standinfor.me

Email templates · Accountant

Email template to ask an accountant for a tax preparation quote

You need someone to prepare your taxes this year and you want to know what it will cost before you hand over your paperwork. Tax preparers price in different ways: a flat fee, a fee per form, or an hourly rate, and the same return can cost twice as much across town. A CPA is a certified public accountant licensed by your state; an enrolled agent is a preparer licensed by the IRS. Either can sign a return. Asking by email lets you describe your situation once, send it to several preparers, and compare written quotes side by side instead of sitting through "bring everything in and we'll see."

Before you send

  • Last year's return, if you have one. The list of forms and schedules on it is the fastest way to describe your situation.
  • A count of the tax documents you expect this year: W-2s from employers, 1099s for freelance or investment income, and anything unusual like a rental, a small business, or stock sales.
  • Every state you lived or worked in during the year. Each extra state return is usually a separate charge.
  • Your deadline. Say whether you need to file by April 15 or are fine with an extension, and whether you need any bookkeeping cleaned up first.
  • Whether you want to meet in person or do everything by email and a secure upload.
Subject Quote for preparing my [tax year] tax return 
Hi [preparer or firm name],

I'm looking for someone to prepare my [tax year] federal and [state] income tax return, and I'd like a written quote before I send over my documents.

Here is what my return involves:

- [number] W-2s and [number] 1099s
- [Schedule C for a small business / rental property / stock sales / none of these]
- Filing status: [single / married filing jointly / head of household]
- State returns needed: [list of states]
- Last year's return was [number] pages and included [list of schedules, if you know them]

Could you tell me your fee for a return like this, whether that is a flat price or per form, and what would add to the cost? I'd also like to know whether you can work with me [in person / entirely online] and your turnaround time if I get you everything by [date].

I plan to choose a preparer by [date].

Thanks,
[Your name]
[Your phone number]

Everything in brackets is yours to fill in. Keep the rest as it is or change the tone to match how you write.

After you send

  • A good reply gives a number or a tight range and names what would change it. Vague "it depends, come on in" answers after you have listed your forms are a sign the price will grow once you are committed.
  • Ask whether the fee includes answering an IRS letter about the return later, and whether an amended return would cost extra.
  • Anyone who charges to prepare returns must have a preparer tax identification number, or PTIN, from the IRS. Ask for it and check it in the IRS directory of preparers with credentials.
  • Send the same email to two or three preparers. If one quote is far below the others, ask what it leaves out.

Or don't send it yourself

Forward the job to myagent@standinfor.me and let StandIn run the whole thread.

StandIn is an email assistant that handles conversations with businesses for you. You write it one email saying what you need. It writes to the business, waits for the answer, follows up when they go quiet, pushes back on the number when it should, and brings the results back to your inbox for you to decide. You don't need to install an app or sign up. The first email you send is already the start of the task.

Hand this to StandIn opens an email to myagent@standinfor.me with the job already written out

To myagent@standinfor.me Subject Find me a tax preparer and get quotes 
Hi StandIn,

Please find a tax preparer for my [tax year] return and get me written quotes.

My return: [number of W-2s and 1099s, any business, rental, or investment sales].
Filing status: [single / married filing jointly / head of household].
States: [states I lived or worked in].
Last year's preparer and fee, if any: [name and amount, or "did it myself"].
How I want to work: [in person near zip code / fully online].
My deadline: [date].

Contact several preparers in my area, ask each for a fee and turnaround time, confirm they have a current PTIN, and bring me the quotes side by side with your recommendation.

Thanks,
[Your name]

Related templates