I don't think I'll be using them again... I guess I'll invest in tax prep software instead, any recommendations on what to buy and where?

 

[JulesMaximus]

If you have one job, take the standard deduction and don't buy or sell stocks it is very simple to just do it yourself. Hiring an accountant to do them in this situation isn't going to get you a bigger refund.

 

[imported_Tomato]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
If you have one job, take the standard deduction and don't buy or sell stocks it is very simple to just do it yourself. Hiring an accountant to do them in this situation isn't going to get you a bigger refund.

I don't have any stocks, and only have one job.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: meltdown75
Last year we went to H&R Block and some dude did it for us. There was a calendar next to his desk with this penciled in on one of the days:

"Sex Change Operation"

That's my biggest standout memory from that day, and trying not to laugh in his face once my wife pointed it out.

This year I think we'll buy QuickTax and do it ourselves.

There are some decent preparers there but there are also quite a few bad ones with little or no experience.

BTW-They don't have their own desks. Someone probably wrote that on there as a joke.

 

[metalmania]

I do it manually without software and calculator.