# trying to do my own taxes vs paying my acct...tips?



## medici (Jan 13, 2012)

Due to laziness (and ignorance) I've had a professional acct do my personal income taxes each yr over a number of yrs...decided that I might try it myself this yr and save myself the $300....any links, or software one can suggest that might prove useful, should I take this upon myself.


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## the-royal-mail (Dec 11, 2009)

$300? That's nuts! Are you just filing a personal basic return or is it complicated/business? Even H&R block charges around $70 for a basic return and you can find cheaper if you shop around.

Unless you're confident in your abilities (which it doesn't sound like you are if you have to post and ask for links) I don't recommend taking a chance with this. But do find another accountant for way less than you're paying now.


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## al42 (Mar 5, 2011)

You could try on your own with this software it's FREE. See how it goes.

http://www.studiotax.com/en/main.htm


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## HaroldCrump (Jun 10, 2009)

How complicated is your tax situation?
$300 sounds _a lot_.
Even the most advanced version of Quick Tax is $39.99 I think.
And that covers the vast majority of typical individual situations, I'd think, including investment income, rental income, overseas income, etc.
Can you explain if there is anything peculiar in your tax situation?


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## Four Pillars (Apr 5, 2009)

My CA charges $95+tax for a return.


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## MoneyGal (Apr 24, 2009)

Pricing is a signalling technique. If you don't really want the business, you charge a high amount for it. I think $300 for a basic return falls in that category...


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## medici (Jan 13, 2012)

thanks for the replies...will look into doing it on my own from now on, or at least check out the various more affordable options.

cheers


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## Helianthus (Oct 19, 2010)

There are definitely a number of free or low cost software applications that can do it for you. $300 is exorbitant, for what I assume is a simple return.


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## kcowan (Jul 1, 2010)

Most of the work is collecting the data. You need to be diligent about keeping track of things. After that, using tax software is easy.


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## Square Root (Jan 30, 2010)

kcowan said:


> Most of the work is collecting the data. You need to be diligent about keeping track of things. After that, using tax software is easy.


Agree. Doing your own taxes using software like Turbotax is actually fun(at least for me) and gives you a lot of insight into your financial affairs. unless you have a complicated return your should definately go for it.


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## Cal (Jun 17, 2009)

For me, $300 is a fair price....it really depends on how complicated your tax situation is.


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