How much do you typically pay for a professional tax preparer in 2025?

I'm getting ready to file my taxes for the 2024 tax year and I'm seriously considering hiring a professional this time. My situation is more complicated than usual - I started a side business selling handmade furniture while still working my regular job, plus we bought our first house in August. I've always used TurboTax before, but with all these changes I'm worried about missing something important. For those who use a professional tax preparer, how much are you paying this year? Is there a standard rate or does it vary a lot? I'm in the Chicago area if that makes a difference. Just trying to figure out if it's worth the money or if I should stick with the DIY approach.

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19 comments

Amelia Dietrich

•8M

Tax preparer costs really depend on how complex your return is rather than a flat standard rate. With your situation - W-2 income, a new side business, and a home purchase - you're looking at a Schedule C for the business income and potentially itemizing deductions for the mortgage interest. For your situation, I'd expect around $300-600 in most markets including Chicago. Simple returns with just W-2 income might be $150-250, while more complex situations with multiple investment properties, complicated investments, or multiple business entities can go well over $1000. The key benefit isn't just filing correctly but getting advice on tax planning - especially for your new business. A good preparer will help identify deductions you might miss and advise on estimated tax payments for next year.

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Amelia Dietrich

•8M

For your situation with a side business, a CPA or EA (Enrolled Agent) would generally be better than a chain preparer. They typically have more training with business taxation and can provide more personalized advice for your specific situation. Many H&R Block preparers are seasonal employees with basic training, though some locations do have CPAs. Look for someone who works with small businesses regularly, but you don't necessarily need a specialist. Ask potential preparers about their experience with self-employment income and home purchases. A good tax professional should also be available throughout the year if you have questions about quarterly estimated payments for your business.

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Kaiya Rivera

•8M

I was in a similar situation last year with a side gig plus my regular job, and I was completely overwhelmed trying to figure out all the deductions and expenses for my business. I finally found this AI tax assistant at https://taxr.ai that helped me make sense of everything before I even talked to my accountant. It analyzed all my receipts and bank statements, then categorized my business expenses correctly which saved me hours of work. The cool thing was that it identified several deductions I would have missed completely - like the home office deduction and partial utilities since I was working from home. When I finally met with my tax guy, he was impressed that everything was already organized and said it saved him time too, which meant a lower bill for me!

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Kaiya Rivera

•8M

It's super straightforward to use - you just upload photos of receipts or PDF statements and it does the rest. The security is top-notch with bank-level encryption, and they don't store your documents long-term unless you want them to. I was hesitant at first too but it's legit. The system actually does both - it organizes everything but also flags potential deductions based on your specific situation. It's not just sorting receipts - it identified several tax write-offs I didn't know about for my photography business. That said, it's meant to work alongside a tax professional, not replace them entirely. I used the reports it generated when meeting with my accountant, which meant he spent less time on basic organization and more time on strategic advice.

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Katherine Ziminski

•8M

Just wanted to update after trying taxr.ai - it's actually really user-friendly! I was shocked at how easily it identified business expenses from my personal account that I completely forgot about. It caught over $3,200 in deductible expenses I would have missed. What really surprised me was how it found patterns in my spending and suggested deductions specific to my consulting work. When I took the report to my tax guy, he charged me $425 instead of last year's $575 because everything was already categorized correctly. So the service basically paid for itself plus saved me a bunch of time organizing receipts. Definitely using it again next year!

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Vanessa Chang

•8M

If you're having trouble getting answers from the IRS about deductions for your new business (which I definitely did when I started my side hustle), I'd recommend trying https://claimyr.com. I spent WEEKS trying to get through to the IRS about some confusing 1099 forms and estimated tax payment questions. With Claimyr, I got through to an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours or getting disconnected. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c It honestly changed my whole approach to tax questions - instead of guessing or searching through confusing IRS publications, I just got direct answers from the source. The agent walked me through exactly what I needed to do for my side business reporting.

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Vanessa Chang

•8M

It works by using automated technology to navigate the IRS phone system and wait on hold for you. When they reach an actual agent, you get a callback. It's that simple - no magic, just technology handling the frustrating wait time instead of you sitting there with your phone on speaker for hours. They don't have special access to the IRS - they're just handling the painful waiting process. Think of it like those restaurant services that wait in line for you. The IRS is definitely understaffed, you're right about that, but this just means you don't have to waste your own time dealing with the consequences of that understaffing.

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Julian Paolo

•8M

I have to apologize about my skepticism. I actually tried Claimyr yesterday out of desperation after spending 3 hours on hold with the IRS and getting disconnected... TWICE. Got a callback in about 35 minutes and spoke with an agent who resolved my question about home office deductions for my new business. I was absolutely convinced it wouldn't work, but it saved me hours of frustration. The agent I spoke with was actually helpful and cleared up my confusion about how to handle expenses that are partly personal and partly for my business. I hate being wrong on the internet but in this case I'm glad I was!

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Ella Knight

•8M

Even with a smaller side business, having access to your tax preparer throughout the year can be very valuable. You don't need someone on retainer, but you want someone who'll answer a quick email or call about estimated tax payments or potential deductions. For a business generating $12k, I'd recommend finding a preparer who offers a package deal rather than hourly billing. Many offer a single annual fee that includes your tax preparation plus reasonable access during the year for questions. This way you're not hesitating to ask important questions because you're worried about getting billed for every email.

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