How much does it cost to get your taxes done?
Getting your taxes done costs $185 to $400 in 2026. What changes your price is below.
The National Association of Tax Professionals 2025 Fee Study puts the average base fee for a Form 1040 with Schedules 1 to 3 at $236, up from $162 two years earlier. CPAs averaged $280, Enrolled Agents $228 and non credentialed preparers $185. Extra forms add to that: a small business Schedule C adds about $123 to $135.
Find out what it will cost you
Pick the job, your state's cost level and the last detail. The estimate updates as you change them.
An estimate built from published 2026 cost guides. It is not a quote. Get a written quote before work starts.
How much does a tax preparer cost?
| Base Form 1040, all preparers | $236 (NATP 2025 Fee Study). |
|---|---|
| CPA | $280. |
| Enrolled Agent | $228. |
| Non credentialed preparer | $185. |
| Add itemized deductions, Schedule A | About $53 to $61. |
| Add self employment, Schedule C | About $123 to $135. |
| Add investments, Schedule D | About $56 to $66. |
What pushes a quote up
| Who prepares it | CPAs charge the most. |
|---|---|
| Extra forms | Each schedule adds a fee. |
| Messy paperwork | Many preparers charge more for disorganized records. |
| Town size | Base fees run $185 in small towns and $233 in places over 50,000 people. |
| Late filing | Rush and extension work costs extra. |
Tax preparation cost by region
| Lower cost states | $150 to $325. Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, West Virginia and most rural areas. |
|---|---|
| Average cost states | $185 to $400. Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and most mid size cities. |
| Higher cost states | $240 to $525. California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Washington, plus big metros such as Chicago, Denver and Washington DC. |
These rows are our estimate. We took the typical national range and adjusted it for local labor costs, which run about 20 percent lower in the cheapest states and about 30 percent higher in the dearest ones. Preparers in the Northeast and in cities charge more. The Midwest is among the cheapest.
How much does a CPA cost to do taxes?
A CPA charged $280 on average for a base return in NATP's 2025 study. That rises with each form you add. A return with business income, rental income or several states can cost several times the base fee.
Organize before you go. A National Society of Accountants survey found 75.1 percent of preparers raise fees for disorganized or incomplete paperwork, by $145 on average.
How much will it cost to do my taxes myself?
Often nothing. If your income was $89,000 or less, IRS Free File gives you free federal filing. See our cost to file taxes page.
How to judge the quote in your hand
- Ask for the price before they start.
- Ask what each extra form costs.
- Ask if a state return is included.
- Ask about fees taken from your refund.
- Ask about the preparer's credentials: CPA, EA or none.
Ways to pay less
- Bring organized papers.
- File yourself if your return is simple.
- Use free IRS help if you qualify.
- Skip refund advance fees.
- File early before rush fees.
Before you decide
When a preparer is worth it
A simple W-2 return is easy to file yourself, often for free. A preparer earns their fee when you are self employed, sold a home or investments, own rentals, moved states, or got an IRS letter. If one missed deduction is worth more than the fee, the fee pays for itself.
About $185 to $400. The average base fee is $236. $185 for a non credentialed preparer, $228 for an Enrolled Agent and $280 for a CPA, on average. A simple return usually costs about $185 to $280. The NATP base fee rose from $162 to $236 in two years.Common questions
How much does it cost to get your taxes done?
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