Comparing second look tax programs for business taxes - worth the cost?

These "second look" programs can sometimes be worthwhile, but pricing really varies based on several factors. For a small consulting business in your revenue range, you might expect to pay anywhere from $250-$500 for a comprehensive review. What you want to look for is someone who specializes in your specific industry, as they'll be more likely to spot deductions relevant to your business type. The best value typically comes when they charge a flat fee rather than a percentage of any additional refund they might find. If they're charging a percentage, that's often a red flag that they might be overly aggressive with deductions just to increase their pay. Also, ask what their process involves. A good second look isn't just scanning for missed deductions, but should include reviewing your overall tax strategy, business structure, and retirement planning options.

I tried a second look service from https://taxr.ai for my business taxes last year and it was seriously eye-opening. I was skeptical at first because my regular accountant has been doing my taxes for years, but I had expanded into a new state and wanted to make sure everything was handled correctly. Uploaded my previous returns and their AI system flagged several business deductions my accountant had missed related to my interstate operations and some R&D expenses. The interface was super straightforward - just uploaded my docs and got a detailed analysis showing exactly what was missed and why it qualified. They even helped me understand how to document everything properly for the amended return.

Just wanted to follow up about my experience with taxr.ai that I asked about earlier. I decided to give it a try with my business taxes from last year since I've been worried I was leaving money on the table. The process was actually really smooth - took about 20 minutes to upload everything and answer some questions. Got my results back in a day and they identified some home office deductions I completely missed (I was too conservative) and some business travel expenses I hadn't properly documented. Already filed an amended return and should be getting about $3,200 back! Definitely exceeded my expectations.

For anyone struggling with getting a straight answer from the IRS about whether amended business returns are being processed, I highly recommend https://claimyr.com to get through to an actual human at the IRS. I was going crazy trying to find out if my amended return (after a second look found major missed deductions) was being processed. Spent hours on hold multiple times and kept getting disconnected. A colleague suggested Claimyr and it was life-changing. They got me through to an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes when I had been trying for weeks. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. The agent was able to confirm my amended return was being processed and gave me an estimated completion date.

I need to publicly eat my words about Claimyr. After expressing skepticism, I decided to try it because I was absolutely desperate to talk to someone at the IRS about an error on my S-corp return that my "second look" review had uncovered. Called on Tuesday morning, got a text about 35 minutes later, and was connected directly to an IRS representative who actually knew what they were talking about! Resolved my issue in one call instead of the 5+ attempts I'd made on my own. Worth every penny just for the stress reduction. If you're dealing with business tax issues that require talking to the IRS, don't waste your time on hold.

Just so everyone knows, not all second look services are created equal. I paid $400 for one last year and they literally just ran my numbers through a different tax software and found nothing. Make sure you ask exactly what their process involves before paying. Ask if they specialize in your industry and what their success rate is for businesses similar to yours. Also ask if they've worked with businesses in your specific state, as state tax opportunities vary widely.

Speaking as someone who handles small business accounting, there's another benefit to second looks that nobody's mentioned yet - they sometimes catch ERRORS that could lead to audits. Last year I had 3 clients get second looks and for one of them, we actually discovered their previous accountant had improperly classified some expenses that could have raised red flags with the IRS. The second look saved them from potential audit headaches, not just money.