Why is tax preparation at a tax preparation office so expensive?

Public Comments

1. they only make money onces a year, around taX TIME so they need to make a whole years money in a short period of time. and also because they can... they all do it so no choice for you but to pay up.
2. Tax preparers like any other professional have to charge enough money so that they can make a decent living. Also there is going to be a huge demand for any government mandated compliance measures(everyone who works has to file a return). If most people felt comfortable with the tax law and could prepare their own return the price of tax return preparation would drop to almost nothing. Of course you are aware that IRS now has a freefile program that you can access on www.irs.gov . Several software providers now work in conjuction with IRS to provide FREE federal tax filing if you access the company's site thru http://www.irs.gov/efile/article/0,,id=118986,00.html . It is getting cheaper overall to file a return as technology is made available to consumers. The more online taxfile providers there are, the cheaper it will get in the future to fulfill your filing obligations.
3. It is a business.Just like any other business they have expenses. They have to add in all the overhead just like they do when you buy anything. You are buying a service when you have your taxes done.