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Find a Tax Preparer
Match with vetted tax preparers — CPAs, Enrolled Agents, and credentialed PTIN holders — for personal and small-business returns. Compare experience, pricing, and turnaround time before you commit.
When to hire
- Your return goes beyond a W-2 and a standard deduction
- You have 1099 income, rental property, or investment gains
- You sold a home, exercised stock options, or received K-1s
- You moved states or worked remotely across state lines
- You'd rather pay a few hundred dollars than spend a weekend in tax software
What they do
- Prepare and e-file federal, state, and local returns
- Identify deductions and credits often missed in DIY software
- Handle amended returns and prior-year filings
- Walk you through quarterly estimates and W-4 adjustments
- Provide a digital copy and audit-ready documentation
Typical fees
What it costs
Low end
$150
per return
High end
$800
per return
Notes
Simple 1040: $150–$300. 1040 with Schedule C or rental: $400–$800. Multi-state or expat returns: $600–$1,500.
Compare
Credentialed Tax Preparer vs DIY Tax Software
| Factor | Credentialed Tax Preparer | DIY Tax Software |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Multi-state, business, K-1, complex events | Single W-2, standard deduction |
| Audit support | Preparer represents you | Self-represented; software offers add-on |
| Planning advice | Year-round strategy possible | None |
| Cost | $150–$1,500 | $0–$200 |
| Risk of missed deductions | Low — eyes-on review | Higher for complex situations |
Questions to ask
- What credential do you hold (CPA, EA, AFSP, PTIN-only)?
- Do you e-file and provide IRS acceptance confirmation?
- What's your flat fee for a return like mine, and what triggers extra cost?
- If I'm audited on a return you prepared, what's the process?
- How quickly will you turn around my return once I send documents?
- Do you sign the return as the paid preparer?
Red flags
- Refuses to sign the return as the paid preparer
- Promises a guaranteed refund before seeing your documents
- Bases fees on the size of your refund
- Has no PTIN (every paid preparer must have one)
- Asks you to deposit your refund into their account
Documents to prepare
- Prior-year federal and state return
- All W-2s, 1099s, K-1s, SSA-1099, 1098s
- Closing statements for any home sale or refinance
- Brokerage 1099-B with cost basis, crypto transaction history
- Records of charitable giving, child care, and medical expenses
By city
Tax Preparers in major U.S. cities
Related
Other specialties you might need
FAQ
Find a Tax Preparer — common questions
Do I need a CPA or can a tax preparer file my return?+
Any preparer with a PTIN can file your return. CPAs and EAs add unlimited IRS representation rights and deeper planning. For a typical individual return, a credentialed preparer is plenty.
When should I file?+
The federal deadline is April 15 (or the next business day). Self-employed individuals also have quarterly estimated deadlines on April 15, June 15, September 15, and January 15.
How long does it take to prepare a return?+
With organized documents, most preparers turn around a personal return in 1–2 weeks during off-peak periods. Expect 2–4 weeks in March and early April.
What if I'm missing a 1099?+
Your preparer can file using bank records and substitute forms (Form 4852 for missing W-2). Don't delay filing — missing forms can usually be reconstructed.
Can I deduct the preparer fee?+
For most individual filers since the 2017 TCJA, no. Self-employed filers can deduct the portion related to their business return on Schedule C.
This information is general and does not constitute professional advice. Consult a licensed professional for guidance specific to your situation.
Tax Preparers · Verified Directory
Get your return done right — on time
Find tax preparers for individual returns, small business returns, multi-state filings, and amended returns.
Featured Professionals
Tax Preparers accepting new clients
Verified professionals will appear here as profiles are claimed and reviewed. Be among the first tax prep listed.
Vetting checklist
Questions to ask before hiring tax prep
- 1Are you a licensed CPA or EA, and in which states are you registered?
- 2What does engagement scope, pricing, and turnaround actually look like?
- 3Who on your team will do the work, and how do we communicate month to month?
- 4How do you handle deadlines, IRS or state notices, and audit support?
- 5Can you share two references from clients similar to my business?
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Compare your options
Hiring a verified tax prep vs. going it alone
| Factor | Verified Tax Prep | DIY / generalist |
|---|---|---|
| Specialized expertise | Trained in tax preparers | General-purpose advice |
| Time investment | 1–2 hours to onboard | 10+ hours per filing cycle |
| Audit defense | Represents you to the IRS | You handle correspondence |
| Year-round planning | ||
| Typical cost | Quoted up-front | $0 software + your hours |
| Risk of missed deductions | Low — proactive review | High — software only flags what you enter |
Get matched
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Houston, TX
Houston CPAs serve energy, healthcare, and the city's vast small-business community.
Dallas, TX
Dallas accounting firms anchor finance, real estate, and corporate headquarters across DFW.
Los Angeles, CA
LA's accountants specialize in entertainment, real estate, and creative-industry tax planning.
San Francisco, CA
San Francisco CPAs serve startups, venture-backed companies, and complex equity-comp clients.
New York City, NY
NYC's accountants cover Wall Street, media, real estate, hospitality, and the small businesses of all five boroughs.
Miami, FL
Miami's CPAs specialize in international tax, real estate, hospitality, and Latin American business.
Chicago, IL
Chicago accountants serve professional services, manufacturing, logistics, and the Midwest's largest corporate base.
Atlanta, GA
Atlanta's CPAs support film, fintech, logistics, and one of the country's most dynamic small-business scenes.
Boston, MA
Boston-area accountants serve life sciences, higher education, financial services, and innovation-economy startups.
Seattle, WA
Seattle CPAs serve tech, aerospace, and the Pacific Northwest's deep entrepreneurial bench.
Washington DC, DC
Washington DC accountants serve federal contractors, nonprofits, associations, and the law firms that anchor the capital's economy.
Baltimore, MD
Baltimore CPAs serve healthcare systems, port and logistics operators, biotech, and the city's deep nonprofit and higher-ed community.
Richmond, VA
Richmond CPAs serve Fortune 500 headquarters, banking and insurance, tobacco-to-tech manufacturers, and Virginia's state-capital legal and government economy.
Birmingham, AL
Birmingham CPAs serve banking, healthcare, steel, and the Magic City's small-business economy.
Anchorage, AK
Anchorage CPAs serve oil and gas, fisheries, federal contracting, and the state's tourism economy.
Phoenix, AZ
Phoenix CPAs serve semiconductors, real estate, healthcare, and one of the country's fastest-growing small-business markets.
Little Rock, AR
Little Rock CPAs serve healthcare, logistics, agriculture, and the state's government and legal economy.
Denver, CO
Denver CPAs serve tech, aerospace, cannabis, and the Front Range's outdoor and energy economies.
Hartford, CT
Hartford CPAs serve insurance, reinsurance, manufacturing, and the broader Connecticut River Valley economy.
Wilmington, DE
Wilmington CPAs serve banking, corporate trust, pharma, and the Fortune 500 entity-formation economy.
Honolulu, HI
Honolulu CPAs serve tourism, military contracting, real estate, and the islands' small-business community.
Boise, ID
Boise CPAs serve tech, agriculture, manufacturing, and a fast-growing relocation-driven small-business economy.
Indianapolis, IN
Indianapolis CPAs serve manufacturing, life sciences, logistics, and motorsports.
Des Moines, IA
Des Moines CPAs serve insurance, agribusiness, biofuels, and the state's growing tech economy.
Wichita, KS
Wichita CPAs serve aviation, aerospace, energy, and agriculture.
Louisville, KY
Louisville CPAs serve bourbon, equine, automotive manufacturing, healthcare, and logistics (UPS Worldport).
New Orleans, LA
New Orleans CPAs serve maritime, tourism, oil and gas, and the city's film and hospitality economies.
Portland, ME
Portland CPAs serve tourism, fisheries, forestry, and the state's growing remote-work and craft economies.
Detroit, MI
Detroit CPAs serve automotive, mobility, healthcare, and the broader Southeast Michigan manufacturing base.
Minneapolis, MN
Minneapolis CPAs serve Fortune 500 headquarters, medical devices, agribusiness, and finance.
Jackson, MS
Jackson CPAs serve manufacturing, agriculture, healthcare, and the state's government and legal economy.
St. Louis, MO
St. Louis CPAs serve agribusiness, defense, biosciences, financial services, and logistics.
Billings, MT
Billings CPAs serve agriculture, energy, healthcare, and Montana's tourism economy.
Omaha, NE
Omaha CPAs serve insurance, financial services, agribusiness, and the Berkshire Hathaway ecosystem.
Las Vegas, NV
Las Vegas CPAs serve gaming, hospitality, entertainment, real estate, and a fast-growing logistics base.
Manchester, NH
Manchester CPAs serve advanced manufacturing, biotech, healthcare, and a thriving small-business community.
Newark, NJ
Newark CPAs serve pharma, financial services, logistics, ports, and the NYC-metro small-business economy.
Albuquerque, NM
Albuquerque CPAs serve federal labs and defense, oil and gas, film, and tourism.
Fargo, ND
Fargo CPAs serve agriculture, energy, manufacturing, and the Red River Valley's tech and healthcare economy.
Oklahoma City, OK
Oklahoma City CPAs serve oil and gas, aerospace, agriculture, and the state's growing healthcare and bioscience industries.
Portland, OR
Portland CPAs serve tech, athletic apparel, forestry, and the Pacific Northwest's craft beverage and outdoor industries.
Providence, RI
Providence CPAs serve financial services, healthcare, defense manufacturing, and tourism.
Charleston, SC
Charleston CPAs serve ports, aerospace, automotive, hospitality, and a growing tech economy.
Sioux Falls, SD
Sioux Falls CPAs serve financial services, credit card processing, trust administration, and healthcare.
Nashville, TN
Nashville CPAs serve healthcare, music and entertainment, hospitality, and the state's franchise and excise tax compliance.
Salt Lake City, UT
Salt Lake City CPAs serve the Silicon Slopes tech corridor, outdoor recreation, mining, and financial services.
Burlington, VT
Burlington CPAs serve craft food and beverage, tourism, healthcare, and outdoor brands.
Charleston, WV
Charleston CPAs serve coal and natural gas, chemicals, healthcare, and state government.
Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee CPAs serve manufacturing, insurance, healthcare, and the Lake Michigan industrial corridor.
Cheyenne, WY
Cheyenne CPAs serve energy, ranching, trust administration, and a growing data-center and tech economy.
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.
Common questions
About tax preparers
What documents do I need?+
Generally W-2s, 1099s, prior-year return, deduction records, and any K-1s. Your preparer will share a tailored checklist.
This information is general and does not constitute professional advice. Consult a licensed professional for guidance specific to your situation.
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