Tax • Individual & business returns
Tax Preparation Services
Get federal and state returns prepared by a licensed CPA or enrolled agent. Compare verified pros, see typical pricing up front, and pick the right fit for your situation.
Get help with QuickBooks, bookkeeping, payroll, tax planning, controller support, and CFO advisory from professionals who understand your business needs.
Overview
What a tax preparer actually does
A tax preparer gathers your income documents, deductions, and credits, then files your federal and state returns. CPAs and enrolled agents also represent you before the IRS, advise on planning moves, and review prior-year returns for amendments.
- Prepare and e-file federal + state returns
- Identify deductions and credits you qualify for
- Reconcile 1099s, K-1s, and W-2s
- Calculate quarterly estimated taxes
- Respond to IRS notices on your behalf
- Coordinate with your bookkeeper for clean records
Typical pricing
What this service usually costs
Simple W-2 returns run $220–$400. Self-employed or multi-state returns typically land $450–$900. Business returns (1120-S, 1065) start around $800.
Estimate your tax prep feeRight fit
Who should hire this professional
- Self-employed and 1099 contractors
- Small business owners (LLC, S-corp, partnership)
- Real estate investors with rental income
- Anyone with multi-state income
- Households with RSUs, ISOs, or crypto activity
- Anyone with an IRS notice or back-tax issue
Scope
Services included
Federal & state filing
Form 1040, schedules, and state returns e-filed with the IRS and your state department of revenue.
Deduction review
Itemized vs. standard, home office, vehicle, retirement contributions, and credits you qualify for.
Business returns
S-corp (1120-S), partnership (1065), C-corp (1120), and Schedule C sole proprietor returns.
Quarterly estimates
Safe-harbor calculations and Form 1040-ES vouchers for the year ahead.
Amended returns
1040-X filings to correct prior-year errors or claim missed deductions and credits.
IRS representation
CPAs and EAs can respond to notices, audits, and collection letters on your behalf.
Need help with bookkeeping, QuickBooks, tax, or CFO support?
Tell us what service you need and where your business is located.
Before you hire
Questions to ask any candidate
- 1Are you a licensed CPA or enrolled agent? What's your PTIN?
- 2Do you have experience with my situation (self-employed, S-corp, rentals, etc.)?
- 3What's your fee structure — flat fee or hourly?
- 4Will you e-file or paper-file my return?
- 5Do you offer audit support if the IRS questions my return?
- 6How do you handle returns that need to be extended?
Get ready
Documents to prepare
- Prior-year tax return (federal + state)
- W-2s and all 1099s (NEC, MISC, INT, DIV, B, R)
- K-1s from partnerships or S-corps
- 1098 mortgage interest and property tax records
- Brokerage statements and crypto exchange exports
- Receipts for charitable contributions
- Business P&L and balance sheet (if self-employed)
- Childcare expenses with provider EIN
Compare
Related services
Business tax preparation
S-corp, partnership, and C-corp filings handled by CPAs.
Explore this serviceTax planning
Year-round strategy to reduce next year's bill.
Explore this serviceTax resolution
Back taxes, liens, levies, and offers in compromise.
Explore this serviceIRS audit help
Representation for correspondence and field audits.
Explore this serviceQuarterly estimated taxes
Stay current with safe-harbor calcs each quarter.
Explore this serviceFind a tax preparer
Browse verified preparers in our directory.
Explore this serviceNeed help with bookkeeping, QuickBooks, tax, or CFO support?
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FAQ
Common questions
How much does tax preparation cost?
A simple W-2 return runs $220–$400. Self-employed or multi-state returns are typically $450–$900. Business entity returns (S-corp, partnership) start around $800 and scale with complexity.
CPA vs. tax preparer — does it matter?
Any preparer with a PTIN can file your return. CPAs and enrolled agents are also licensed to represent you before the IRS. For self-employed, business owners, or anyone with prior-year issues, the credential matters.
How long does it take?
Most individual returns finish within 1–2 weeks of receiving complete documents. Business returns and complex situations may take 2–4 weeks. File an extension by April 15 if you need more time.
Can my tax preparer also do my bookkeeping?
Many CPA firms offer both. Bundling can lower the total fee and means your books are already reconciled when tax season hits.
What if I get audited?
If a CPA or EA prepared your return, they can respond to the IRS on your behalf. Confirm audit support is included or available as an add-on before you sign an engagement letter.
By city
Find tax preparation services by city
Tax in Houston, TX
Houston CPAs serve energy, healthcare, and the city's vast small-business community.
Tax in Dallas, TX
Dallas accounting firms anchor finance, real estate, and corporate headquarters across DFW.
Tax in Los Angeles, CA
LA's accountants specialize in entertainment, real estate, and creative-industry tax planning.
Tax in San Francisco, CA
San Francisco CPAs serve startups, venture-backed companies, and complex equity-comp clients.
Tax in New York City, NY
NYC's accountants cover Wall Street, media, real estate, hospitality, and the small businesses of all five boroughs.
Tax in Miami, FL
Miami's CPAs specialize in international tax, real estate, hospitality, and Latin American business.
Tax in Chicago, IL
Chicago accountants serve professional services, manufacturing, logistics, and the Midwest's largest corporate base.
Tax in Atlanta, GA
Atlanta's CPAs support film, fintech, logistics, and one of the country's most dynamic small-business scenes.
Tax in Boston, MA
Boston-area accountants serve life sciences, higher education, financial services, and innovation-economy startups.
Tax in Seattle, WA
Seattle CPAs serve tech, aerospace, and the Pacific Northwest's deep entrepreneurial bench.
Tax in Washington DC, DC
Washington DC accountants serve federal contractors, nonprofits, associations, and the law firms that anchor the capital's economy.
Tax in Baltimore, MD
Baltimore CPAs serve healthcare systems, port and logistics operators, biotech, and the city's deep nonprofit and higher-ed community.
Tax in Richmond, VA
Richmond CPAs serve Fortune 500 headquarters, banking and insurance, tobacco-to-tech manufacturers, and Virginia's state-capital legal and government economy.
Tax in Birmingham, AL
Birmingham CPAs serve banking, healthcare, steel, and the Magic City's small-business economy.
Tax in Anchorage, AK
Anchorage CPAs serve oil and gas, fisheries, federal contracting, and the state's tourism economy.
Tax in Phoenix, AZ
Phoenix CPAs serve semiconductors, real estate, healthcare, and one of the country's fastest-growing small-business markets.
Tax in Little Rock, AR
Little Rock CPAs serve healthcare, logistics, agriculture, and the state's government and legal economy.
Tax in Denver, CO
Denver CPAs serve tech, aerospace, cannabis, and the Front Range's outdoor and energy economies.
Tax in Hartford, CT
Hartford CPAs serve insurance, reinsurance, manufacturing, and the broader Connecticut River Valley economy.
Tax in Wilmington, DE
Wilmington CPAs serve banking, corporate trust, pharma, and the Fortune 500 entity-formation economy.
Tax in Honolulu, HI
Honolulu CPAs serve tourism, military contracting, real estate, and the islands' small-business community.
Tax in Boise, ID
Boise CPAs serve tech, agriculture, manufacturing, and a fast-growing relocation-driven small-business economy.
Tax in Indianapolis, IN
Indianapolis CPAs serve manufacturing, life sciences, logistics, and motorsports.
Tax in Des Moines, IA
Des Moines CPAs serve insurance, agribusiness, biofuels, and the state's growing tech economy.
Tax in Wichita, KS
Wichita CPAs serve aviation, aerospace, energy, and agriculture.
Tax in Louisville, KY
Louisville CPAs serve bourbon, equine, automotive manufacturing, healthcare, and logistics (UPS Worldport).
Tax in New Orleans, LA
New Orleans CPAs serve maritime, tourism, oil and gas, and the city's film and hospitality economies.
Tax in Portland, ME
Portland CPAs serve tourism, fisheries, forestry, and the state's growing remote-work and craft economies.
Tax in Detroit, MI
Detroit CPAs serve automotive, mobility, healthcare, and the broader Southeast Michigan manufacturing base.
Tax in Minneapolis, MN
Minneapolis CPAs serve Fortune 500 headquarters, medical devices, agribusiness, and finance.
Tax in Jackson, MS
Jackson CPAs serve manufacturing, agriculture, healthcare, and the state's government and legal economy.
Tax in St. Louis, MO
St. Louis CPAs serve agribusiness, defense, biosciences, financial services, and logistics.
Tax in Billings, MT
Billings CPAs serve agriculture, energy, healthcare, and Montana's tourism economy.
Tax in Omaha, NE
Omaha CPAs serve insurance, financial services, agribusiness, and the Berkshire Hathaway ecosystem.
Tax in Las Vegas, NV
Las Vegas CPAs serve gaming, hospitality, entertainment, real estate, and a fast-growing logistics base.
Tax in Manchester, NH
Manchester CPAs serve advanced manufacturing, biotech, healthcare, and a thriving small-business community.
Tax in Newark, NJ
Newark CPAs serve pharma, financial services, logistics, ports, and the NYC-metro small-business economy.
Tax in Albuquerque, NM
Albuquerque CPAs serve federal labs and defense, oil and gas, film, and tourism.
Tax in Fargo, ND
Fargo CPAs serve agriculture, energy, manufacturing, and the Red River Valley's tech and healthcare economy.
Tax in Oklahoma City, OK
Oklahoma City CPAs serve oil and gas, aerospace, agriculture, and the state's growing healthcare and bioscience industries.
Tax in Portland, OR
Portland CPAs serve tech, athletic apparel, forestry, and the Pacific Northwest's craft beverage and outdoor industries.
Tax in Providence, RI
Providence CPAs serve financial services, healthcare, defense manufacturing, and tourism.
Tax in Charleston, SC
Charleston CPAs serve ports, aerospace, automotive, hospitality, and a growing tech economy.
Tax in Sioux Falls, SD
Sioux Falls CPAs serve financial services, credit card processing, trust administration, and healthcare.
Tax in Brookings, SD
Brookings CPAs and QuickBooks ProAdvisors serve South Dakota State University-area businesses, agribusiness, and the city's growing tech and biotech employers.
Tax in Nashville, TN
Nashville CPAs serve healthcare, music and entertainment, hospitality, and the state's franchise and excise tax compliance.
Tax in Salt Lake City, UT
Salt Lake City CPAs serve the Silicon Slopes tech corridor, outdoor recreation, mining, and financial services.
Tax in Burlington, VT
Burlington CPAs serve craft food and beverage, tourism, healthcare, and outdoor brands.
Tax in Charleston, WV
Charleston CPAs serve coal and natural gas, chemicals, healthcare, and state government.
Tax in Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee CPAs serve manufacturing, insurance, healthcare, and the Lake Michigan industrial corridor.
Tax in Cheyenne, WY
Cheyenne CPAs serve energy, ranching, trust administration, and a growing data-center and tech economy.
Tax in Charlotte, NC
Charlotte CPAs serve the second-largest U.S. banking center, plus energy, healthcare, motorsports, and one of the fastest-growing relocation markets in the country.
By state
Find tax preparation services by state
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Advisor-grade guides
Downloadable ebooks & templates
CPA-ready playbooks and templates you can use today — instant downloads, no signup required.
The Small Business Tax & Profit Playbook
A CPA-ready guide to deductions, quarterly taxes, S-Corp strategy, owner pay, cash flow, and year-round tax planning.
Business Tax Deduction Checklist
A CPA-curated checklist of 80+ business deductions most owners miss — organized by category so you can sweep it before filing.
The Definitive Bookkeeping Cleanup & Recovery Guide
The CPA's step-by-step playbook for diagnosing messy books, reconstructing missing history, and restoring a clean, audit-ready ledger.
The Freelancer Tax Guide
The practical tax playbook for freelancers, contractors, and solo creatives — deductions, quarterly estimates, and self-employment strategies.
The Year-End Tax Planning Guide
The CPA's December playbook — practical strategies to reduce your tax bill before the year closes.
The Premium Bookkeeping Template Pack
Automated dashboards, multi-account reconciliations, and CPA-ready reporting workbooks for serious owners and bookkeepers.
Tax & Bookkeeping Resource Library
Our complete advisor-grade collection — every premium asset an owner needs to run clean books, lower taxes, and recover messy ledgers, in one bundle.