Almost everyone who is making money in the U.S. has to pay taxes. The thing with taxes is they are a little complex to prepare, calculate, and file. Some people do their taxes by themselves, some people use tax preparation software, and others hire professional accountants or income tax services to prepare their taxes. All of these options are fine. However, each has its own pros and cons, and you have to choose the right option for you. For example, if you are a salaried employee who is earning income from a single source, you need to file your taxes using a W-2 form. There is no need to hire an accounting firm. On the other hand, if you are a freelancer who is earning income from multiple sources and needs to prepare a tax return with itemized deductions, it is a good idea to hire a specialized accountant for freelancers to prepare your tax returns. Similarly, some DIY taxpayers with reasonable knowledge of tax laws can easily prepare their taxes using tax preparation software.
Have a look at the cost comparison of tax preparation under all three options:
1. Hiring an Accountant for Tax Preparation
According to Investopedia, the average cost of hiring a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) to prepare and submit a Form 1040 and State tax return with no itemized deductions is $176, while the average fee for an itemized Form 1040 and a State tax return is $273. If you are a self-employed individual and need to hire a CPA to prepare an itemized Form 1040 with a Schedule C and a State tax return form, the average fee increases to $457. So you can expect to pay $146 to $457 for your tax preparation.
2. Using Accounting Software
The cost to prepare taxes using accounting software varies from $0 to $130. Some accounting software are free but provide only basic features. For complex tax preparation, you need a premium version.
3. DIY Tax Preparation
DIY tax preparation is almost free. It only costs you time! The IRS estimates that individuals will need to spend approximately 11 hours preparing their own returns in 2022.
Which option(s) do you prefer? Let us know in the comments section below.
