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Ask HN: How to get knowledgeable TurboTax support?

4 points by orzig ↗ HN
Last year I got this guy who was fantastic. He spent an hour on the phone with me, had a ton of expertise, and did some additional research. But none of the 4 I've talked to this year are even reading the details of my questions, much less bringing expertise.

Is there a secret to getting the good ones?

(I agree that TT's lobbying is terrible, but let's talk about that on a different thread.)

3 comments

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tacostakohashi
This is a bit of a paradoxical question, because TurboTax is pretty much by definition a mass-market package designed for the lowest common denominator.

If your stuff is simple enough that TurboTax is not confusing and you can tolerate all the dumb animations and interstitials, great, if not, find a tax pro (enrolled agent) who can do it using more sensible software like Drake, TaxWise, etc.

orzig
I’m 3 for 3 on terrible tax professionals. Maybe just bad luck - how would you find a good one? What cost is expected? I obviously value my own time as a solo consultant, but some of the tax firms I have seen blow that calculation out of the water. I’m not a cheapskate: I paid $700 last year for someone recommended by a friend, and still got a significant error.

Any guidance would be fantastic!

vipull
I’ve used TT for yrs and been happy with the support. The questions I’ve had have been fairly simple, though.

I’d say wait for the next guy?