[quartesixte]

CPAs main purpose is to be accountants. The tax filing part is a natural output of their other accounting duties.

Large corporations will have CPAs on payroll + contract with big Corporate Accounting firms to process their books for them. Small mom+pops will hire their local CPA to do the same.

Which, leads me to an idea a much smarter friend once gave me: the tax code of the USA is centered around and made for businesses and business owners. And a large portion of the entire tax/accounting industry exists to service this need.

edit: also a CPA should charge roughly around $250 for your level of complexity? $2000 is closer to the fees for a small-medium business