If you don t mind spending the time, you can save yourself some money. Those instruction books and forms you get in the mail from the state and the IRS can be daunting, she knows, but if you don t mind reading a little bit, it s not that hard. All you have to read are two pages for each return pages 1 and 2 of the Federal 1040 and pages 1 and 2 of the state 1040 and you can do your whole return, Millian says. If you read the instructions, however, and still don t understand what to do, then it s time to go see a tax preparer or an accountant. Or, if those books just seem too scary to even open, it s also time to find some help, she says.
Fear is the biggest factor here.
Some people are intimidated by the package they get in the mail. If you get that fear even if you don t have any deductions you can go see a tax preparer. But a tax preparer or accountant will cost you money, you say. Well, aside from the time a tax preparer can save you, they can also save you money. Their experience and know-how can protect you from costly mistakes and find deductions you might not know about.