Tax Returns
Personal Tax Return Preparation in Chicago
Federal and Illinois personal returns, including the messy ones and the late ones.
Why owners call about tax returns
Each one is a conversation we have had this month.
- You have 1099 income and no settled view of what you deduct against it
- You own a rental unit, or you sold one this year
- You moved between states, or you worked in a state you do not live in
- A year sits unfiled
- A letter arrived from the IRS or the Illinois Department of Revenue
- Your refund or your bill moved sharply from last year with no explanation
What sets the price
A straightforward personal return starts at $150. Anything more complex gets quoted before we begin, and the quoted number is the number.
- Self-employment income, and how organized the records are
- Number of rental properties, and whether any were bought or sold
- How many states the return has to reach
- Investment activity, K-1s, and any cost basis needing reconstruction
- Whether prior years also need filing or amending
From $150 · Personal return
How it starts
Nobody signs anything before a number is on the table.
Send the documents
Drop them off, email them, or bring the folder in. Anything missing comes back to you as one list rather than six emails over three weeks.
We price the return first
You get the fee before the work starts. A return more involved than it looked gets a revised quote, never a surprise invoice.
We walk you through it
Before you sign, we go through what changed against last year and what is likely to change next year. Planning happens in that conversation.
We file, then keep the calendar
Federal and Illinois go together, electronically. Estimated payment dates for the coming year sit on our calendar as well as yours.
Trades we do this for
Every industry page lists the returns, the form numbers and the dates.
Tax Returns
Common questions
How much does tax preparation cost?
A straightforward personal return starts at $150. Returns with self-employment income, rentals or several states cost more because they take longer. You get the price before we start.
What do I need to bring to my appointment?
Photo ID, Social Security numbers for everyone on the return, last year’s return, and every tax form you received: W-2, 1099, 1098, K-1 and any IRS letters. Bring your books or statements if you are self-employed.
Do you file Illinois returns as well as federal?
Yes. Both go out together, plus other states when you need them.
How far back do you still file?
Filing a late return has no cutoff. Collecting a refund does, generally three years from the original due date. Old refunds expire while old balances do not, so recent unfiled years deserve attention first.
A letter came from the IRS. Should I pay it?
Read it, then have someone check the figures before you pay. A large share of the notices we see are automated matching letters treating every 1099 as pure profit with no cost against it. Answering with the correct numbers often closes the notice for less than the printed amount, and sometimes for nothing.
Are you open outside tax season?
Yes, year round. Extensions, notices, amended returns and estimated payments arrive in every month of the year.
Get your price this week
The first conversation is free. We read three months of statements, quote a flat figure and hold it. We reply the same working day.