In the middle of tax filing season and maybe you haven’t filed yours yet because you aren’t sure how much you’ll pay? H&R Block lends their tips.

Tax expert Jason Huot explains why there is such a large rang of costs for folks using a professional to file their taxes for them. Where do these costs come from and how much should you be paying?

During tax season, preparers will be competing for your business and the range of costs to get it done can be anything from free to hundreds of dollars. Huot says that the price is based on how complex the form is, how many pages and how much time is required.

“You went to school, now you’re on a 1040A, there are credits involved there. If you make your employment through self-employment. That is going to bump the price up very high,” he said.

For people who only have a job and no kids, no house or anything like that, there are forms that are very simple and cheap or free to file. Then there are the more complex forms for people who have their own business.

If you’d like the preparer to pan to defend you if you get audited, a service that goes a long way, then you should expect to pay more. Consider it a red flag if the service tries to charge a flat rate before they even look at your papers, if they try to charge a percentage of your refund as well as if the taxes aren’t signed by the person who filed them. This means that the taxes are probably not done right and you won’t have any protection from the IRS.

Some places even charge a fee for just sitting there. “Some shops do charge a sitting fee, which means you sat there, you talked about your taxes, then they charge you a fee without filing a single form,” adds Huot.

Always ask about procession fees before even getting started so the tax filing costs don’t sneak up on you.

Something that people don’t want to hear is that cost can heavily depend on how organized you are. Bringing a box full of receipts and unorganized papers to a preparer and expecting them to file your taxes for under $100 is just not going to happen.

---

Follow Parc Forêt on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram to stay up to date on all things outdoors, as well as Montrêux events and the Reno-Tahoe area!

For real estate inquiries, stop by the beautiful Montrêux Welcome Center at 16475 Bordeaux Dr. in Reno, NV or call us at 775.849.9444. The Welcome Center is open 7 days a week, from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm.