In a recent interview with Kathleen DeLaney Thomas, a tax law expert and professor of law at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, she explained that "For many filers with relatively simple tax situations, self-preparing with tax preparation software makes a lot of sense. This would be particularly true for employees...without a lot of itemized deductions. If my primary or only source of income is wages, and I claim few deductions other than the standard deduction, self-preparation is simple." If you hire an accountant to do your taxes and don’t itemize your tax return, the previously mentioned National Association of Accountants report says you’ll pay an average of $176 for your annual tax filing. If you itemize your deductions, that goes up to an average of $273. Business owners and those with more complex tax needs may pay even more. That makes the cost of tax software, which starts at free, very tempting. But though you will often save money doing your own taxes, the DIY approach does take more time and effort on your part. In addition, a professional preparer will likely handle any future audits or problems that come from a tax return they prepared. With software, you may have to pay extra for this service if it’s available at all.