[eropple]

A quality tax preparer is no more than "a few hundred bucks". It is a more direct and quicker route than this faintly dramatic treatment, TBH.

You're right in that the IRS will treat people operating in good faith just fine, but a decent preparer makes it so much easier. My guy just asks me for my stuff in January and does his thing.

[bob1029]

> A quality tax preparer is no more than "a few hundred bucks".

I do not want to continue to contribute to the tax preparation ecosystem any more than absolutely necessary. Paying a CPA to file my taxes is no different than paying intuit for a new copy of turbotax every year. I don't see a distinction in principle. They probably use the same software internally.

[eropple]

My tax preparer is also my accountant and one of my financial advisors. Tax preparation is a service he offers. And I have access to all of the spreadsheets he uses to calculate them, so I'm fairly certain it's not "the same software internally".

If you don't see a distinction here, I suspect it's because you don't want to.

[Redoubts]

Where do you find good people for this?

[eropple]

I asked friends and got recommendations from solid people I trust, like I do most things.