How Much Does Tax Prep Cost in California?

What Affects Tax Preparation Cost

Tax preparation fees vary based on the complexity of your return. The primary factors that increase cost: number of entities (each LLC, S corp, or partnership requires a separate return), number of states (each state return is additional work), business income (Schedule C, E, or F requires more analysis than W-2 income), investment activity (capital gains, cryptocurrency, and foreign accounts add complexity), and life changes (marriage, divorce, inheritance, or business sale require additional analysis).

KDA Pricing Overview

Contact KDA for a specific quote — pricing depends on the complexity of your situation.

CPA vs. Tax Software

Tax software (TurboTax, H&R Block, etc.) can handle simple returns accurately. However, software does not know what questions to ask, does not identify missed deductions, does not catch errors before they become audit triggers, and does not provide year-round planning advice. For self-employed individuals, business owners, real estate investors, and high-income taxpayers, the cost of professional preparation is typically recovered many times over through identified deductions and avoided errors.

The Value of Professional Preparation

KDA's average client saves $3,200 in taxes per year compared to their prior self-prepared return — through identified deductions, corrected errors, and proactive planning. For S corp clients, the annual payroll tax savings from the S corp election alone typically exceed $10,000. For real estate investors, proper depreciation and cost segregation analysis can generate deductions worth $20,000–$50,000 or more annually.

What Is Included

KDA's tax preparation service includes: federal and California returns, all required schedules and forms, e-filing, IRS and FTB correspondence support for 12 months after filing, and a year-end tax planning consultation. We do not charge separately for phone calls, emails, or questions — our fee covers the relationship, not just the return.