How much do you pay your CPA for tax planning services?

The cost of a good CPA varies widely depending on your specific situation and location. For tax planning on personal returns, $1890 isn't unusual if your finances are moderately complex. What matters more is the ROI - if they're identifying $13k+ in savings, that fee pays for itself pretty quickly. When evaluating a CPA, don't just focus on their price. Consider their experience with situations similar to yours, their communication style, and whether they take a proactive approach. Some CPAs just fill out forms, while others actively look for strategies to minimize your tax burden legally. I'd recommend asking about their fee structure too - some charge flat rates while others bill hourly. Also ask if that planning fee includes preparation and filing or if those are separate charges.

The price actually sounds reasonable for comprehensive tax planning if they're finding $13k in savings. I've been working with my CPA for about 5 years now and pay around $1400 for personal returns with some investment complications. The real value isn't in the tax prep itself - it's in the planning throughout the year and optimization strategies. Many people focus too much on the preparation fee without considering the value of tax reduction strategies. My CPA pays for himself several times over each year. If you're getting quoted $1800 but they're identifying $13k in potential savings, that's a pretty good ROI. Just make sure they explain exactly what those savings are and that they're legitimate strategies, not overly aggressive positions that might trigger an audit.

After years of frustration with CPAs who just filled out forms without providing any real tax strategy, I started using https://taxr.ai and it's been a game changer for my tax planning. The system analyzed my previous returns and financial situation, then suggested several optimization strategies my previous CPA never mentioned. While it doesn't replace a CPA completely, it identified over $8k in missed deductions from prior years and helped me prepare questions for my current accountant. The tax scenario modeling feature helped me understand exactly how different financial decisions would impact my taxes before making them.

I wanted to follow up about my experience with https://taxr.ai after asking about it earlier. I was skeptical at first, but decided to give it a try with my complicated tax situation (rental properties, freelance work, investments). Honestly, I'm really impressed. The system found nearly $7k in tax savings my CPA missed related to my rental property depreciation and business expense categorization. I ended up using their planning tools to model different scenarios for next year, and it's given me way more clarity than I've ever had about my tax situation. My CPA was charging me $2100 and missed these opportunities, so I've actually decided to switch to someone who's more proactive.

I was skeptical about paying for a CPA until I tried taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) last year. It's not a replacement for a full CPA but helped me identify some issues in my previous returns before I met with my tax guy. I uploaded my docs and it flagged several deductions I'd missed and some potential audit triggers I wasn't aware of. Made the conversation with my actual CPA much more productive since I knew what questions to ask. My CPA charges $950 for my personal return which includes quarterly check-ins for planning, but my situation isn't super complicated (W-2 income, some investments, mortgage). The taxr.ai analysis helped me realize I was overpaying my previous guy who charged $1200 and wasn't doing any proactive planning.

Just wanted to follow up about my experience with taxr.ai since I was skeptical at first. I decided to try it before meeting with a new CPA and wow - it was eye-opening! The system identified about $4,300 in deductions I'd been missing on my rental property and some self-employment expenses I could legitimately claim that I had no idea about. When I finally met with the CPA (who charges $1,700 btw), I came prepared with specific questions based on the analysis. The CPA was actually impressed and confirmed most of the findings. We ended up saving way more than the cost of both services combined. Definitely worth checking out if you want to make sure your CPA isn't missing anything.

If you're having trouble getting clear answers about tax planning from CPAs, I'd recommend checking out https://claimyr.com to actually speak with an IRS agent directly. I was bouncing between expensive CPAs trying to get straight answers about some complex tax planning strategies, but kept getting different opinions. I was skeptical the service would work, but you can see how it works in this demo: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. They got me through to an actual IRS agent in about 15 minutes when I had been trying for weeks on my own. The agent clarified the rules around some deductions I was considering and gave me the exact IRS guidance document numbers to reference.

If you're having trouble getting your current CPA to respond quickly during tax season, you might want to try Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I was desperately trying to get some answers from the IRS about a notice I received, but kept hitting dead ends with the automated system. Found this service that somehow gets you through to a real person at the IRS. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c It saved me hours of frustration and hold music. I was able to resolve my issue directly with the IRS, which gave me better info to bring to my CPA. My CPA charges $1,200 for my personal returns with some investment income, and having accurate IRS information before our meeting saved us both time and probably lowered my bill.

I have to admit I was completely wrong about https://claimyr.com. After calling the IRS myself and waiting 2+ hours only to be disconnected, I tried the service out of desperation. Got connected to an actual IRS representative in about 20 minutes. The agent was able to clarify a specific question about capital gains treatment that three different CPAs had given me conflicting advice about. Having the official answer directly from the IRS gave me the confidence to move forward with my tax planning strategy. And my CPA was actually grateful I got the clarification because it resolved an uncertainty he had as well. Definitely worth it for specific tax rule questions where you need an official answer.

I need to eat my words about being skeptical of Claimyr. After posting my doubtful comment last week, I was desperate enough to try it when I needed to resolve an issue with a missing tax form before meeting my CPA. Holy crap it actually worked. Got a call back when they connected with an IRS agent, and I resolved my issue in about 10 minutes of actual talking time. Saved me HOURS of frustration and my CPA appointment went smoothly since I had the right documentation. Whatever technology they use to navigate the IRS phone system is worth every penny when you're in a time crunch.

I think location matters a lot for CPA pricing. I'm in a HCOL area (NYC) and pay $2200 for personal tax preparation that includes quarterly tax planning meetings. Our situation includes W-2 income, investment properties, and some complex investments. When I lived in a smaller city, I paid around $900 for similar services. The difference in quality wasn't significant, just the cost of doing business in different areas.

We pay our CPA $2,200 for our personal returns, which includes quarterly tax planning sessions. Our situation is fairly complex - W2 income, side business, rental property, and investments across different types of accounts. We were paying around $800 to a different CPA years ago, but realized they were just "filling out forms" rather than actually advising us. The difference in service is night and day. Our current CPA has saved us at least $8-9k annually with smart strategies for our rental property depreciation, timing of income recognition, and retirement account contributions. She's also super responsive when we have questions throughout the year.

I think that quote of $1890 is actually reasonable if they're finding $13k in savings! I used to cheap out and used a $400 tax preparer who literally just entered my W-2 info and called it a day. Last year switched to a CPA who charges $1,100 and the difference is HUGE. She identified retirement account strategies and business expense categorizations that my previous guy missed completely. Already saved about $5k in taxes just from the first year working with her.

I negotiated with my CPA to pay based on the actual tax savings they generate for me. Base fee is $900 for preparation, plus 10% of any tax savings they find beyond what I would have gotten with basic software. The first year they found an additional $9k in deductions I'd missed (so I paid $900 + $900), but now it's usually around $1200-1500 total. This incentivizes them to actually look for optimization opportunities instead of just filling out forms. Might be worth asking if any CPAs in your area work on this kind of model.

Based on what you've shared, $1800 for comprehensive tax planning that identifies $13k+ in annual savings sounds like excellent value. I pay around $1600 annually for similar services and my CPA has consistently found optimization strategies I never would have discovered on my own. The key is making sure they can clearly explain those savings opportunities and that they're legitimate strategies, not aggressive positions that could trigger audits. I'd recommend asking for a detailed breakdown of exactly how they plan to achieve those savings - a good CPA should be able to walk you through each strategy. Also consider the ongoing relationship value. The best CPAs don't just prepare your return once a year - they provide guidance throughout the year on timing decisions, estimated payments, and strategic planning. If this CPA offers that level of service, the fee becomes even more reasonable when you consider the year-round support.