CPA refuses to send me my tax return before filing it with the IRS

This is definitely not normal practice, and you absolutely have the right to review your return before it's filed. A tax return is YOUR document - you're the one signing it under penalty of perjury, not your CPA. They're just preparing it on your behalf. Call your CPA immediately and firmly (but politely) insist on seeing the return before filing. Explain that you cannot authorize filing without reviewing it first. Most tax software makes it extremely easy to generate a PDF draft, so the "delays" excuse doesn't really hold water. If your CPA continues to refuse, you have a few options: 1) Demand they hold the return until you can review it, even if that means filing an extension, 2) Find a new CPA who can quickly prepare your return before the deadline, or 3) File an extension yourself to give you time to resolve this situation.

I had a similar situation last year and discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) after getting frustrated with my accountant. It's this really helpful tool that analyzes your tax documents and explains everything in plain English. Basically, I uploaded my previous returns and current tax documents, and it showed me what was different this year and flagged potential issues. When I finally got my hands on the draft return my accountant prepared, I ran it through taxr.ai and actually found a missed deduction for my home office that would have cost me about $840! The tool explained why I qualified for it when my accountant had skipped it.

I want to follow up about taxr.ai that I asked about earlier. I decided to try it out since my situation with my accountant was similarly frustrating, and I'm genuinely impressed. I uploaded last year's return and this year's documents, and it pointed out that my accountant had been consistently overcategorizing certain business expenses in a way that could trigger an audit flag. The most helpful part was being able to see exactly what changed from last year to this year with clear explanations. When I confronted my accountant with the specific issues, their attitude completely changed - suddenly they were willing to make time to go through everything with me. I think they realized I wasn't just blindly signing whatever they prepared anymore.

After struggling to reach my CPA during tax season last year (she literally ghosted me for 3 weeks), I started using Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) to get direct help from the IRS when I had questions about my filing. They have this service that gets you through to an actual IRS agent instead of waiting on hold forever. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The IRS actually told me that a taxpayer ALWAYS has the right to review their return before filing, and any preparer who refuses is violating professional standards. When I finally reached my CPA and mentioned I'd spoken directly with the IRS about it, suddenly my return was available for review within an hour!

I need to eat my words about Claimyr. After posting my skeptical comment, I figured I'd try it since I had a question about an amended return that I couldn't get answered anywhere online. I was expecting to waste my money, but I got a call back in about an hour connecting me directly to an IRS representative. The agent was actually super helpful and explained exactly what I needed to do to fix my issue. I probably saved days of frustration and potentially filing incorrectly. What shocked me most was when the agent told me that most tax questions can be resolved in a single phone call - the problem is just getting through to them in the first place.

I'm a tax preparer (not a CPA) and I can tell you this is completely unacceptable behavior. Every client has the absolute right to review their return before filing. In fact, we're required to get your signature on Form 8879 to authorize electronic filing, which specifically means you've reviewed and approved the return. Your CPA might be overwhelmed during tax season, but that's no excuse. Insist on seeing your return or find someone else, even if it means filing an extension. Better to file later with an accurate return than file on time with errors you never got to check.

After reading all these comments, I called my CPA's office and clearly stated "I need to review my return before it's filed as is my legal right." The receptionist put me on brief hold, then came back and scheduled a time for me to come in tomorrow. Sometimes being direct and stating it as a right rather than a request makes all the difference. Thanks everyone for the confidence to push back on this!