Blog: Debating Whether to Have an Accountant Do Your Taxes?

Added December 19, 2007 by Melanie G. Rogers

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Are you overwhelmed by the idea of doing your own taxes? Perhaps. But the cost of hiring a professional might also seem overwhelming.

While hiring an accountant or tax preparer will cost more than doing it yourself with tax software, you might save time. And, a professional tax-preparer might find those tiny little deductions that can really add to your refund check.

Still, if you can't afford it, or don't want to spend the money, and you enjoy crunching the numbers and feel a greater sense of security in filing your taxes, then you should do it yourself.

If you're looking to hire someone, the National Society of Accountants just released a survey analyzing the costs of hiring an accountant to prepare your tax returns: You can expect to spend $205, a $4 increase from 2 years ago.

If you don't itemize deductions on your tax return, you'll pay just $115 to get Form 1040 prepared.

"The tax code is more complicated than ever, and many taxpayers find strong value in having a professional accountant calculate their taxes," says NSA President Andrew T. Morehead, CFP, ATP, ECS. "This year is even worse because as of late December, Congress was still considering tax law changes affecting 2007 returns, including a change to the Alternative Minimum Tax, which could impact millions of taxpayers. Accounting and tax professionals stay on top of all these last-minute changes, but taxpayers may miss them unless they know where to look."

Dec. 19, 2009.

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