States may limit some federal breaks, but can be more lenient in, say, taxing pension income. It depends on the complexity of your affairs and the type of help you hire. Attorneys in most cases are not the right choice. Lawyers are generally needed if you do battle with the IRS in court, and they may help in an audit. They also represent people under criminal investigation for, say, willfully failing to file returns.
Attorneys can also be useful for estate or business planning.
But for doing a tax return and planning general tax-saving tactics, accountants are generally better and cheaper. CPAs, or certified public accountants, are highly trained and include many of the most proficient tax experts. But they are generally overqualified for average taxpayers who have fairly straightforward returns yet want some handholding. Many CPAs, particularly at national and other large accounting firms, deal mostly with wealthy individuals or businesses. Some specialize in areas such as retirement plans or small business organization and can be valuable if you need detailed help in a specific area.