The before and after of switching to a real accountant instead of TurboTax

Laura Chen · 2026-06-28T16:30:06.071697+00:00

I spent 3 years doing my own taxes with software (you know, the cheap stuff). Thought I was saving money. Then I hired a CPA last April in Austin and she found $2,300 in deductions I missed. Literally just from asking me one question about my home office setup. Now I pay her $400 a year and still come out way ahead. Has anyone else had that moment where you realized DIY was costing you more than hiring a pro?

hannah3202mo ago

Did your CPA actually review your prior returns too?

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gray_morgan2mo ago

Whoa, that's a great point @nelson.vera, but what about @hannah320 - did your CPA actually tell you exactly which types of businesses or side hustles get that home office deduction the most? I'm always curious if it's worth it for someone who just does freelance work on the couch half the time.

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nelson.vera2mo ago

Oh yeah @hannah320, my CPA totally looked back at my old returns. She caught stuff from two years ago too. Honestly, I felt kind of dumb for not doing it sooner. The home office thing was the biggest one for me. She asked one simple question about how I use my spare room and boom, $800 I missed. I mean, TurboTax gives you a list of like 20 things to check, but a real person actually knows which ones apply to you. The cost for her to amend those past years was already built into her fee, so it was a no-brainer.

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