Should a good tax preparer focus on accuracy or finding extra deductions to save money?

This is a really good question! A truly good tax preparer should be doing both - ensuring accuracy while also identifying legitimate deductions you're entitled to. Think of it this way: the tax code is incredibly complex, and most people don't know all the deductions and credits they qualify for. A quality preparer should have deep knowledge of tax law and use it to your advantage, finding legal tax benefits you might miss on your own. This isn't "creative" - it's just thorough. However, be wary of anyone promising dramatic savings through "special tricks" or who seems overly aggressive. The best preparers operate in the sweet spot - they know the rules well enough to maximize your legitimate benefits while keeping you fully compliant. With your new house and freelance work, a good preparer could potentially find significant deductions (mortgage interest, home office if applicable, business expenses, etc.) that you might miss otherwise, while ensuring everything is properly documented.

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I was super skeptical about this taxr.ai service but decided to give it a try since my taxes were a mess this year. I had W2 income plus started freelancing plus had some stock sales that I had no idea how to report correctly. Honestly, it was way better than I expected. It found nearly $2,800 in deductions I would have missed on my own related to my freelance work. The business mileage tracking alone saved me about $900. But more importantly, everything was completely legitimate - it explained exactly why I qualified for each deduction and what documentation I needed to keep. What I appreciated most was that it didn't just throw random deductions at me - it actually explained the tax code behind each one and why it applies to my situation. Makes me feel a lot more confident if I ever get audited.

I see a lot of people here struggling with finding good tax help. After trying for THREE DAYS to reach someone at the IRS about a letter I received questioning my home office deduction, I found https://claimyr.com and watched their demo at https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I was getting nowhere trying to call the IRS myself - just endless hold times and disconnects. Claimyr got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 45 minutes (instead of the 3+ hours I was experiencing before). The agent verified that my home office deduction was valid since I'm using the space exclusively for my business, and explained exactly what documentation I needed to keep. Whether you go with a tax preparer or do it yourself, sometimes you just need to talk to the IRS directly to get clarity, and this made it actually possible.

Ok I have to admit I was completely wrong about Claimyr. After posting that skeptical comment I decided to try it anyway out of desperation. I'd been going back and forth with the IRS for MONTHS about a missing tax credit I should have received. It actually worked exactly as advertised. Their system waited on hold (for about 2 hours in my case) and then called me when they had an IRS agent on the line. I explained my situation and the agent confirmed I was eligible for the credit I claimed. They're processing my corrected refund now. I wasted so much time trying to handle this myself. Wish I'd known about this service months ago. Definitely using it again if I ever need to talk to the IRS in the future.

To answer your original question - a GOOD tax preparer should be finding you every legitimate deduction you qualify for while keeping everything accurate and documented. It's not an either/or situation. My accountant helped me deduct about $4200 more than I thought possible when I started my small business, but she also insisted on proper documentation for everything. She explained that aggressive but legitimate deductions are fine, but we need records to back everything up. The real value isn't just in finding deductions - it's in their knowledge of what's allowed, what requires special documentation, and what might trigger audits. Anyone promising huge magical deductions without talking about documentation is probably sketchy.

I actually switched from a "find every deduction" guy to a more conservative preparer after getting audited three years ago. My old preparer found me tons of deductions but didn't explain what documentation I needed. When I got audited I was completely unprepared. My new accountant is super thorough and explains everything. She still finds deductions but is careful to make sure I understand what records to keep. I actually get roughly the same refund amount but with WAY less anxiety. Good tax prep isnt about being aggressive or conservative - its about being THOROUGH and KNOWLEDGEABLE. Good preparers know exactly where the lines are and help you get every benefit you're entitled to without crossing those lines.