If you want something done right, do it yourself.
Maybe not so much tax returns, though — an occasionally impossible point to make to some tax prep client who insists they've cannily saving bucks by going it alone.
"I had some clients at my prior planning firm try to DIY and they ended up with two IRS notices," said Bruce Primeau, a CPA and president of Summit Wealth Advocates, in Prior Lake, Minnesota. "I completely understand that clients don't like paying to get their taxes prepared. They need to think of it like maintenance on their car or going to the dentist — a necessary evil and hopefully it keeps them out of trouble."
"Tax software is simply a calculator, not something you can rely on for your tax planning," added Larry Pon, a CPA in Redwood City, California. "How can an amateur keep up with daily tax law changes?"
So — what to tell the insistent would-be DIYer?