• How do you determine my bill?
• My fees for services are based on the actual time spent at standard hourly rates plus out-of-pocket costs.  My standard hourly rates vary according to the degree of complexity and service provided. 
• How much will it cost me to have my tax return prepared? 
• Because everyone's circumstances are unique to them, it is not possible to answer this question with a firm quote without knowing your specific details.  However, if you can provide a summary of key items, I'll be able to estimate the cost of preparing your tax returns.  Some of the key items would include: 
• Your filing status
• Your dependants
• W-2 Forms for your earnings from your job
• 1099-Int and 1099-Div Forms for interest and dividend
• 1099-B Forms for proceeds from the sale of stock and other investments
• K-1 Forms for investments in small businesses, partnerships, trusts, estates, or LLC’s
• 1099-Misc for other income you received
• Whether or not you have your own, unincorporated business - if so, how are your business records?
• Whether or not you own rental property - if so, how are your records for the related income and expenses?
• 1098 Forms for mortgage interest paid
• A listing of cash and non-cash charitable donations
• Real estate taxes paid
• Auto excise taxes paid
• As a general rule, you can minimize the cost of your tax return preparation with good organization of your tax documents and with good records for your businesses and rental properties.
• How much will I get back or owe with my tax return?
• Because of all of the factors that go into calculating your taxes, it's usually too difficult to answer this question within any meaningful range without actually preparing the return.
• As a general guide, if your specific facts and circumstances didn't change much from last year, you can expect to get back or owe about the same amount as you did with last year's return.
• When will you have my tax return ready for me to file?
• If you are able to provide me with all of the information and documents necessary to prepare your tax return, I am usually able to have your tax return completed within two to three weeks of our initial meeting. 
• Sometimes it will be necessary for me to obtain additional information or documents as I progress with the preparation of your tax return.  If that's the case, depending on how long it takes to obtain the follow-up information, my time to completion could be delayed.