How to find a good CPA for filing taxes. (1 Viewer)

[doughboy63]

Disclaimer:
I am not asking for tax advise, more how to find/vet a CPA who is good at minimizing our tax burden, as well as questions to ask.

Background:
I normally file my own taxes through TurboTax. We routinely have a very straightforward tax return. Married, filing jointly. Each have a W2 job and we contribute to a 401k through our employer. Mortgage with associated real estate taxes.

Things that are different:
I am a full time Graduate student for all of 2025. I did work a few shifts here and there but probably made less than $5k for the year. We sold a decent chunk of stocks to help offset my lack of income. We held onto what we think will be the taxes owed on these. I think there are ways to lower tax burden like IRAs and such but don’t know the ins and outs, or if it will make that much of a difference.

What I want to know:
How do I go about finding a “good” CPA to get advice on this topic and help us file our taxes this year. Also, any questions I should be asking them, or any suggestions on things I should research to help me accomplish my goal of paying less in taxes.

Thanks!

 

[chippitydoodah]

 

[MC_CPA]

Hmmm I wonder...

But for real I wish I could help, I just do the corp taxes not the personal taxes.

 

[BarrieJ3]

I’ll join in. We give up every year and end up at H&R Block which is just the absolute worst experience and has left so much on table last 2+ years.

more how to find/vet a CPA who is good at minimizing our tax burden, as well as questions to ask.

How DO we find and vet the right person?

Trying to maintain some privacy, but a couple aspects that make me feel like we need a professional, except they all look the same:

• Don’t care how we file (hourly, separate, etc.)
• Multiple states and potentially multiple countries.
• Long term capital gains (original ownership in company sold) recognized in state that taxes them as standard tax, but moved and lived half year in state that taxes them separately/0.
• Not insignificant % of income received through bonus structure, not all salary.
• 2nd property - no clue how it would be viewed, but it’s not primary residence and represents a sizable loss due to occupant nonpayment

 

[Highli99]

I am a CPA and I don’t even do my own taxes. Luckily the company I work for does them for me. Like anything in life, you pay for what you get.

Tax accountants are like mechanics. People find a good one and stay with them a long time. I’d ask around your network and maybe get a local intro from someone with a trusted relationship. Big firms are expensive. Smaller shops with a handful of CPA’s can be a good fit for someone like you. Some are also financial advisors which can be helpful.

 

[doughboy63]

I am a CPA and I don’t even do my own taxes. Luckily the company I work for does them for me. Like anything in life, you pay for what you get.

Tax accountants are like mechanics. People find a good one and stay with them a long time. I’d ask around your network and maybe get a local intro from someone with a trusted relationship. Big firms are expensive. Smaller shops with a handful of CPA’s can be a good fit for someone like you. Some are also financial advisors which can be helpful.

Thank you. This is the kind of reply I was hoping for. More comments tips appreciated.

 

[doughboy63]

I’ll join in. We give up every year and end up at H&R Block which is just the absolute worst experience and has left so much on table last 2+ years.

How DO we find and vet the right person?

Trying to maintain some privacy, but a couple aspects that make me feel like we need a professional, except they all look the same:

• Don’t care how we file (hourly, separate, etc.)
• Multiple states and potentially multiple countries.
• Long term capital gains (original ownership in company sold) recognized in state that taxes them as standard tax, but moved and lived half year in state that taxes them separately/0.
• Not insignificant % of income received through bonus structure, not all salary.
• 2nd property - no clue how it would be viewed, but it’s not primary residence and represents a sizable loss due to occupant nonpayment

Went to H&R once. Similar situation, multi-state, buying selling homes, etc. I felt like I was sitting across the desk from someone with about as much tax training as me, they asked similar questions as TurboTax and clicked through their software. Ended up paying 3x what the TurboTax software and filing fees would have been. Did not feel there was much value add tbh.

 

[acezag]

I have a pretty complicated tax situation running a business, and I finally gave up on CPAs. In my admittedly limited experience, anything affordable ($1200 or less) are basically just using a glorified version of Turbotax, and 90% of what I discovered I was paying them for was entering my data into the app that was actually doing the work.

Anecdotal, but I didn't need or want that. I needed professional expertise to guide me on how to structure my taxes and save money, and the handful of folks I worked with, I was actually correcting pretty major errors that would have cost me thousands of dollars. They were literally just glorified data entry people.

 

[MC_CPA]

I have a pretty complicated tax situation running a business, and I finally gave up on CPAs

Just for fun I can take a look if you want haha.