Years ago I used to have an accountant do my tax return for me.
He had an early Mac and was anxious to show off how it displayed all of the IRS 1040 Tax Forms on the (small) screen just as they looked on paper. Kind of impressive. Especially since I was a PC guy.
Then one year he charged a couple of us about $200 each to do our tax returns. Interestingly, we both had an identical investment. On the other guys return, that investment was handled one way, on mine, slightly different. It was an Oil and Gas investment deal.
Difference in the handling was $400 cost to me; essentially he missed the deduction. I was never one to want to revive an old tax return with an amendment, so I let go.
But next year I bought TurboTax for my PC and did my own taxes.
And so I have ever since. To be truthful, I used TurboTax for a number of years and then tried TaxCut from H&R Block. I like them both.
Now the IRS offers a FreeFile program whereby many taxpayers can file for free online with one of a few software companies who partner with the FreeFile program.
TurboTax and TaxCut both are in that online tax return program
This website will let you check out TurboTax Free Federal Edition.
This website will let you check out the free online tax program from TaxCut.
Both are competent and guaranteed.
Both will let you buy software to install on your PC if your prefer to do it that way, or have a number of more complex returns to do.
Save some money. Just because someone is a CPA and hangs out a shingle come tax time doesn’t mean they will save you any money. They probably won’t guarantee accuracy either.
