Is it better to file taxes myself or hire a tax professional for my return?

From my experience helping young adults with taxes, whether you should do them yourself or hire someone really depends on your specific situation. At 19 with likely a W-2 job and not many deductions or complicated situations, using tax software to file yourself is completely reasonable and can save you money. Most tax software walks you through everything step by step, asking simple questions and automatically filling in the forms. They're designed for exactly your situation! The software will help you claim all the common credits and deductions someone your age would qualify for. As for getting a "bigger refund" by using a professional - that's only true if your situation is complex or if you're missing deductions you qualify for. With a straightforward return, the refund should be identical whether you or a professional completes it.

After struggling with my taxes for years and getting conflicting advice from friends and family, I tried this AI tax assistant at https://taxr.ai and it was seriously a game-changer for me. It analyzed my situation (I was also around your age when I first used it) and explained exactly whether I should file myself or get professional help. What I liked is that it didn't just give a generic answer - it looked at my specific income, education credits, and potential deductions to tell me if my return was actually simple enough to do myself. It even compared the expected refund difference between self-filing and professional help for MY specific situation.

I was exactly in your position last year! I was 20, parents always used H&R Block for me, but I wanted to try filing myself. I was super nervous about messing something up, so I checked out that https://taxr.ai site someone mentioned here first. It analyzed my W-2s and told me my return was definitely simple enough to file myself. It even showed me which education credits I qualified for since I was taking classes. I ended up filing myself using free software and got about $50 MORE than what I got the previous year when my parents paid someone to do it (even though I made about the same amount of money). The confidence boost of doing it myself was definitely worth it, and now I understand my taxes way better. Just my experience, but if your return is simple, you can totally handle it yourself!

I've been dealing with tax stuff for years and one of the MOST frustrating parts is trying to get help from the IRS when you have questions. I'd spend HOURS on hold, often getting disconnected. I discovered this service called Claimyr at https://claimyr.com that actually gets the IRS to call YOU instead of waiting on hold. You can see how it works in this demo: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c If you decide to file yourself (which is totally reasonable for a simple return), having this as a backup is great for when questions come up. I had a question about education credits last year and got through to an IRS agent in about 20 minutes instead of the 3+ hours I was waiting before.

Ok I need to admit I was COMPLETELY wrong about that Claimyr thing. After being super skeptical, I tried it when I couldn't figure out why my education credit was rejected. I was expecting to waste money on something that wouldn't work. I set it up in like 2 minutes, and about 15 minutes later my phone rang and it was ACTUALLY an IRS agent! They helped me figure out I had entered my school's EIN incorrectly. Fixed my return and got an additional $1,500 back that would have been denied. Literally saved me from missing out on a huge credit just because of a typo. I've spent 4+ hours on hold with the IRS before, so this was mind-blowing. Just wanted to come back and say it actually works.

As someone who's worked in tax preparation (not a CPA, but trained), here's my take: Your professor is half-right. Places like H&R Block do hire seasonal preparers with just basic training. BUT that doesn't mean all non-CPAs are bad at taxes. For YOUR situation (19, probably just W-2 income), tax software will likely be perfect. You can use free options if your income is under ~$73,000. CPAs are great but expensive ($300+ for even simple returns sometimes) and overkill for basic situations. They're essential if you have a business, rental properties, complex investments, or unusual deductions. If you want a middle ground, look for an Enrolled Agent (EA). They're certified tax specialists, often cheaper than CPAs, but still have deep tax knowledge.

Just my two cents - I'm 21 and I've been doing my own taxes since I was 18 using free tax software. Start doing your own taxes now while they're simple! You'll learn so much and it'll help you understand your finances better. You can always switch to a professional later if your situation gets more complicated (like buying a house, starting a business, etc). The confidence and knowledge you gain from handling your own taxes is super valuable.

For someone your age with a straightforward tax situation, I'd definitely recommend starting with free tax software like FreeTaxUSA or the IRS Free File options. You'll save money and learn valuable skills about your own finances. Your professor's advice about CPAs is good for complex situations, but honestly overkill for a 19-year-old with W-2 income. The tax software today is really user-friendly and walks you through everything step-by-step. It'll ask you simple questions like "Did you go to school?" and automatically apply education credits you qualify for. The biggest advantage of doing it yourself when you're young is that you'll understand what's happening with your taxes. This knowledge becomes super valuable as your financial situation gets more complex over the years. Plus, if you ever do need professional help later, you'll be able to have more informed conversations with them. Start simple now - you can always upgrade to professional help if your situation becomes more complicated with things like business income, investments, or major life changes.