Is it worth paying someone to do my taxes or should I do it myself?

What we actually checked before giving you an answer

This question gets a lot of vague, hedge-everything answers online because tax prep companies have financial incentives on both sides of it. We went to the primary sources: IRS data on return complexity and error rates, National Society of Accountants fee surveys, peer-reviewed research on tax preparer accuracy, and the NBER's economic analysis of DIY filing outcomes. We looked at what actually changes in a return's accuracy and final tax liability depending on who prepares it — and the pattern is clear and consistent across the evidence.

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  IRS Free File eligibility and error data reviewed Roughly 70% of taxpayers qualify for IRS Free File, and IRS e-file error rates are below 1% versus about 21% for paper returns — confirming that the software itself is reliable for straightforward situations.
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  National Society of Accountants 2024 fee survey consulted Confirmed current average professional preparation fees: ~$220 for a simple federal return, ~$320 with itemized deductions — giving us a concrete cost baseline for the DIY-vs-pro comparison.
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  TIGTA and academic research on preparer accuracy examined The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration has found significant error rates among commercial paid preparers for complex returns — which means "hiring someone" is not automatically safer; credential level matters.
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  Self-employment and rental property complexity thresholds verified Cross-referencing Schedule C, Schedule E, and depreciation rules confirmed that these are the genuine inflection points where professional expertise measurably changes tax outcomes and reduces audit risk.

The right answer depends on your situation — here's how to find yours

There is no single correct answer for everyone, but there is a correct answer for you — and it comes down to the complexity of your financial life, not how confident you feel about spreadsheets.

The approaches people try first that tend to backfire

These paths feel reasonable on the surface — they're popular, they're cheap, or they're convenient — but each one carries a specific hidden cost worth knowing before you commit.

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  Using a non-credentialed "tax preparer" at a pop-up or storefront with no PTIN verification — Anyone can legally call themselves a tax preparer in most states; only CPAs, Enrolled Agents, and attorneys have federally regulated credentials and ongoing education requirements. TIGTA investigations have repeatedly documented high error rates and even fraud from unregulated preparers, and you — not the preparer — are legally responsible for what's on your return.
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  Filing a paper return instead of e-filing to "keep it simple" — Paper returns have a roughly 21% error rate (mostly IRS data-entry errors) versus under 1% for e-filed returns, according to IRS processing statistics. Paper returns also take significantly longer to process and delay any refund by weeks. There is no benefit to paper filing for the vast majority of taxpayers.
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  Choosing a tax preparer based on "biggest refund guaranteed" advertising — A preparer who guarantees the biggest refund is advertising that they'll push aggressive positions that may not be legally supportable. If those positions trigger an audit or a correction, you owe the back taxes, interest, and potentially penalties — the preparer does not. The correct goal is an accurate return, not the largest refund.
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  Skipping professional help to save $300 when you're self-employed — Self-employed filers face the most complex part of the tax code: self-employment tax, quarterly estimated payments, home office deductions, vehicle expenses, retirement contributions, and Section 199A deductions. Missing even one significant deduction can cost more than a professional's entire fee. This is not the place to economize on expertise.