Individual Tax Preparation for Working Professionals & Families

A modern, professional alternative to retail prep and DIY software—your 1040 prepared accurately, explained clearly, and filed on time.

Not retail, not DIY W-2 + 1099 complexity Credits & life changes
Request a Consultation See Pricing Overview See Platform & Services Hub

A compliance-first engagement for everyday taxpayers with real-life complexity. If you later need planning, we can layer it on once your filings are clean.

2025+ tax law updates: Recent federal changes including the One Big Beautiful Bill Act affect deductions, depreciation rules, and owner-level planning for many businesses. We apply current law and IRS/state guidance based on your facts and documentation.

Fit check

Is this you?

You’re a fit for this service if some of these sound familiar:

  • You have more than a basic W-2 return, but not high-net-worth or multi-entity complexity.
  • Your return includes dependents, education costs, Marketplace insurance, retirement items, or multiple 1099s.
  • You don’t want to use DIY software, and you don’t want the retail prep experience (upsells, rushed interviews, or refund-based fees).
  • You want a CPA to prepare the return, explain it in plain English, and file it correctly the first time.
  • You value accuracy, documentation, clear communication, and predictable fixed-fee pricing scoped up front.

This engagement focuses on filing the current year correctly. Planning and advisory services can be added later if needed.

Outcomes

What you get with Individual Tax Preparation

Accurate, defensible returns

Full workpapers, reconciliations, and documentation so the return can stand up to questions from the IRS or the state.

Complexity handled for you

Real-life complexity handled cleanly: multiple W-2s, 1099 income, dependents and credits, education, ACA forms, retirement items, and basic investing.

Clarity on what you owe (and why)

A clean summary of your tax position, explanations in plain English, and estimated tax recommendations so next year isn’t a surprise.

Predictable fees and process

Fixed-fee pricing based on the complexity we scope up front, and no filing until you’ve approved the return and the fee.

Scope

What’s included in Individual Tax Preparation

1. Federal & state return preparation

  • Prepare and e-file your federal Form 1040.
  • Prepare and e-file required state returns (resident, nonresident, or part-year).
  • Prepare local returns where applicable (city, school district, county).

2. W-2 income & common 1099s

  • W-2 wages, multiple jobs, and withholding reconciliation.
  • 1099 income (interest, dividends, retirement, unemployment).
  • Unemployment, Social Security, and other standard income items.
  • Retirement distributions/rollovers (Form 1099-R) and IRA contributions.

3. Family, benefits & life changes

  • Dependents and common credits: Child Tax Credit, Credit for Other Dependents, Dependent Care, and education credits.
  • Marketplace health insurance reconciliation (Form 8962 / 1095-A) when applicable.
  • Education items (1098-T, student loan interest) and common deductions/adjustments.
  • Filing status changes, moves, and other year-to-year updates.

4. Side income & light self-employment

  • Schedule C for straightforward sole proprietor activity.
  • Self-employment tax calculations (Schedule SE).
  • Common deductions with documentation you maintain (supplies, software, mileage, home office where supportable).

5. Basic investing

  • Schedule B and Schedule D for typical brokerage accounts.
  • Capital gains/losses from broker-provided 1099-Bs and consolidated 1099s.
  • Wash sales and basis items as reported by your broker (based on the data provided).

6. Deductions & common forms

  • Standard vs. itemized deductions (Schedule A): mortgage interest (1098), charitable contributions, and SALT within current limits.
  • HSA contributions/distributions (Form 8889) and other standard supporting forms.

7. Estimated taxes & payment guidance

  • Estimated tax guidance when required.
  • Safe-harbor considerations to reduce underpayment penalties (Form 2210) when relevant.

8. Routine notices & amendments

  • Review and respond to routine IRS/state notices related to returns we prepared.
  • Amended returns when corrections are needed (scoped separately).
Guardrails

What’s not included in this service

We keep this engagement focused and predictable

To keep this engagement focused and predictable, the following are not part of standard individual tax preparation:

  • Proactive tax planning and strategy (multi-year projections, “what if” scenarios, entity restructuring, etc.).
  • Full financial planning (retirement, estate, insurance, and investment advice).
  • Bookkeeping or transaction-level reconstruction for missing or incomplete records (e.g., rebuilding a year’s worth of bank activity or detailed crypto/e-commerce history).
  • Representation in formal IRS or state audits, appeals, or collections beyond routine notice responses.
  • Legal services or estate planning documents.

These can be added later under a separate planning or advisory engagement if and when you want to go deeper.

Process

How the process works

1

Discovery & quote

You share a short fact pattern and, where needed, prior-year returns. We scope complexity and quote a fixed fee.

2

Engagement & document upload

You e-sign the engagement letter, pay the initial fee, and upload documents through a secure portal.

3

Preparation & review

We prepare your federal and state returns, reconcile the data, and send you a clear summary plus draft copies.

4

Questions & approval

We walk through any questions, make agreed changes, and finalize the return.

5

Filing & next steps

Once you’ve approved and paid the remaining fee, we e-file your return(s) and provide copies and estimated tax vouchers for the coming year.

Pricing overview

What this typically costs

See Pricing Matrix

Fees for Individual Tax Preparation are fixed up front based on return complexity and the volume of forms. This tier is designed for entry-to-mid complexity returns: more than a basic W-2, but not “HNWI / multi-entity” complexity.

Most clients in this service fall into an entry-to-mid complexity 1040 pricing band. The final fee depends on factors like: number of states, Marketplace health insurance (1095-A/8962), education credits, Schedule C side income, and investment transaction volume. We quote a fixed fee after intake and confirm it before we start prep. Returns are not filed or released until the engagement fee is paid in full.

Back to Platform & Services Hub
FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Do you take your fee out of my refund?
No. Our fee is not paid from your refund and is not contingent on the size of your refund. All fees are paid directly to the firm and must be paid in full before we file or release your return.
Is this a fit if I don’t want retail prep or DIY software?
Yes, that’s exactly what this tier is for: taxpayers who want a CPA to handle the return without the retail prep experience or the DIY learning curve. If you have a straightforward W-2 return with limited additional activity, we'll recommend our Basic Tax Preparation tier.
What if I own a business and I am a sole properiter. Can I use this service?
Yes, provided your business is a sole proprietorship (or a single-member LLC taxed as a sole proprietorship) and you meet the following criteria: you do not carry inventory, you have no employees, and you do not have real estate investments. If your bookkeeping is prepared annually in connection with your tax return, you may also add our account reconciliation service to improve accuracy and provide supporting documentation for tax filing and potential IRS inquiries.
Can you also help with tax planning?
Yes, but planning is a separate engagement. We start by getting the current year filed accurately, then we can look at proactive planning once the baseline is clean.
What if my records are a mess?
We can often help, but significant cleanup or reconstruction (for example, uncategorized bank data or incomplete crypto/e-commerce history) may require a separate bookkeeping or reconciliation engagement.

Ready to get your return handled properly, without the retail experience?

Tell us what you have this year (W-2s, 1099s, dependents, education, Marketplace insurance, side income, states) and we’ll confirm fit, scope the engagement, and quote a fixed fee before any work begins.

Request a Consultation