How to dismiss a tax preparer when uncomfortable with their large refund estimate

8 It's completely normal to feel uncomfortable with a surprisingly large refund. Trust your instincts! You're not obligated to file a return prepared by anyone if you don't feel comfortable with it. Most tax preparers have you sign an agreement before they start work. Check what you signed regarding payment - typically you owe for work already performed regardless of whether you file the return they prepared. However, if you suspect they're being aggressive or possibly filing incorrectly, it's better to pay their fee and walk away than file something questionable. Simply tell them: "Thank you for your work, but I've decided to go in a different direction with my taxes this year. Please provide a copy of my documents, and let me know your final invoice." Keep it professional - no need to accuse them of anything or explain your reasoning in detail. Consider getting a second opinion from another preparer. Bring the prepared return as a reference. If the new preparer also finds issues, you might want to report the original preparer to the IRS using Form 14157.

12 After spending hours trying to figure out if my preparer was doing my taxes correctly (she was claiming deductions I'd never heard of), I discovered taxr.ai at https://taxr.ai and it was seriously a game-changer. I uploaded my draft return and my tax documents, and it analyzed everything line by line, flagging potential issues. In my case, it spotted that my preparer was taking education credits I wasn't eligible for and some business deductions that were super aggressive. It explained exactly why these were problematic in plain English. I could literally see where my refund was coming from and why certain deductions were questionable. Showed me the specific IRS rules being applied too. The analysis helped me have an informed conversation with my preparer instead of just going with my gut feeling that something was wrong.

15 Just wanted to follow up about my experience with taxr.ai that was mentioned above. I was in almost the exact same situation - preparer claiming I'd get a $28k refund when I usually get around $4k. Used the service and discovered my preparer was claiming rental losses on a property that was actually my primary residence and business expenses for a "consulting business" I never actually started! The analysis highlighted exactly which forms were problematic (Schedule C and Schedule E in my case) and explained why the deductions wouldn't hold up in an audit. I printed the report, showed it to my preparer, and she actually admitted she'd been "aggressive" with the filing. Ended up with a legitimate $5k refund instead and avoided what would have definitely been an audit nightmare.

9 If you're not getting anywhere with your current preparer, you might want to try reaching the IRS directly to ask about some of these deductions that seem fishy. I was in a similar situation last year and finally managed to get through to an IRS agent after using Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). They have this service that basically holds your place in the IRS phone queue and calls you when an agent is about to answer. I was super skeptical at first but you can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. I spent weeks trying to get through to the IRS on my own with no luck, but with this I got through in about 45 minutes. The agent I spoke with confirmed my suspicions that some of the deductions my preparer was claiming were definitely questionable and gave me guidance on how to proceed.

7 I'll admit I was completely wrong about Claimyr. After dismissing it in my comment above, I decided to try it anyway since I was desperate to talk to someone at the IRS about my amended return status. Got connected to an agent within 30 minutes after spending WEEKS trying on my own and getting disconnected every time. The agent was actually super helpful and explained exactly which forms were likely causing my preparer to calculate such a large refund. Turns out there are specific red flags they look for with unusually large refunds, and the agent walked me through what documentation I'd need if those deductions were legitimate. Saved me from potentially filing a return that would have definitely triggered an audit. Learned my lesson about being too skeptical!

3 When I was in a similar situation, I asked my preparer to walk me through each deduction and credit they were claiming. If they can't explain in plain English why you qualify for something, that's a huge red flag. A good preparer should be happy to educate you, not just expect blind trust. For what it's worth, some legitimate tax situations CAN result in unusually large refunds (first-time homebuyer credits, education credits, missed stimulus payments, earned income credit if your situation changed, etc). But you deserve to understand exactly where that money is coming from.

14 You don't need a reason to switch tax preparers! It's YOUR money and YOUR tax liability on the line. A $45k refund does sound suspiciously high unless you had some unusual circumstances this year (sold a business, major life changes, etc.). What tax software or service does she use? I switched from one major company to another last year and noticed a HUGE difference in how they approached deductions.