What is a normal amount to pay to a tax service?

Anonymous
This is the first year we've used a tax service, and the bill for the tax preparation was significantly more than I was expecting. Our taxes are pretty generic - the usual categories of stuff: married, dual incomes, relatively vanilla investments, 529 contributions, both $ and non-$ charitable contributions... We do have to do a Schedule H for a single household employee, but I create the W2s and W3, so that information is all in one place. What would you think the cost would be for a tax service?

Thanks!
Anonymous
We pay $750. I am salaries with a W2, my husband is self employed and owns his own business, so that complicates things a bit.
Anonymous
OP here - goodness - we were charged $1K more than that. Seems like maybe I'll be shopping around next year! Or going back to Turbo Tax. Argh.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:OP here - goodness - we were charged $1K more than that. Seems like maybe I'll be shopping around next year! Or going back to Turbo Tax. Argh.


Wow, I'd think that was a lot. We pay about $750 as well. We're military and have to file in two states. Have two salaries and a bunch of investment income.
Anonymous
self employed, S corp person here
750 for business taxes
650 for personal, with a whole bunch of different forms to look at?
I'd say that was seriously excessive unless they also file other tax forms? Maybe city and county? My accountant DID tell me he charged extra if someone had to organize the info, eg, there's a shopping bag of receipts to go through
Anonymous
$600-$800 is what we have paid. When my accountant retired 2 years ago I went back to TurboTax. I had forgotten how easy they are and have been kicking myself for paying an accountant all those years.
Anonymous
We paid $1500 and that included a self employed business, 3 state returns, a K-1, 2 houses, and a few other oddities. You should definitely be able to find some good for less than $1700.
Anonymous
We paid under $400 for two W-2 wage earners, with multiple investment accounts and a few individual stocks/bonds, but no other outside income.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:OP here - goodness - we were charged $1K more than that. Seems like maybe I'll be shopping around next year! Or going back to Turbo Tax. Argh.


You were really overcharged. I pad $650 for a fairly complicated return.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OP here - goodness - we were charged $1K more than that. Seems like maybe I'll be shopping around next year! Or going back to Turbo Tax. Argh.


Wow, I'd think that was a lot. We pay about $750 as well. We're military and have to file in two states. Have two salaries and a bunch of investment income.


Wanted to add this feels like a lot to me, but we move every couple of years so we have different state and local filings that he deals with for us , and also answers any questions I have for free throughout the year.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:We paid under $400 for two W-2 wage earners, with multiple investment accounts and a few individual stocks/bonds, but no other outside income.


You could really be using turbo tax.
Anonymous
We do our own using Turbo Tax Premiere, I think. Two income family plus 1099s from some freelance work (so we have to fill out a schedule C), multiple investment accounts, multiple 529s, mortgage. Turbo Tax is soo easy, it really only takes 2 hours max.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OP here - goodness - we were charged $1K more than that. Seems like maybe I'll be shopping around next year! Or going back to Turbo Tax. Argh.


Wow, I'd think that was a lot. We pay about $750 as well. We're military and have to file in two states. Have two salaries and a bunch of investment income.


Wow, I think you were overcharged. I'm PP you quoted, I use Rosenbloom & Butler CPAs, they are great
Anonymous
We paid $120 for wife W2, husband -own business W2. We got discount because his business tax is also handled by the same accountant, so for the personal tax return they gave us a break.
Anonymous
OP, we are very similar to you, down to the HH employee for whom I do the W3. We pay around $600-700 a year to the same firm who also manages our not too complicated nor very substantial investments.
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