What you get
Most people shop for tax preparation on price alone, because they cannot see anything else. So here is everything else.
Every return we prepare is reviewed by a CPA before it is filed. When it is done, you get a short recorded video that walks through your return line by line: what changed from last year, what drove the number, and what you could do differently next year. You can watch it on your own time instead of sitting through a meeting.
Included with every return at no extra charge:
- One state return
- An extension filing and a tax projection, if you need more time
- The video delivery of your finished return
- Year round email access to the team
- One free 30 minute meeting during the year
Calls beyond that are billed at the preferred client rate of $75 per 30 minutes.
What it costs
These are starting prices. Use the estimator above to add the pieces that apply to you and see a total before you book anything.
| Return | Starting price |
|---|---|
| Individual (1040), single or head of household, W-2 income only | $400 |
| Individual (1040), married filing jointly or separately, W-2 income only | $600 |
| S corporation (Form 1120-S), one owner | $1,500 |
| Partnership (Form 1065), two partners | $1,800 |
| C corporation (Form 1120) | from $1,800 |
What adds to the base price
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Schedule C business (sole proprietor or single member LLC) | $250 each |
| Schedule E rental property | $250 per door |
| K-1 received from another entity | $125 each |
| Each state beyond your home state | $100 each |
| Itemized deductions (Schedule A) | $150 |
| Foreign account reporting (FBAR or Form 8938) | $350 |
| Additional business owners beyond those included | $250 each |
| Cost segregation or missed depreciation (Form 3115) | $1,000 per entity |
| Amended personal return | $250 |
| Amended business return | $500 |
Filing both your personal and business returns with us takes 15% off the combined package.
Business returns are priced for clean, completed books. If the books need work first, cleanup starts at $250 per month of records with a $1,500 minimum, quoted after we look at them. Or we can simply take the books over for you with outsourced accounting, where your returns are already built in.
How it works
- Intro call. Thirty minutes on Google Meet. We look at last year's return, talk through what changed, and confirm the price.
- Engagement letter. You sign it electronically. It states exactly what we are preparing and what it costs.
- Secure upload. You get a checklist built for your situation and a secure portal. No email attachments with your Social Security number in them.
- Preparation. Our team prepares the return. If something is missing or does not add up, we ask once, in one list, rather than a trickle of emails.
- CPA review. Every return is reviewed before you see it.
- Video walkthrough. You get the recorded review of your return. Questions go to email, or to your free 30 minute meeting.
- Sign and e-file. You sign the authorization forms electronically and we file.
If you come to us in March with a complicated return, we will usually file an extension. That is included. An extension gives you more time to file, not more time to pay, so we also give you a projection of what to send the IRS by the April deadline.
What we need from you
You will get a checklist tailored to your return. This is the general version so you can start gathering now.
For your personal return
- Last year's federal and state returns
- W-2s from every employer
- 1099s: interest, dividends, brokerage (1099-B), retirement (1099-R), contract work (1099-NEC), payment apps (1099-K)
- Mortgage interest (1098) and property tax statements
- K-1s from any partnership, S corp or trust
- Health insurance marketplace form (1095-A), if you had one
- HSA forms (1099-SA and 5498-SA)
- Estimated tax payments you made during the year
- Childcare costs and the provider's tax ID
- Charitable donation receipts, if you might itemize
For your business return
- Year end profit and loss and balance sheet
- Access to your accounting software, or your year end bank and credit card statements
- Payroll reports: W-2 and W-3 summaries and quarterly 941s
- Loan statements showing year end balances and interest paid
- Invoices for equipment, vehicles or property you bought
- 1099s you issued to contractors
- Vehicle mileage, if you deduct a vehicle
- Last year's business return and depreciation schedule
- Any IRS or state notices you received
Missing something? Send what you have. We will tell you exactly what is still outstanding, and we can often request prior year transcripts from the IRS on your behalf.
Working with a virtual CPA
A lot of people search for a tax preparer near them because they assume they need to hand someone a folder. You do not.
Everything we do is built to work remotely, and in practice it is faster than an office visit:
- You talk to real people. Your intro call is with Sargis. The team that prepares your return knows your file by name.
- Documents go through a secure portal, not email. You can upload from your phone.
- Signatures are electronic. Nothing to print or mail.
- Meetings are on Google Meet, so you can join from your office, your truck or your kitchen table.
Our office is in Waxhaw, North Carolina, and most of our clients are in the Charlotte area and across the NC and SC border. Because the work is virtual, we prepare returns for clients in all 50 states. Living in a different state from us changes nothing about the process.
Who we work with
Our clients are mostly people whose returns have moving parts:
- Small business owners, especially S corps and single member LLCs
- Contractors and trades businesses with equipment, subs and uneven cash flow. More on accounting for contractors
- Real estate investors with long term or short term rentals. See real estate tax strategy
- High earning W-2 professionals who want someone to actually look at their situation
- Families who live in one state and work in another, which around here usually means North and South Carolina
If you are in the Charlotte metro, we also have a page on tax preparation for Charlotte businesses and the local issues that come up there.
If your return is simple and you are happy with how it went last year, you may not need us. If you want the return done right and a CPA who will tell you how to lower next year's bill, tax planning is where that starts.
Questions we get asked
How much does tax preparation cost?
Individual returns start at $400 for a single or head of household W-2 return and $600 for married filing jointly. Business returns start at $1,500 for an S corporation and $1,800 for a partnership or C corporation. Each state, rental, business schedule or K-1 adds a set amount, and the estimator on this page shows your total before you book.
How long does it take to prepare my return?
It depends mostly on when your documents are complete. The clock starts when we have everything, not when you send the first file. If you are late in the season or waiting on a K-1, we file an extension, which is included, and give you a projection of what to pay by the April deadline.
Do I need to live in North Carolina to work with you?
No. Our office is in Waxhaw, NC, but the whole process is virtual. We prepare returns for clients in all 50 states, and many of our clients live in South Carolina.
What happens if I am missing documents?
Send what you have. We will send back one clear list of what is still outstanding. For missing income forms we can often pull your IRS wage and income transcript on your behalf. If a form will not arrive in time, we file an extension.
Can you file in more than one state?
Yes. One state is included and each additional state is $100. Multi-state returns are common for our clients, especially people who live in South Carolina and work in North Carolina.