How TaxReturn.cpa Works
Professional tax preparation should be straightforward. With TaxReturn.cpa, you can see your preparation price and current production availability before deciding whether to become a client.
Once you move forward, you will sign your engagement, pay your fee, select an available production date, securely provide your tax information, and follow a clear process through preparation, substantive CPA review, and electronic filing.
Know the price. Know your production date. Know when to expect your return.
Your Tax Return From Start to Finish
1. See Your Price
Start by answering a short series of questions about your tax situation. The questionnaire helps us identify the preparation level that appears to fit your return and shows you the applicable price before you decide whether to move forward.
Our individual tax preparation levels currently begin at:
Standard
Starting at $595
Plus
Starting at $895
Complex
Starting at $1,295
Advanced
Individually quoted
No Consultation Required
You do not need to schedule a sales call just to find out what your return will cost. Complete the questionnaire, see your price, review current production availability, and decide whether TaxReturn.cpa is right for you.
2. Become a Client
If you decide to move forward, we create your secure client relationship through Boulanger CPA and Consulting PC. You will receive your engagement electronically, review the terms, sign, and pay through our secure client system.
During the annual membership enrollment period, eligible clients may also have the option to select a year-round service level instead of tax preparation only.
Preparation Only
Professional preparation, CPA review, and filing of your individual income tax return.
Coastline
Your tax return plus year-round CPA support, qualifying routine IRS notice assistance, and other defined membership services.
Meridian
Your tax return plus expanded year-round CPA support, scheduled planning meetings, and proactive tax planning.
Coastline and Meridian are available for new enrollment from November 1 through April 1. The membership year runs from November 1 through October 31. Preparation Only remains available independently.
Understanding the Annual Membership
Coastline and Meridian are annual commitments, not month-to-month subscriptions. Monthly payments are installments toward the full annual membership fee. The full annual price, any applicable catch-up amount, and the payment, cancellation, and automatic renewal terms are disclosed in your engagement agreement before enrollment. The annual commitment is subject to applicable law. See our Pricing page for membership options.
3. Choose Your Production Date
After your engagement is signed and payment is complete, you will be able to select from the production dates that remain available.
This is one of the most important differences in the TaxReturn.cpa process. Instead of sending your documents into an open-ended tax-season queue, you reserve a specific place in our production schedule.
What Is a Production Date?
Your production date is the date your completed tax information is scheduled to enter our preparation process. It is not an appointment and you do not need to be available for a meeting that day.
Our normal target is to complete your return by the end of the third week following your production date, provided your organizer and all requested tax documents are complete by that date and no significant unexpected issue requires additional information, research, or clarification.
Know When to Expect Your Return
When you choose your production date, you are also establishing an expected completion window: generally the end of the third week following that date. This is a delivery target, not a guaranteed completion or filing date.
4. Complete Your Organizer & Upload Your Documents
After you select your production date, we begin the information-gathering process through our secure client portal.
If you have a copy of your prior-year tax return, we will ask you to upload it. When available, your prior-year return can help us create a more customized organizer based on your previous tax information.
If we do not receive the prior-year return within the requested timeframe, we can still move forward using our standard organizer.
Your Organizer Helps Us Identify What We Need
Depending on your situation, you may be asked to provide items such as:
- Forms W-2 and 1099
- Brokerage and investment statements
- Schedule K-1 forms
- Rental property information
- Self-employment income and expenses
- Mortgage interest and property tax information
- Estimated tax payments
- State tax information
- Other documents relevant to your return
Your Information Must Be Complete by Your Production Date
Your organizer and requested information must be complete by the production date you selected. If required information has not been provided, your return may need to be removed from that production slot and rescheduled to a later available date.
The normal three-week completion target assumes the information needed to prepare your return is complete when production begins.
What If My Information Isn't Ready?
The production calendar works because each client reserves a specific place in the schedule. To keep that schedule predictable for everyone, we need the information required to prepare your return by your selected production date.
If your information is incomplete when your production date arrives, we may release that production slot and ask you to choose from the dates that remain available. A new production date will also create a new expected delivery date.
Depending on when that occurs, the next available production date may fall after the original tax filing deadline. If necessary, we can address whether an extension is appropriate under your accepted engagement.
Filing Extension vs. Payment Deadline
An extension generally gives you additional time to file your return. It does not generally provide additional time to pay tax that is due. Coastline and Meridian include automatic extension handling for qualifying members under the applicable engagement terms. Preparation Only extension handling depends on the accepted engagement and circumstances. An extension is not triggered merely by completing the pricing questionnaire.
Learn More About Tax Filing Extensions →5. We Prepare & Professionally Review Your Return
Once your return enters production, your tax documents and organizer move through our professional preparation workflow.
We use professional tax technology, including AI-assisted tools, to organize information, extract data from documents, prepare workpapers, support tax calculations, identify questions, and improve workflow efficiency. Professional responsibility for the engagement remains with Boulanger CPA and Consulting PC.
If something requires clarification, we may send you a question or request an additional document. That is a normal part of preparing an accurate return.
Your Delivery Expectation
Our normal target is to complete your return by the end of the third week following your scheduled production date, provided your organizer and requested tax documents were complete when production began.
If we discover missing information, require additional documents, or identify a significant unexpected issue requiring additional research or clarification, the delivery date may change. If that occurs, we will notify you through your secure client portal. The target is not a guaranteed filing date.
Substantive CPA Review
Every tax return receives substantive CPA review before it is delivered to you for approval or filed. This review includes evaluating material tax items, identifying unresolved questions, and assessing whether the return is ready for client review. AI and automation assist our professionals; they do not replace CPA judgment or responsibility.
6. Review, Sign & E-file
When preparation and CPA review are complete, your return is delivered securely for your review.
You will have the opportunity to review the completed return and ask questions before authorizing electronic filing.
Required filing authorizations are signed electronically. Once all required signatures and information have been received, we electronically file the return with the appropriate taxing authorities.
Your final tax documents remain available through your secure client portal for your records.
A Tax Preparation Process Designed Around Predictability
Know Your Price
You can understand your preparation level and price before deciding whether to become a client.
Know Your Production Date
Instead of entering an undefined tax-season queue, you select an available place in our production schedule.
Know Your Expected Delivery Window
Our normal target is completion by the end of the third week following your production date, assuming complete information and no unexpected complications.
Know What Happens Next
The process is structured from engagement and document collection through preparation, CPA review, signing, and filing.
Digital Convenience. Professional CPA Responsibility.
TaxReturn.cpa is not DIY tax software and it is not a marketplace that matches you with an unknown tax preparer. It is an individual tax preparation service of Boulanger CPA and Consulting PC.
Technology and AI-assisted tools make the process more organized and efficient, while every return receives substantive CPA review. Professional responsibility remains with the CPA firm.
Ready to See Your Price?
Answer a few questions about your tax situation to see your preparation level, price, and current production availability.
Know your price before you engage. Choose your production date after engagement and payment. Our normal completion target is the end of the third week following that production date, provided your information is complete.
No consultation is required to get started.
See Your Price