Is it too late to hire a tax pro/CPA for April 18th deadline with 1099 income?

12 Thanks for the tips! Never heard of enrolled agents before. How do they compare to CPAs in terms of knowledge and cost? Also wondering if there's a good way to find ones that specialize in freelance work or if I should just start googling?

5 Enrolled Agents specialize specifically in tax matters, while CPAs have broader accounting backgrounds. EAs often charge less than CPAs while still having deep tax expertise, especially for self-employment situations. They're excellent for your situation with 1099 income. The best way to find one is through the National Association of Enrolled Agents website where you can search by location and specialty. Look for someone who lists "self-employment" or "small business" as a specialty. You can also try asking other freelancers in your network for recommendations, as personal referrals are often the best way to find someone good.

17 Wait does it actually file for you or just help you organize stuff? I'm not great with the forms part so wondering if this would actually solve my problem or just be another tool I'd need to figure out.

3 Does it handle state taxes too? I'm in California and my state return is always more confusing than the federal one for some reason.

8 It helps organize everything and guides you through the filing process, but doesn't file on your behalf. It walks you through each form and explains exactly what you need to enter and why - much clearer than TurboTax in my experience. The best part is that it analyzes your specific situation rather than making you click through irrelevant questions. Yes, it definitely handles state taxes, including California! I'm in New York which is similarly complex, and it separated all my income properly between state and federal categories. It even flagged when I had expenses that were deductible on federal but not state returns, which saved me from a potential audit trigger.

9 Wait how is this actually a thing? Seems weird that you need a service to call another service? Couldn't you just keep calling until you get through? I mean tax places want your business right?

14 Sounds like a scam honestly. Why would I pay someone to make phone calls for me when I can just call myself? And what happens when they actually connect you - are they listening in on your conversation?

6 It's not just about making calls - it's about getting through the automated systems and wait times. This time of year, most good tax pros have 2-3 hour hold times or aren't accepting new clients. The service basically holds your place in line so you don't have to sit on hold forever. Not at all - they don't listen to your calls. They navigate the IRS or tax office phone trees and wait on hold for you, then when a real person answers, you get connected directly. I was skeptical too but it worked surprisingly well when I was desperate to find someone with availability. It saved me from taking a day off work just to make phone calls.

22 How do you estimate what you owe if you don't have time to do the calculations? That's the part that confuses me about extensions.

7 You make an educated guess based on last year's return and your current situation. The simplest method is to look at what you paid last year, then adjust up or down based on whether you earned more or less this year. You want to pay enough to avoid underpayment penalties. Another approach is to do a rough calculation using your 1099s and W-2s, estimating major deductions but not worrying about getting everything perfect. It's better to slightly overpay and get a refund later than underpay and face penalties. Just make sure to submit the payment with your extension form by April 18th.

19 Did they actually save you money compared to TurboTax though? I've heard mixed things about H&R Block for anything complicated.