You still haven’t filed your taxes so you decide to visit one of the more popular tax preparation places in town. You walk in and immediately see a room full of twenty people (including a few screaming kids) waiting their turn. You turn to the receptionist who tells you that you’re welcome to wait and they might be able to squeeze you in today or you can schedule an appointment for next week.
And you’ll be asked to pay the small fee of $300 for this great service.
Does that scenario sound familiar to you? It does to me because this isexactly what happened the last time I walked into a large chain tax preparation company.
Luckily, you (and I) no longer have to deal with the long waits and sometimes horrible service that comes at a high price. Now we’ve got options.
A Less Painful Way of Doing Your Taxes
We talk a lot about doing your own taxes here on The College Investor but what if you have no desire to do taxes yourself or are just scared you’re going to screw them up?
We found the perfect solution: TaxChat.
TaxChat is a new company that is kind of like the Uber of tax prep. All you do is download the app and answer 14 basic questions from your phone. TaxChat will then tell you how much your tax prep fee will be and what documents you need to upload. If you decide to use their service you take photos of your documents from your phone and BOOM, you’re done!
From this point one of their professional tax preparers will do your taxes for you. TaxChat uses experienced, ethical and smart tax preparers. They even guarantee your maximum refund so you have no worries.
The only other thing you’ll have to do is pay for your service by debit or credit card and TaxChat will store a copy of your tax return for you so you’ll always know where to find it.
DIY vs. TaxChat vs. Tax Preparer
Let’s do a comparison to see which option is a good fit for you.
Doing your taxes yourself using tax software.
Pros: Fairly low price, usually averaging around $50. You can do your taxes from the comfort of your home. A great option for those who are knowledgeable about their tax situation and like to have complete control.
Cons: Time intensive. Can be a bad option for those who aren’t confident in their ability to do their own taxes.
Using the TaxChat App.
Pros: Quick and easy. You’ll have peace of mind that a professional filed your taxes. You don’t have to leave the house or make an appointment. A great option for anyone who doesn’t feel competent doing their own taxes or just doesn’t want to take the time to do them.
Cons: Cost a little more money than DIY.
Traditional tax prep.
Pros: You have your taxes filed by a professional.
Cons: You’ll need to either make an appointment or endure a long wait. This is also the most expensive and less convenient of the three options.
Which Option is Right for You?
If you haven’t filed your taxes yet you’ve got a less than a month to get them done. If you’re knowledgeable about your tax situation and actually enjoy filing your taxes then DIY taxes might be a great fit for you.
If you’re scared that you’re going to mess up your own taxes and are not wanting to spend the time to do them right TaxChat is a good fit.
