As we prepare for the 2026 tax season, we want to share some important updates about how we’re evolving our practice and what it means for you. These changes are driven by the increasing complexity of tax law, rising operational costs, and a significant shift by the government towards digital financial transactions.
The Changing Reality of Tax Preparation
After over 20 years in this business, we’ve watched tax preparation transform completely. What used to be a straightforward 1040 has become increasingly complex with each passing year.
Another round of sweeping tax reforms has further complicated the code. The “simple return” is becoming a vanishing species — nearly every return now requires significantly more time, expertise, and attention to detail than it did even five years ago.
Meanwhile, our costs continue climbing:
- Professional tax software subscriptions
- Mandatory continuing education requirements
- General business overhead and technology infrastructure
These realities have forced us to reevaluate both our operations and our pricing structure.
Moving Toward Paperless Operations: Aligning with Government Mandates
We’re committed to transitioning to a fully digital workflow. This benefits everyone through improved efficiency, enhanced security, and long-term sustainability. Crucially, this transition also aligns with the IRS’s own push towards mandatory electronic payments and a paperless system. As the IRS phases out paper checks, embracing digital solutions is no longer just a convenience; it’s becoming a necessity.
What This Means for You
In-person drop-offs continue. We’re not eliminating the personal touch you value. For the 2026 season, you can still bring documents to our office. However, we strongly encourage trying our digital upload system — it’s easier than you might think.
Printed returns now cost $25. This fee covers the time and materials for printing, organizing, and handling physical documents. Your completed returns will be available for secure download through TaxDome, our client portal. If you prefer a printed copy, we’re happy to provide one for the additional fee.
Digital delivery becomes the standard. When your return is ready, you’ll receive an email notification and can download it immediately from TaxDome. Here’s a video walkthrough of how the portal works.
Help is available. Dan was an IT professional before we bought this practice and genuinely enjoys helping people navigate technology. Don’t hesitate to reach out — no question is too basic.
Updated Fee Structure
Our minimum fee for tax preparation is increasing for the 2026 tax season.
This reflects:
- The increased complexity of modern tax returns
- Our professional expertise and ongoing education
- The value of the comprehensive services we provide
We understand this may represent a significant change, especially if you have a relatively straightforward tax situation.
Is Our Service Right for You?
We genuinely value every client relationship. But we also want to be transparent: our full-service approach may be more robust than some clients need or want to pay for.
If you’re looking for more basic tax preparation, several local programs offer free or low-cost services:
- AARP Tax-Aide — Free tax help for seniors
- VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) — Free help for low-to-moderate income taxpayers
- Other community tax assistance programs
Important timing note: These programs fill up extremely fast. If you’re interested, start looking in January to secure your spot.
We’re not trying to push anyone away. We simply want to ensure that working together makes financial sense for your situation and budget.
What We Need from You
To help us plan our capacity for the upcoming season, please respond to our email confirming:
- You’ve received notice of the fee increase for tax year 2025
- You’d like to proceed with us for this season
Please respond by January 15th.
Questions or Concerns?
We know change can be uncomfortable, especially when it comes to both pricing and technology. If you have questions about:
- The fee increase
- Using TaxDome (our digital portal)
- Whether our services are right for you
- Anything else
…please don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re here to help make this transition as smooth as possible.
Thank you for your continued trust.
Alex, John and Dan
AC*TC – Ascuena Campbell Tax Consulting