Switched from tax prep software to a CPA this year after 10 years of DIY taxes

I always did my own taxes with TurboTax because it felt cheaper. This year I paid a CPA $250 in Denver and she found deductions I missed for 3 years, like a home office write-off. Has anyone else had that moment where you realize what you thought was 'saving money' actually cost you?

3 comments

3 Comments

wilson.olivia16d ago

Drove straight to a CPA after I got audited for a home office deduction I claimed wrong on my own. Cost me $400 to fix. Now I pay her $350 a year and she catches stuff like mileage and software subscriptions I never even thought about. That $250 is probably saving you way more in the long run if you're in Denver with any kind of side gig or remote work.

smith.elliot16d ago

Audits are brutal. Sorry you went through that @wilson.olivia. But sounds like a $400 lesson that actually paid off in the long run.

fiona_hunt7116d ago

Friend of mine did the same thing with a home office claim. She wrote off her entire rent and got flagged immediately. The CPA she hired found a whole bunch of deductions she missed too, like internet and phone bills. Ended up paying less in taxes the next year than she did before the audit mess. That $250 feels like a no brainer when you see what they actually dig up.