Self-Employed Taxes - Does anyone else do their own?

[june'smom]

My husband and I own a small business and I am in the process of doing our taxes.  Every year, I say that I am going to hire someone else to do it, but I keep putting it off. 

I am afraid of making some huge mistake and getting audited later on.  I fear that I am missing something.  But I just don't want to pay some accountant $500 to add up our receipts (which are a mess!).

I HATE TAX SEASON!

[laurabfig]

I think it depends on the size of the business.  I'm an occupational therapist and have a small business on the side of my regular job, where i see private clients and do some consulting.  But the taxes are so straightforward so it is easy to do myself.  If i had payroll, that would be another story.  I've always trusted turbo tax to do ours.

Good Luck!  Tax season does suck. :(

[slvsquared]

I do Schedule C's for myself and my husband each year with no issues. No employees, no payroll. Works out ok for us.

[Orionsmama]

My DH does ours. I work full time and he has a part-time business dealing with art. He has been using the site TaxAct.com. It has been really easy from what he says (I usually hide in the other room) lots of support online and what-nots. This will be year 3 and we always get back the full return.

[Momsteader]

I always do my own as well. No employees (few 1099 indy contractor statements sometimes). I use Taxcut software.

[number572]

I have someone I can PM you... she's in LA, CA like we are, but could do all of it online.  She's great and has made us aware of deductions (legal!) that we weren't taking advantage of and she charges around 195-300 per tax year depending on how involved your taxes are.  PM me if you'd like her info. Plus she's a great personality, very nice woman.   And I didn't know this until we already hired her but she's a new mom, so it also feels neat to be able to help her do her at-home job.  I hope me saying that doesn't offend anyone!  I do like supporting work-from-home parents.  She's nothing but professional.

editing to add - I also always prepared my own taxes until recently, but she made me aware of deductions and cut the headache/insecurity for me, so it's been well worth it in the end, even financially.

[june'smom]

I am going to talk to someone tomorrow.  We do have a few 1099s that we file, as well as a husband who keeps TERRIBLE records, loses receipts, etc.  We made a lot more money last year than we did in 2009, so I am a bit worried about an audit.  I also need advice on possible payroll for this year, as well as lots of business advice, so I am going to bite the bullet and pay someone to help me.  I just hate doing our taxes so much.  Even if I didn't need to this year, I think I would anyway. 
 

Here's hoping they can make sense of our jumbled, terrible financial records (hides head in shame...)