Charge per return?

[dsi]

I have a copy of an article that lists the NSA average cost for a return. I would be glad to email it to you. The rates are much higher than I charge, but as stated before, each area and tax preparer is different.

Would this be posted on their website by any chance?

[Cindy]

NSA Rates

I'm not sure David. I got it from a person on the forum of the software company that I use. It is dated 3-9-2006 and says (Smart Pros) so may be from their web site.

[Oxtrainer]

Price per return

Telephone call: "What does a simple W-2, really straight forward cost? You should
have no trouble at all with it"
So-- A price is given.
Client comes in: Here is my W-2, Oh yeah I do draw Social Security but thats should
not be taxable. I have this piece of paper that says 1099R and a code one, probably
don;t mean anything. And I only worked in 3 states. Do you know what these 2
1099 M's mean?

What do you mean so many dollars? You gave me a price and I expect you
to honor it.

Why do you have trouble getting prices?????

[Bonnie]

Fees of HRB and Jackson Hewitt

I cannot speak a lot for Block but I worked for Jackson Hewitt for years and managed their local office for the past 4 years before deciding to go into business for myself. For several years we did fee estimates but that caused some problems so for the past couple of years our policy (set by the owners) was to never give a fee estimate. The fees were all generated by the computer program based on the forms and schedules prepared. In some instances they were very out of line. Each independent owner sets their own fees and enters such info into their processing computer. The fees in our local office went up a lot last tax season. Most returns were over $200. One thing they didn't charge for was
E-filing so the fee was the same for a paper return or an electronic one. The least we did one for last year was $79 and that was for an E-Z return with no state.

Bonnie

[Snaggletooth]

Higher Than Me

The best way to find out what Block & JH are charging is to go behind them.

There is not a year that passes that I don't get a few of their customers for one reason or another. I always ask them for copy of their previous year's return. They generally respond by giving me the entire folder Block prepared for them in the previous year, including the price charged.

They have gone up dramatically over the years. 20 years ago, I couldn't file a return as cheaply as they could. In those days, I told myself that as long as they employed people with minimal training and paid them minimum wage, I would never be able to compete with their prices. It was not uncommon to find their offices in run-down retail areas, although they did manage to avoid both "skid row" and "snob hill."

Nowadays, their fees are higher (in general) than mine. This doesn't even include the RAL fees charged by their "bank." The minimal training and low-paid preparers haven't changed, but nowadays they will have an office in a strip office across from Mall of America. If I watch a lot of TV, I will see two dozen HRB commercials on major TV.

My fees in rural/small town South would sound frighteningly low to most of you, but I'm sure Block fees are lower as well.