Mine usually ends up in that ballpark, generally slightly higher. Most CPAs I've dealt with over the years charge per schedule/form they have to complete. Some of those schedules are pretty simple for my situation, so I have to just tell myself to get over it. We do the same thing, after all.  However, with the CPAs I've dealt with, typically the total for all schedules prepared comes in at over $600, then they give a "courtesy discount" to bring it back to a level that makes more sense. (Frankly, I do the same thing sometimes with mobile service fees...)
BTW, I always make my estimated tax payments as scheduled, but I don't always have my act together to file on time, so I apply for an extension on my own. I don't see a need to pay someone to do that for me, as it's pretty simple. (I also typically include another estimated payment, to be on the safe side. I'd rather overpay than come up short.)
But if you're one of those who feels comfortable dealing with all of this, doing it yourself is probably a great idea. I hate this side of the business and my eyes tend to glaze over just thinking about it, so I like the idea of having an expert involved. Having said all that, I expect that I'll be spending a major part of this coming weekend catching up on data entry and pulling records together... Ugh! At least we'll be having weather that will lead me to want to stay inside, so that will help! |
