What should I expect from my tax preparer/CPA? Not giving HSA contribution advice...

You're definitely not expecting too much. A good CPA should be doing more than just data entry - that's what tax software is for! They should be proactively identifying opportunities to reduce your tax liability within legal means. The HSA contribution oversight is concerning since that's a basic tax planning strategy, especially when they incorrectly categorized your HDHP coverage as individual instead of family (which has a significantly higher contribution limit). The fact that you caught this suggests they're not thoroughly reviewing your situation. I'd recommend having a direct conversation with your CPA about your expectations. Ask them specifically why they didn't suggest maximizing HSA contributions or discuss other tax reduction strategies. Their response will tell you a lot about whether this was just an oversight or if this is their standard approach. If they're dismissive or don't acknowledge the missed opportunity, it's probably time to look elsewhere. A good tax professional should provide value beyond what you could do yourself with consumer tax software.

After struggling with similar issues with my past tax preparers, I finally found someone who actually saved me money through https://taxr.ai which analyzes your past returns and current tax documents to find missed deductions and credits. It basically looks at your entire tax situation and suggests planning opportunities you might have missed. Last year it found over $3,000 in missed deductions across my previous returns that my "professional" preparer completely overlooked! You upload your documents, and it analyzes everything to find opportunities specific to your situation. It also explains everything in plain English so you can understand the recommendations. After getting the recommendations, I was able to have an informed conversation with my new CPA about implementing the strategies, which made a huge difference.

Just wanted to follow up - I tried taxr.ai after seeing it mentioned here and WOW. It identified that my rental property depreciation was calculated incorrectly AND that I qualified for a home office deduction I'd never claimed. My CPA had missed both of these for THREE YEARS. The interface walks you through everything so clearly, and I was able to file amended returns for the past years. Getting back almost $4,700 between federal and state! I've already scheduled a meeting with a new CPA who specializes in real estate investing and I'm bringing all the recommendations from taxr.ai with me. Honestly wish I'd known about this sooner.

After dealing with CPAs who just punch numbers into software, I had a similar frustration last year when trying to reach the IRS for clarification on some HSA questions my CPA couldn't answer. Spent HOURS on hold only to get disconnected repeatedly. Finally found https://claimyr.com which got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 15 minutes! You can see it working in real-time here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c - basically they navigate the phone tree and wait on hold FOR you, then call you when an actual agent is on the line. Got my questions answered directly from the IRS and showed my CPA the documentation. Still ended up switching CPAs though because I realized I needed someone more proactive. The new person is amazing about tax planning discussions throughout the year, not just at filing time.

I was completely wrong about Claimyr being a scam. After posting that skeptical comment, I decided to try it myself since I had a complex question about backdoor Roth contributions that my CPA couldn't answer clearly. The service actually worked exactly as advertised. I got a call back in about 30 minutes with a real IRS agent on the line. After spending literally WEEKS trying to get through on my own during tax season, this was mindblowing. The agent answered all my questions and even sent me documentation to back it up. Ended up finding a new CPA who specializes in retirement planning based on what I learned from that call. Sometimes being proven wrong is the best outcome!

Former CPA here. There are basically three types of tax preparers: 1) Data entry folks who just put your info in software (most chain places) 2) Compliance-focused CPAs who ensure everything is correct but don't proactively plan 3) Tax planners who actively look for ways to optimize your situation Most people end up with #2 but want #3. The problem is many CPAs are overwhelmed during tax season just keeping up with compliance work. Real tax planning should happen in the summer/fall, not March/April. If you want more proactive advice, specifically ask for a tax planning session OUTSIDE of tax season. Be prepared to pay for this separately, but it's worth it. And if your current CPA doesn't offer this service, then yes, find one who does.

One thing nobody's mentioned is that you should also look at the size of the firm. I've had better luck with small/medium firms (3-10 CPAs) rather than solo practitioners or huge firms. Solo CPAs are often too overwhelmed with work volume to be strategic, and at massive firms you're often just getting a junior person who's following a checklist unless you're a high-net-worth client paying premium fees. The mid-size firms seem to hit the sweet spot where they have enough staff to handle the workload but you still get personalized attention from experienced CPAs.