Tax Preparation Fee Calculator
- Fees are US national averages from the National Society of Accountants' 2020-2021 fee survey. Prices in your area may be higher or lower.
- Both return types include one state return. Extra state returns, amended returns and business entity returns are not included.
- Today's estimate raises 2020 fees by consumer-price inflation. Preparers may have raised their prices faster or slower than that.
- Preparers often charge more for disorganized records, rush jobs or complex situations.
Estimate what a tax professional will charge to prepare your federal return and one state return. Pick your return type, tick the schedules you need, and the calculator adds up the national average fee for each one, then converts it to today’s dollars.
How to use the calculator
- Your Form 1040 return: choose itemized if you will list deductions such as mortgage interest, state and local taxes and charitable gifts on Schedule A. Otherwise choose standard deduction. Both include one state return.
- Businesses you own: one Schedule C for each sole proprietorship or single-member LLC.
- Self-employment tax, rental income, investment sales: tick each one that applies to you.
- More options: interest or dividends over $1,500 (Schedule B), the earned income credit, a household employee such as a nanny, farm income, and the price rise used to bring the survey’s 2020 fees up to date.
Where the numbers come from
The fees are national averages from the National Society of Accountants’ 2020-2021 fee survey of tax and accounting firms. It is the most recent survey that publishes an average fee for each form; the society’s 2024 summary gives only price ranges.
| Form or schedule | Average fee (2020) |
|---|---|
| Form 1040, standard deduction, with a state return | $220 |
| Form 1040, itemized (Schedule A), with a state return | $323 |
| Schedule C (business) | $192 |
| Schedule F (farm) | $200 |
| Schedule E (rental) | $145 |
| Schedule D / Form 8949 (gains and losses) | $118 |
| Schedule H (household employment taxes) | $66 |
| Schedule EIC (earned income credit) | $65 |
| Schedule B (interest and dividends) | $42 |
| Schedule SE (self-employment tax) | $41 |
Because those are 2020 prices, the calculator raises them by consumer-price inflation: the Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U rose 21.2% from 2020 (258.811) to 2024 (313.689). You can change that percentage under More options if you have a recent quote to compare against.
For example, an itemized return with one business and self-employment tax comes to $556 at 2020 prices, or about $674 in today’s dollars.
What makes a preparer charge more
- More forms: each schedule is more work. A business, rental property or investment sales add the most.
- Disorganized records: in the society’s 2024 survey summary, 67% of firms charge extra for disorganized or incomplete files, typically $100 to $200.
- Who prepares it: certified public accountants and tax attorneys usually charge more than enrolled agents or seasonal preparers. Only CPAs, enrolled agents and attorneys can represent you in every IRS matter.
- Where you live: fees are usually higher in large cities than in small towns.
- Timing: last-minute returns and extensions can cost more.
Fees have risen steadily
In the same survey series, the average fee for an itemized Form 1040 with a state return rose from $205 in 2007 to $323 in 2020. A return with the standard deduction rose from $115 to $220 over the same years. Ask for a quote before you hand over your documents.
Free and low-cost options
- IRS Free File: free guided software if your adjusted gross income was $89,000 or less in 2025. Free File Fillable Forms are open to everyone.
- Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA): free preparation by IRS-certified volunteers, generally for people earning about $70,000 or less, people with disabilities and limited English speakers. Each site may set its own limits.
- Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE): free help focused on taxpayers aged 60 and older.
- AARP Foundation Tax-Aide: free help with a focus on people over 50 and those with low to moderate incomes. You don’t need to be an AARP member.
Are tax preparation fees deductible?
For a personal return, no. Tax preparation fees are a miscellaneous itemized deduction, and IRS Publication 529 says those can no longer be deducted. If you run a business, the part of the fee for preparing your business forms is a business expense: the Schedule C instructions put it on line 17. Ask your preparer to show that part separately on the bill.
How to keep your fee down
- Bring every form at once: W-2s, 1099s, last year’s return and receipts, sorted by type.
- Ask for a written quote, and ask what would change it.
- Use a free option if your return is simple.
- Avoid any preparer who bases the fee on the size of your refund or won’t sign the return with their Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN). The IRS explains what to look for in choosing a tax professional.
Frequently asked questions
The calculator uses national averages. Local prices, the preparer’s credentials, how organized your records are and how complex your situation is can all move a real quote well above or below the average.
Usually, yes. The survey prices one state return with each Form 1040 and doesn’t publish an average for extra states, so the calculator leaves them out. Ask your preparer.
No. The IRS doesn’t charge a fee to file. What you pay is the preparer’s or software’s price.
No. The calculation runs in your browser. Nothing you type is stored or sent to us or anyone else.
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Reviewed by Maxwell. Last reviewed October 23, 2026. Methodology: National Society of Accountants 2020 national average fees per form, raised by CPI-U inflation from 2020 to 2024.