New site looks to link clients with preparers

The new Web site Findtaxpro is looking to give tax filers the chance to find a tax professional, ask a tax question and bid on return prep for a discounted price.

The site’s marketplace and directory search are free to taxpayers, though they are charged a fee for the Tax Advice product, which offers them answers to tax questions from tax professionals, according to founder Dhananjay Agarwal.

Participating tax pros pay 20 percent of prep fees for clients secured through the site’s marketplace, and a $14.99 monthly subscription fee for the Tax Advice product as a feeder of engaged prospective clients. “We have tiered pricing for directory listings and [plan to] charge $1.99 a month for a Bronze listing,” Agarwal said. “As a launch offer, we’re giving a free Bronze directory listing, free document portal and free client engagement tools such as mile track, receipt track, and tax caddy to tax professionals, upon registration, for one year.”

The site, which launched on Nov. 1, offers similar tools for taxpayers, as well as referral rewards and reviews of tax pros.

Findtaxpro has about 65 subscribers, CPAs and EAs, with a target of at least 150 tax pros by the end of the year, Agarwal said. “Starting in January, we’ll promote the Web site to filers, and the goal is have at least 1,000 tax preparation requests go through our website,” he added.

For Thanksgiving, the site announced that it would be offering discounted, flat-fee pricing for tax prep.

DIY tax returns filed in 2016 and 2017

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