Should tax advisors publish their prices?

Publishing a starting price by return type is one of the highest-return changes a tax practice can make, and the reason is capacity rather than conversion.

During the filing window you have a fixed number of hours. Every inquiry that arrives, gets a consultation, and then discovers the fee is beyond their expectation has consumed time you cannot recover. Multiply that across a season and it is a meaningful share of the weeks with the least slack.

What to publish:

• A starting price by return type. Individual, self-employed, business entity.
• What moves the price. Multi-state, rental properties, number of entities.
• Whether the fee includes anything beyond preparation, such as a planning conversation or notice support.

The practices most resistant to this tend to be the ones whose pricing varies most, but a floor with an explanation of what raises it is both honest and sufficient.

The secondary benefit is that clients who arrive knowing the fee are better prepared and less likely to negotiate at delivery, which is the worst possible moment for that conversation.

It also filters price shoppers before they reach your calendar.