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Where Can I Find a Tax Preparer?

“Are you taking new clients?” We get several of these calls a day…and so do our peer companies in Central Oregon. Usually the caller follows this question with, “I have been calling around, and nobody is taking new clients.”


Here’s the unpleasant truth: the accounting industry is facing a nationwide tax preparer shortage. Whether you are talking about CPAs, Enrolled Agents, or uncredentialed preparers…people are leaving the field faster than new people are entering it. And recent tax law changes have increased the complexity and time involved in preparing many tax returns, which means there’s less capacity to add new clients.


So tax preparation offices are full – in many cases, more than full. If you are having trouble finding a preparer, here are a few other options you may want to look into:

  • If you are over 50, the AARP offers a free tax return service staffed by volunteers. Note that there are limits to what services this program offers – complicated tax returns may not qualify. A couple ways to get in touch:    800-906-9887 or use the VITA Locator Tool,   or    888-227-7669 or use the AARP Locator Tool.
  • For Oregon residents, a similar program is offered by CASH Oregon. There are both income and complexity limits to qualify.
  • The United Way offers a tax preparation assistance service called myfreetaxes.
  • IRS has a page that lets you search for nearby registered preparers. Just because a name appears on the list, doesn’t necessarily mean the preparer is accepting new clients. This list also doesn’t provide contact information, but at least can give you some names to search in Google.
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