More About TurboTax vs. Tax Professionals

I haven't changed my opinions I expressed here and here, two of my most visited posts, especially during filings season. To sum up: Yeah, I'm a professional but I think hiring a professional to prepare your tax return is better than using TurboTax. I'll cost more but in the long run you'll want me to make sure it's done right and run interference with the IRS, especially now that the IRS is firing up its audit machine.

But, man, I can't compete with the free edition of TurboTax. I don't have a lot of clients that meet the criteria for TurboTax' free filing program and those that I do have there's no way I can do their returns for free. For these clients, I try to be competitive but how do you compete against free? You can't. So, TurboTax, you win this one.

On all other levels though, well, that's a different story.