To locate an enrolled agent in your area, go to (opens in new tab). You can get a list of local certified public accountants from your state’s CPA society.Įnrolled agents must pass a rigorous test and meet annual continuing-education requirements, and are licensed to appear before the IRS. Certified public accountants are licensed by state boards of accountancy, studied accounting at a college or university, and have passed a rigorous exam.

A tax preparer can help you comply with tax rules if you lived in more than one jurisdiction last year.Ĭheck the credentials of anyone you hire. You need to file more than one state tax return. The rules governing tax treatment of rental property are complex, and this is another area that tends to attract IRS attention - particularly if you report large rental losses. They’re also subject to more scrutiny by the IRS. Taxpayers who work for themselves are eligible for a long list of deductions that do-it-yourselfers might overlook. Many tax-software providers engage in surge pricing, which means the cost could rise as the tax-filing deadline approaches. (For more on your tax obligations if you moved last year, see There's Still Time to Save on 2020 Taxes.) In addition, we gave one of the spouses in our fictional couple unemployment benefits, and we had our single taxpayer move from Maryland to his parents’ home in Ohio to determine how the programs accounted for multiple state filings. To account for some pandemic-related circumstances that could affect taxpayers, we looked at how the programs handled the economic stimulus payments millions of taxpayers received in 2020 and early 2021, which represented an advance payment of a tax credit on your 2020 tax return.

We used two fictional tax returns: one for a single taxpayer who had income reported on Form W-2 and some freelance income, and a second for a married couple with a young child and a mortgage who itemized deductions.

To help you find the program that’s right for you, Kiplinger reviewed the online versions of the most popular programs and ranked them based on cost, ease of use, tax help and more. And a program that shortchanges your refund-or gets you in trouble with the IRS-is no bargain. Preparing your own return instead of hiring a preparer could save you money, but tax software can get expensive in a hurry, even for taxpayers with fairly straightforward returns.

Best tax preparation software for mac