re: Accountants fees skyrocketing

Congress and the states make tax law more complex.

Software companies have to make their systems more complex, which means they have to charge more for their software.

Firms are feeling tremendous labor pressure because of a shortage of warm bodies, and honestly, as tax law gets more complex, we need more than warm bodies.

I do 95% consulting these days and very little tax prep, but our firm's minimum 1040 price this year is $1,500 for no states, $300 per each "easy" state (like LA) and $500 for each "hard" state (like NY).

Our 1065/1120/1120S monimums start at $4,000 and that is with a fully clean set of books including fixed asset depreciation.

For our older clients that are not at those prices, we are raising fees 10% per year / $100 per year (whichever is more) until they get to our min fee... which of course is increasing each year as well.

We are focusing heavy on volume billing. We do very little hourly billing anymore.

Having said that, if your tax return is just a commodity (i.e. no planning or discussion goes into it... just entering in numbers) it's not a good deal for you or for us to have us prepare your tax return.

And yes... we absolutely "high quote" clients who are a pain to us / we don't want to work with. If you leave... bye. If you stay and pay that fee... well at least that makes your aggravation worthwhile.

And for anyone who thinks our fees are too high... every day we are turning away work.