# Cost for an accountant



## gopostal (Sep 4, 2014)

Hi all,

Wondering about those who use an accountant to file their US tax. I'm looking at using one for my spouse, a Canadian/US dual, lifelong resident of Canada who is needing to file US taxes. 

I'd be curious to know what your basic tax situation is (do you have RRSP/RESP/income/other/FBAR), and how much does an accountant charge you?

Just trying to get a sense of what to expect. You know, so I don't pass out.


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

Depending on what your spouse's situation is, you may well be able to cope by using the online tax preparation software. With income under $58,000 (or thereabouts) it may all be free - but even after that point, you can get perfectly adequate tax prep software for well under $100.

You're kind of limited to the tax software that can handle "foreign" addresses - and I notice that this year, TurboTax, the perennial favorite, was dropped from the list of software for expats but the list does seem to change every year.

Take a look at Publication 54, which is the "Bible" for filing from overseas. Then there is the list of software that can be used from overseas: http://photos.state.gov/libraries/france/5/irs/efiling.pdf (It was prepared by the Paris IRS office, but is applicable for most countries.)
Cheers,
Bev


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