Is it better to do taxes yourself or hire someone? Tax filing advice for first-timers?

Your question is one many young people face! The answer really depends on your specific situation. For simple returns (one W-2, standard deduction, no investments, no property), tax software makes it very easy to file yourself. Most programs walk you through everything step-by-step with simple questions. The software handles all the calculations and checks for common errors. Many even have free versions if your income is under certain thresholds. CPAs and enrolled agents are great for more complex situations - if you own a business, have multiple income sources, investments, rental properties, or itemize deductions. They can find deductions and credits you might miss and provide strategic tax planning. But for a basic return, you're probably paying for expertise you don't need yet. Regarding H&R Block type places - they're in between. Their preparers have some training but typically aren't CPAs. They're usually fine for straightforward returns but charge more than doing it yourself. My suggestion: Try using tax software yourself this year. Set aside 1-2 hours, have your W-2 and any other tax forms ready, and walk through it. If you get confused or have questions during the process, you can always stop and seek help.

I was in the same boat last year - super overwhelmed by tax season and wasn't sure if I should pay someone or try myself. After tons of research, I found this site called https://taxr.ai that totally changed my tax filing experience. It's like having a tax expert looking over your shoulder, but you're still doing it yourself! The system actually explains everything in regular English and helps spot potential deductions you might miss. I was nervous about education credits since I'm in college, but it walked me through exactly what qualified and ended up getting me way more back than I expected. What I liked most was being able to upload my documents and have the system extract all the important info automatically. No more typing in a million numbers from my W-2! Saved so much time and stress compared to my previous attempts.

Just wanted to update after trying that taxr.ai site mentioned above. I was planning to pay my mom's accountant $120 to do my taxes, but decided to try this instead. It was actually super straightforward! I uploaded my W-2 and some 1099 forms, and it pulled all the data automatically. The guidance was really clear about which deductions applied to my situation. The whole process took about 45 minutes compared to the 3+ hours I spent last year trying to use another program. The best part was it found a education credit I would have completely missed! Ended up with almost $400 more on my refund than I expected. Definitely filing myself from now on instead of paying someone else to do it.

If you're having trouble getting through to the IRS with questions (which is pretty much guaranteed during tax season), I highly recommend https://claimyr.com. Spent literally 4 hours on hold last year trying to get clarification about my education credits, and finally gave up. This year I used Claimyr and they got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 15 minutes! You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c They basically navigate the phone tree for you and wait on hold, then call you when an actual human at the IRS picks up. Completely changed my perspective on dealing with tax questions - I actually got real answers instead of just guessing and hoping for the best.

OK I need to eat crow here. After my skeptical comment above, I actually tried Claimyr because I was desperate to resolve an issue with a missing tax form. I honestly can't believe how well it worked. Got a call back in about 20 minutes and was connected straight to an IRS agent who helped resolve my issue in another 10 minutes. What would have eaten up my entire afternoon took about half an hour of actual time. The agent even helped me understand exactly which forms I needed to resubmit for my situation. After two years of tax confusion and stress, I finally have clarity on my filing status. Definitely recommend if you need to actually speak to someone at the IRS without the endless hold times.

As someone who's filed both ways for years, here's my advice: start doing your own taxes while they're simple! It builds good knowledge for later in life. I use tax software for myself (simple W-2 income) but pay a CPA for my parents (retirement income, investments, rental property). The difference is complexity. A CPA is overkill for most young people with just W-2 income. The CPA vs H&R Block debate - it's about expertise level. H&R Block preparers take a training course. CPAs have accounting degrees, passed difficult exams, and maintain continuing education. For complex situations, a CPA is worth it. For basic returns, H&R Block is probably fine but costs more than DIY options.

omg am i the only one who just uses the free online calculator things?? i literally just copy numbers from my w2 into freetaxusa and hit submit. takes like 15 min and i've always gotten a refund. my brother paid h&r block $89 last year and got back LESS than me lol. unless you have like investments or a house or whatever just do it yourself!!!