Income/Firm transparency

Are you doing a survey or what are you trying to get a handle on?

You go first.

100,000 people. 100 years.  We don't charge, we do it because we're just having fun.

Do you really expect people to answer such personal questions?

And how exactly can you answer a question like how much do you charge for a 1040.  I'm sure in your practice every tax return is exactly the same so there is no variation.

Get real - no sarcasm......

How large is your firm?   Just me and a PT receptionist for 10 weeks of the season

How old is your firm?  I went on my own back in 2015? I think

Gross receipts for 2022?  2022 isnt over yet, so I havent counted

How much do you make in the off season? I have no idea, I add up all my income in Jan the following year

How many audits have you had?  No formal audits. Ive seen some new preparers that consider any type of IRS correspondence asking for anything to be an 'audit'.....its not.

How much do you charge for anything....Depends on whats involved and whether I like working with that particular client, a PITA surcharge is incorporated into some client fees.

You forgot to ask: What brand of toilet paper is used in the office bathroom? 😉

"Congratulations, you just made it to my list of creepy guys"

Ok, you got me curious -------- how long is that list?

all I can say is WOW !

Pricing is also subjective to your location - you should add that question to your list

"Since you are level 15, I am interested in hearing about your firm"

I started off working for a CPA firm that did quality work but was also known for its high prices.  Thirty years ago I started up doing my own thing.  That reputation of being expensive bothered me and I have over compensated over the years and work too cheap.  But preparing tax returns is just part of my gig.  We also do our fair share of auditing so I shift gears from tax to audit once that regular tax deadline hits.

Your thirst to find out what everyone else is doing doesn't really mean that much.  We all live in different areas and our clients often have different needs.  I could charge $25 for a tax return if I really wanted to and could probably make ends meet if I really needed to.  I live in a rural area and could probably live off the $25 return because I could fill up the freezer with fish and wild game instead of going to the grocery store.  Someone with a practice in downtown NY or LA aren't going to be able do that.  And besides, what are your real needs?  From dealing with clients over the years, I have learned that what someone considers a necessity changes as their income increases.  When you are making $25,000 a year, a new in '72 station wagon (with fake wood trim) is probably all you really need for transportation.  Someone making $250,000 could be thinking they wouldn't be caught dead in anything less than a brand new BMW.

So the moral of the story is, go do your thing and don't worry about what the other guy is doing.  I know years ago one of our competitors used to drive by our office at night to see if our lights were still on (his way of trying to determine how busy we were).  So do your thing and if your "thing" works for you I'll borrow from Nike and say "just do it".