TurboTax Live vs. a CPA Firm: Is It Time for a Different Approach?
Already paying for TurboTax Live? You understand the value of professional tax help. But as your financial situation changes, it may be worth considering whether an ongoing relationship with a CPA firm is a better fit.
TaxReturn.cpa provides individual tax preparation through Boulanger CPA and Consulting PC, with published pricing, visible production availability, substantive CPA review, and optional annual memberships.
See Your PriceNo sales consultation required to see your preparation level, price, and current production availability.
What Is TurboTax Live Called Today?
TurboTax has updated the names of its professional tax services. The products previously called TurboTax Live Assisted and TurboTax Live Full Service are now known as TurboTax Expert Assist and TurboTax Expert Full Service.
With Expert Assist, you prepare your own return using TurboTax while receiving assistance from tax professionals. Expert Full Service takes a different approach: a dedicated tax expert prepares, signs, and files your return after reviewing it with you.
Both are legitimate professional tax service options. This page compares those services with the CPA-firm model offered by TaxReturn.cpa.
What TurboTax Does Well
TurboTax has built a convenient online tax preparation experience. Its professional services go well beyond basic do-it-yourself software.
Convenient Online Experience
TurboTax provides online document collection, tax information imports, electronic filing, and access to professional assistance.
Qualified Tax Professionals
TurboTax offers access to tax experts, including CPAs and enrolled agents. Expert Full Service customers work with a dedicated preparer.
Potentially Lower Pricing
Depending on your return and the service selected, TurboTax may cost less than engaging a CPA firm. It also provides pricing estimates before professional preparation begins.
Ongoing Professional Assistance
TurboTax advertises year-round access to tax experts under its applicable service terms. Expert Full Service customers may also choose to work with the same expert again, subject to availability.
TurboTax product features, professional availability, and service terms vary. See the official TurboTax sources at the bottom of this page.
The Difference Is the Relationship, Not Just the Tax Return
TurboTax Expert Full Service already offers professional preparation. It would be misleading to suggest otherwise.
The reason to consider TaxReturn.cpa is not that TurboTax lacks experts. It is that you may prefer to establish an ongoing relationship with Boulanger CPA and Consulting PC, a CPA firm that provides tax preparation, defined membership services, and separately engaged tax representation.
For some taxpayers, that distinction may not matter. For others, particularly those with changing financial circumstances, it may be exactly what they want.
Four Reasons to Consider a CPA Firm
There is no single level of tax complexity that automatically requires a CPA firm. But certain circumstances make a continuing professional relationship more valuable.
1. Your Return Has Become More Complex
Your return may involve several interacting tax issues rather than a few familiar income forms.
- Partnership or S corporation K-1s
- Rental property and depreciation
- Schedule C or self-employment income
- RSUs, stock options, or ESPPs
- Multiple-state tax filings
- Carryforwards, losses, or basis issues
TurboTax can support many complex situations. A CPA firm may nevertheless be preferable when you want professional evaluation of the overall return and continuity of your tax history.
2. You Want a Continuing Firm Relationship
Your tax history may include elections, losses, carryforwards, depreciation, and other items affecting future years.
TurboTax Expert Full Service offers the possibility of retaining the same expert from year to year, subject to availability.
TaxReturn.cpa provides continuity through an engagement with Boulanger CPA and Consulting PC. Your professional relationship remains with the firm, even if individual staff assignments change.
3. You Want Defined Year-Round Services
TurboTax provides year-round access to tax experts under applicable product terms.
TaxReturn.cpa offers a different structure through annual memberships with specified services.
Depending on your membership, these include IRS account monitoring, assistance with covered IRS notices, and scheduled tax planning meetings. The scope is defined in your engagement agreement.
4. You Value a Firm With Representation Experience
Boulanger CPA and Consulting PC also handles IRS and state tax controversy matters, including certain examinations and disputes.
If a matter requires formal representation, the firm can evaluate whether a separate engagement is appropriate.
TurboTax also offers audit-related support and separately available protection services. Neither service should be assumed to include unlimited representation.
TurboTax Expert Services vs. TaxReturn.cpa
A comparison of service models, not a claim that one provider is universally better than another.
| Consideration | TurboTax Expert Services | TaxReturn.cpa |
|---|---|---|
| Preparation approach | Expert Assist provides professional guidance while you prepare. Expert Full Service provides professional preparation. | Preparation through the professional workflow of Boulanger CPA and Consulting PC. |
| Professional involvement | Qualified tax experts, including CPAs and enrolled agents. Full Service includes a dedicated preparer. | Every completed return receives substantive CPA review before client delivery or filing. |
| Complex returns | Many complex individual situations supported, subject to service capabilities and terms. | Complex individual returns accepted following evaluation of scope and documentation. |
| Preparation pricing | Pricing depends on the product and tax situation. Estimates are available before expert preparation. | Published preparation levels: $595, $895, and $1,295. Advanced returns individually priced. |
| Year-to-year continuity | Full Service customers can request the same expert again, subject to availability. | Continuing relationship with Boulanger CPA and Consulting PC and continuity of firm tax records. |
| Scheduling | Expert availability and preparation timing depend on the service. | View available production dates before engagement and reserve a date after signing and payment. |
| Year-round expert help | Available under applicable expert service terms and operating hours. | Ongoing services available through defined annual Coastline and Meridian memberships. |
| IRS account monitoring | No equivalent ongoing account-monitoring feature identified in the individual product descriptions reviewed. | Included in eligible memberships, subject to valid IRS authorization and engagement terms. |
| IRS notice assistance | Available support depends on the product, guarantees, and any additional coverage. | Defined assistance with covered IRS notices under annual membership terms. |
| Tax planning | Tax guidance and advisory services vary by product and applicable terms. | Meridian includes a year-end and a midyear tax planning meeting. |
| Audit representation | Audit support is available. Separate Audit Defense coverage may provide representation under its terms. | IRS and state tax representation available through Boulanger CPA and Consulting PC under separate engagements. |
TurboTax offerings and terms are subject to change. This table summarizes general differences and does not compare every available TurboTax service, upgrade, guarantee, or protection product.
What Does an Ongoing CPA Relationship Look Like?
TaxReturn.cpa offers Coastline and Meridian annual memberships for taxpayers who want more than a one-time preparation engagement.
Coastline Membership
Coastline is designed for taxpayers who want individual tax preparation and defined ongoing support.
- Individual tax preparation under membership terms
- IRS account monitoring, subject to authorization
- Assistance with covered IRS notices
- Ongoing relationship with Boulanger CPA and Consulting PC
Meridian Membership
Meridian is intended for taxpayers who want ongoing support plus scheduled opportunities to discuss their tax situation during the year.
- Individual tax preparation under membership terms
- IRS account monitoring, subject to authorization
- Assistance with covered IRS notices
- Year-end tax planning meeting
- Midyear tax planning meeting
Memberships are annual commitments, subject to the applicable agreement and law. The membership year runs November 1 through October 31. Enrollment availability, included services, client responsibilities, renewal terms, and fees are governed by the applicable engagement agreement.
IRS account monitoring cannot begin until valid authorization is obtained. Monitoring depends on information available through IRS systems and does not guarantee identification of every account issue. Formal audit representation and appeals are not automatically included.
Know Your Preparation Price Before You Switch
We believe you should be able to evaluate the cost of professional tax preparation before committing to an engagement.
TaxReturn.cpa publishes individual tax preparation prices based on the complexity of your return.
Standard
Straightforward individual income tax preparation.
Plus
Returns with an additional area of complexity.
Complex
Returns involving multiple or more significant areas of complexity.
Advanced
Specialized or unusually complex situations reviewed before pricing.
These are preparation prices, not annual membership fees. Your preparation level depends on the information provided and may change if additional documentation reveals materially greater complexity. Additional services may be separately priced.
Know When Your Return Is Scheduled
TaxReturn.cpa displays current production availability before you become a client.
After signing your engagement agreement and completing payment, you can reserve an available production date.
A production date is not a meeting with your preparer. It is the date your completed organizer and tax documents are scheduled to enter our preparation workflow.
Our normal delivery target is the end of the third week following your production date, provided your required information is complete and no significant unexpected issue requires additional work. This is a target, not a guaranteed completion date. Incomplete information may require rescheduling.
What If the IRS Sends You a Notice?
Not every IRS notice means you are being audited. Notices can involve payments, missing information, proposed adjustments, or other account matters.
TurboTax offers audit-related assistance and certain protection services under its published terms. Some forms of representation require separate coverage.
TaxReturn.cpa's annual memberships include defined assistance with covered IRS notices. Boulanger CPA and Consulting PC separately provides IRS and state tax controversy representation when the matter falls within an accepted engagement.
The distinction is important: notice assistance is not the same as full audit representation. Formal representation, appeals, and other controversy services may require a separate engagement and fee. No tax outcome is guaranteed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a CPA firm always better than TurboTax?
No. TurboTax may be a practical, convenient, and lower-cost option. A CPA firm may be a better fit when you want an ongoing professional relationship, a defined service model, or additional support beyond annual preparation.
Doesn't TurboTax already use CPAs?
Yes. TurboTax offers access to CPAs, enrolled agents, and other tax experts. TaxReturn.cpa's distinction is that you engage Boulanger CPA and Consulting PC, and every completed return receives substantive CPA review.
Can I keep the same TurboTax expert each year?
TurboTax Expert Full Service offers the option to work with the same expert in a later year, subject to that professional's continued participation and availability. TaxReturn.cpa provides continuity through the CPA firm itself, although individual staff assignments may change.
Does TurboTax provide year-round help?
Yes. TurboTax advertises year-round access to tax experts under applicable service terms and operating hours. TaxReturn.cpa offers defined membership services, including IRS monitoring and covered notice assistance, with planning meetings under Meridian.
Can TaxReturn.cpa handle K-1s, rental properties, and RSUs?
Yes. We prepare individual returns involving these and other complex tax situations, subject to review of the facts and required documentation. Some returns require Advanced pricing.
Does membership include IRS audit defense?
No. Membership includes defined IRS monitoring and notice-assistance services. Full audit representation, appeals, and other tax controversy services are separately engaged when appropriate.
Does IRS account monitoring guarantee that problems will be found?
No. Monitoring requires valid IRS authorization and depends on information available through IRS systems. Clients must still review and promptly forward notices they receive.
Can I see my price before hiring TaxReturn.cpa?
Yes. Our online questionnaire provides a preliminary preparation level and price. Advanced situations require individual review. You can also view current production availability before completing an engagement.
Already Paying for Professional Tax Help?
TurboTax may still be the right choice. But if you want an ongoing relationship with a CPA firm, transparent preparation pricing, and a defined production schedule, consider TaxReturn.cpa.
Know the price. Know the schedule. Work with a CPA-led firm.
See Your PriceNo sales consultation required to review your preparation level, price, and current production availability.
TurboTax and TurboTax Live are trademarks of Intuit Inc. TaxReturn.cpa is a service of Boulanger CPA and Consulting PC and is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Intuit Inc.