Should I go to the IRS directly or to hire a preparer (H&R or an EA) to do back taxes? Which will save $?

I have to catch up and do 4 years worth of taxes ('04-'08). I have been a waiter for most of that time, so I will owe $. But I probably won't have deductibles/write-offs that can be found by a hired tax preparer. I never saved receipts for work shirts/pants/shoes bought, or public transportation passes used partly to travel to and from work, or cab fares for the same purpose - maybe I should have. Would these have been write-offs? I have no experience in finding write-offs.


Single, no kids, apt renter, no businesses, property, house, car, or stocks/bond, etc owned, so I guess my tax forms are as straight forward as you can get.


So, should I save the $600 I'd spend going to H%26amp;R Block or an EA and apply it to my tax bill and have the IRS do it for free or should I hire a tax preparer?


Will a hired tax prepare be of any help in setting up a superior payment plan or will I be able to set up the same payment plan with the IRS directly?

Should I go to the IRS directly or to hire a preparer (H%26amp;R or an EA) to do back taxes? Which will save $?
Personal expenses (clothing, commuting) are not deductable.





So...if you have nothing to deduct and your income is less than $39K a year, you might as well let the IRS help you file those tax returns and save the fees.





As for setting up a payment plan. First you need to see what you owe. The IRS will expect you to either set up a plan to pay it over, say, 5 years *or* show why you can't pay that much.





Your biggest problem is that you have tip income. The allocated tips appear to be the reason you owe. Owing is what will make this so expensive. You've got to get a handle on that aspect of your job!
Reply:With your simple situation save your money by going to the IRS directly. A paid preparer would not get you a much better payment plan anyway.
Reply:It probably won't make much if any difference in your tax bill. And the items you mention aren't tax deductible anyway. You'll need good records of what you were paid and what your tips were if you didn't report them all to your employer like you were supposed to. If everything was on a W-2 you'll probably be OK and mightr not even owe anything.





Good luck.



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