Is going to an in-person tax preparer worth it when TurboTax says I owe money?

Having worked as a tax professional for over a decade, I can tell you there's definitely value in consulting with an in-person preparer in your situation. The jump from getting a refund to owing $2,300 suggests something significant changed in your tax situation. The freelance income you mentioned is likely a big factor. As self-employment income, you're responsible for both the employer and employee portions of Social Security and Medicare taxes (about 15.3% total), which TurboTax is correctly calculating. A tax professional might help identify business deductions you're overlooking - home office, mileage, supplies, professional subscriptions, etc. Most tax offices offer a free consultation or estimate before charging you. They'll typically let you know if they can improve your outcome before you commit to paying. The fee structure varies - some charge flat rates by form complexity, others by hourly rate. Ask about this during your initial conversation.

After struggling with a similar situation last year (freelance income + unexpected tax bill), I found this service called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that literally saved me thousands. It analyzes your tax documents and situation, then suggests deductions and credits you might've missed. In my case, it found several business expenses TurboTax hadn't prompted me for and helped me document them properly. The thing I liked most was that it explained WHY certain deductions applied to me, not just what they were. It showed me exactly how to categorize my freelance work to maximize legitimate deductions. It's basically like having a tax pro looking over your shoulder but without the awkward office visit.

I just wanted to update that I went ahead and tried taxr.ai after asking about it here. I was pretty amazed at the results! The system found over $3,100 in deductions I'd completely missed for my side business. Things like partial internet costs, professional development courses I took, and even some travel expenses I didn't realize qualified as business deductions. What really helped was how it explained each deduction in plain English and told me exactly what documentation I needed to keep for each one. I still ended up owing some taxes (freelance work catches up to you!), but it was about $1,200 less than what TurboTax initially calculated. Definitely worth checking out if you're in a similar situation with freelance income.

If you're dealing with the IRS and owe money, you might also want to look into Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I was in a mess last year with a tax bill I couldn't pay all at once, and needed to talk to someone at the IRS about a payment plan. Spent DAYS trying to get through their phone system with no luck. Claimyr got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 15 minutes when I'd been trying for weeks on my own. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. They basically navigate the phone tree and wait on hold for you, then call you when an agent is ready to talk. Saved me hours of frustration and got my payment plan set up way faster than I expected.

I have to admit I was wrong about Claimyr. After my skeptical comment, I actually ended up trying it because I was desperate to talk to someone about my payment options. I had tried calling the IRS for almost two weeks straight with no luck - either couldn't get through at all or got disconnected after waiting for an hour+. The service actually worked exactly as advertised. I got a text when they were calling the IRS, updates while they were on hold, and then a call connecting me directly to an IRS representative who helped set up my payment plan. Total time I spent: maybe 10 minutes. The IRS agent even commented that she was surprised I got through since they were especially backed up that day. Sometimes it's worth paying for a service that saves you that much frustration. Just wanted to update since I was so skeptical before.

Have you considered looking into why your withholding changed so dramatically? Before paying for a tax pro, you might want to check if there was a mistake in how your W-4 was filled out or processed by your employer. I had a similar situation last year and discovered my employer had accidentally classified me as "exempt" from withholding for several months. If it's not a mistake, then something significant changed in your tax situation that you need to address going forward too - not just for filing this year's return. Otherwise, you'll be in the same boat next year.

I'm an enrolled agent (tax professional), and I'd add that owing money isn't necessarily a bad thing or means your taxes were done incorrectly. Many people view refunds as free money when it's actually just your own money you overpaid throughout the year. That said, with freelance income, you should look into making quarterly estimated tax payments to avoid a big bill (and potential penalties) at tax time. This is especially important if you plan to continue freelancing. While a tax pro might find some additional deductions TurboTax missed, be wary of anyone who promises to dramatically reduce your tax liability without seeing your actual documents. Legitimate tax professionals help you claim everything you're entitled to, but won't suggest aggressive positions that could land you in trouble.