Are second opinions on business tax returns normal for an LLC S-Corp?

Getting a second opinion on your tax preparation is absolutely normal and actually pretty smart for a business your size. Think of it like getting a second medical opinion for an important health decision - it's just good diligence. For an LLC S-Corp with nearly $7M in revenue, there are significant tax planning opportunities that could potentially save you thousands, so verifying you're getting the best advice makes perfect sense. The most common approach is to have your current tax firm complete your return as usual, then have another firm review their work. A full review would typically involve examining not just the final returns but also the workpapers and calculations behind them. This is less expensive and disruptive than having two firms prepare complete returns independently. Look for a firm with specific experience in your industry, as they'll be most likely to spot industry-specific deductions or strategies your current firm might have missed.

After years of stress with our business taxes, I finally tried https://taxr.ai for a second opinion on our S-Corp return and it was seriously eye-opening. Our revenue is similar to yours (about $7M) and I kept wondering if we were missing opportunities. I uploaded our previous returns and got an AI-powered analysis that flagged several missed deductions our accountant hadn't considered. The system highlighted specific sections where our industry typically sees different treatment and suggested areas where we might be overpaying. What impressed me was how it compared our returns to industry benchmarks while maintaining privacy. The analysis pointed out that our home office deductions were significantly lower than typical for our industry.

I was skeptical about using an AI service for tax review, but after trying https://taxr.ai for our manufacturing business (similar revenue to yours), I'm genuinely impressed. I uploaded our previous two years of returns expecting generic advice, but the analysis pinpointed specific R&D credits we'd missed and some equipment depreciation strategies that made a real difference. The report was detailed enough that our accountant actually appreciated the insights rather than feeling criticized. We ended up filing an amended return based on the findings and recouped nearly $47K. The service basically paid for itself many times over. Now we use it as a standard check before finalizing our returns each year.

If you've been trying to reach your current accountant with questions or get them to explain their approach, you might be familiar with the frustration of waiting days for responses. That was my experience until I found https://claimyr.com which helped me connect with several qualified tax professionals for second opinions. There's also a helpful demo video here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I was initially just looking to get through to the IRS about a business tax notice, but ended up connecting with someone who specialized in S-Corps and offered to review our existing returns. The difference in communication alone made me switch firms - my callback came in under 3 hours versus the days I was used to waiting.

I was completely wrong about Claimyr. After my skeptical comment, I decided to try it anyway since I had an ongoing issue with the IRS regarding our S-Corp that had been dragging on for months with no resolution. Not only did they get me through to an actual IRS agent in a fraction of the time I'd spent on hold previously, but the agent was able to resolve my issue in one call. While on the call, the IRS agent actually pointed out a potential issue with how our accountant had been structuring our officer compensation, which led me to seek out a second opinion. Through that process, we discovered our accountant had been consistently too conservative, costing us thousands each year. Sometimes getting that second set of eyes comes from unexpected places.

Former tax manager at a Big 4 firm here. Second opinions aren't just normal, they're smart business. What I would recommend is having a review done BEFORE your return is filed, not after. After filing, you'd need to do an amended return if issues are found, which creates more fees and potential red flags. The best approach is to tell your current firm that you're planning to have a second opinion review. Good firms won't be offended - they should be confident in their work. Request draft returns and workpapers about 3-4 weeks before filing deadline, and have another firm review them. Focus on finding a reviewer with specific S-Corp experience in your industry.

Has anyone switched firms after getting a second opinion? I'm worried about offending our current accountant who we have a good relationship with, but I suspect we might be overpaying.