How much $$ do you pay to have your taxes done?

[borlis]

The guy we have been using for about 10+ years charged $495!!!!!OUCH!!! We don't have a business or anything too complicated. Just a house, 401K, mutual funds, etc. I really want to find someone cheaper, but sometimes I think it will be a hassle (mine not hubbys) to start over with someone else.

[KamaAina]

1. Never paid for it in my life.

Mine are very simple, though: no itemized deductions or scedules or anything like that. 1040EZ all the way.

[yewberry]

2. TurboTax freefile.

It only takes a couple of hours to do--so much faster and easier than doing them on paper!

[RebelOne]

9. I used the upgrade this year. Usually I use the free one.

But the free one didn't allow for IRA deductions. So it cost me $39.90 for both federal and state taxes. I had to pay $194 to the IRS, but I getting $374 back from the state, so I guess it was worth the cost.

[LSK]

3. yours doesnt sound very complicated

401k is not part of taxes, mortgage and real estate deductions are part of schedule A. Do it yourself or go to one of those H&R Block tax places.

[borlis]

6. It's already done for this year

but I think I am ready to try myself next year. I just think that's way too much $$

[Shell Beau]

4. $100/hour, but it is totally worth it. I am self employed and

I have used other CPA's who just didn't do it as well as this one does now. He makes sure I get ALL of my deductions.

[azmouse]

5. We pay about $300.

If you want someone else to do your taxes just make copies of the past few years returns and give them to the new tax preparer you chose.
We are thinking we'll need someone new soon because the guy doing our taxes is getting older and that is what we will do.

[SOteric]

7. $75.

Not a whole lot of complications, some deductions for medical expenses; 3 distinct incomes.

[AirmensMom]

8. We had to pay a LOT this year.

Our accountant charges a minimum of $500 for 1040 plus Schedule A. I usually use TurboTax, but we had some unusual stuff this year. On top of that, she had to hunt down some stuff b/c it looks like we have some incorrect W2s (taxable vs tax-free amounts). Then we had to amend returns for 3 years. Total bill was $1550. Hopefully, we'll get more than that back from the amended returns.

Did I win the toaster?

[borlis]

10. Not only the toaster, but the toaster oven as well!!

[AirmensMom]

11. Can I donate them and take a tax deduction?

:bounce:

You don't even want to know how much we had to pay in taxes for 2005 ... and NOT because we're rich (we're not). Because a company owed me money for benefits I paid for, I had to sue them, they settled, and Uncle Sam took a huge chunk. I couldn't even deduct the full amount of my attorney's fees.

[Xithras]

12. About $600 this year.

Thank goodness tax prep fees are deductible. If they weren't, I'd make a HUGE stink about that.

My taxes are NOT simple. I have primary wage income, income from another business I own, investment income, a huge list of tax writeoffs, several thousand in charitable donations, plus calculations on tax payments I made mid year.

Interestingly, I don't use either an accountant OR an expensive service. I go to Jackson Hewitt and get them done like anyone else. I'll NEVER use H&R Block again though...they screwed my taxes TWICE, incluing once where they simply failed to pay owed taxes to the state even though THEY'D TAKEN THEM FROM ME! It took months to work out, and in the meantime I had to pay my state taxes a second time along with penalties and interest.

If you're paying $500 for a simple return with a couple of investments, you're paying too much. I don't recommend the Turbotax route unless you are already familiar with the forms AND you have a bunch of time to spare, but you could probably take your paperwork to a company like Jackson Hewitt and get the same quality return for a couple hundred bucks less.

[Broken_Hero]

13. 60 bucks n/t

[LeftyMom]

14. I do my own and those of nearly everybody else that I know.

I really should look into doing it for a living, because I'm good at it (it helps that I remember obscure details well.)

[leftofthedial]

15. we never paid, but last year was brutally f*@ked up for my ex and me

we filed "together" for the last time this year and paid $299 for a tax preparer.

[Ramsey]

16. About $1500

But they do our personal taxes and my husband's company taxes all together, since he is the CEO. It takes them weeks!

[seaglass]

17. Zero. And I did 1040, Schedule A, and D. On my state taxes

which are worse, Form 1, Schedules B, D, and Y.

And I sure hope to hell that I did them right.

[AtomicKitten]

18. $145 here in SF - and I'm self-employed

Love my accountant. Hey Karl!!!!

[Starbucks Anarchist]

19. My mother is a tax preparer.

So I pay nothing. :D

[YellowRubberDuckie]

20. Bought a computer program....

Skip did them for the price of the program, which was $20. We got a good refund.
Duckie

[Left Is Write]

21. When we had complex tax returns, we paid the accountant $300.

This year, I did our taxes with Turbo Tax - whatever the cost of the premium one was.

[trof]

22. Ouch! I use Taxact online.

cheap

[doc03]

23. $.00

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

24. Free.

My stepdad just hands them to his company's accountant. He's a socially liberal Republican. He thinks Bush is helping him and doesn't get that while he definitely has a lot of money compared to most people, it's still not enough to justify voting Republican.

[Nicole]

25. It varies

but it's tax deductible so I don't mind paying it. I usually pay $100-$200.