How much does a CPA cost
How much does a CPA cost in San Diego
- The IRS puts the average out-of-pocket cost of filing a 2025 Form 1040 at $290, including preparer fees, software and postage.
- The California Board of Accountancy (CBA) says fee matters are outside its jurisdiction, so the CPA and client set the fee between them.
- A California CPA may not prepare an original or amended return or a refund claim for a contingent fee, one tied to a specific result.
A Mission Valley couple has W-2 pay, restricted stock units (RSUs) from a Sorrento Valley biotech and a condo rental they report on Schedule E.
How much does a CPA charge for taxes
The IRS ties preparation fees to:
- The tax situation
- The type of software or professional preparer
- The location
Individual returns
- $160 at the light end, for the 71% of 2025 Form 1040 returns with no Schedule C, E or F or Form 2106
- $610 for the 29% with any of them, such as the Mission Valley couple's return, with the condo rental on Schedule E
Most filers spend less time and money than the average, the IRS says.
Business returns
- About $5,734 a filer for corporations, partnerships and S corporations: the IRS's preliminary August 2026 estimate of $78.213 billion in out-of-pocket costs, divided across 13.64 million filers
- 60 hours 36 minutes of work per filer, in the same IRS estimate
- Owners weighing CPA cost for small business: the IRS counts sole proprietors, who file Schedule C with Form 1040, among individual filers
San Diego prices and pay
- The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) measured 2024 San Diego prices at 111.9, against a US level of 100
- BEA measured San Diego services other than rent and utilities at 99.6
- The Bureau of Labor Statistics put the May 2025 average hourly wage for San Diego business and financial operations jobs at $49.42, against $45.78 nationwide
These are the factors, not a quote.
Getting a CPA quote
The CBA recommends an engagement letter, a written agreement in which the CPA states the cost of the services.
Ask the CPA to price the condo rental, the RSU sales and any Tijuana account reporting as separate lines.
Before calling, self-employed filers can read up on California self-employment tax.
Under the CBA's fee rules, a CPA:
- Must disclose any commission in writing, giving the client the amount or its basis, the payer and the payer's relationship to the CPA
- Must have the client sign the disclosure
- May not take a fee or commission solely for referring a client to a third party
The CBA does not treat a tax fee as contingent when:
- The CPA bases the fee on a court ruling or a government agency's finding
- A taxing authority is reasonably expected to review the return or claim in substance
Extra forms to price in a CPA quote
- Tijuana bank accounts:
- A US person with more than $10,000 in foreign accounts combined at any time in 2026 files an FBAR, the Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts. The filer e-files it with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) by April 15, 2027, apart from the tax return. FinCEN extends the deadline automatically to October 15, 2027.
- Biotech RSU sales:
- Employees who sell RSU shares report the sales on Form 8949 and carry the totals to Schedule D. A filer can report a sale directly on Schedule D when the broker reported the basis to the IRS and the filer has no adjustment to make.
- San Diego LLCs:
- A San Diego limited liability company (LLC) without corporate tax treatment files Form 568 and pays the $800 annual tax using Form 3522.
