If you’ve got a long list of stocks, bonds, write-offs, or rental properties, you may decide to pay for a little handholding. Tax professionals know the drill, and most tax software will take you through every possible consideration, step by step.
“If they’ve got anything more complicated than just one income statement then they should seek professional help,” says David Robbins, a partner at Nieminski Robbins & Associates, a certified public accounting firm in Chicago.