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Get an actual human CPA to prep your taxes for just $79

That's an even bigger discount thanks to this Cheapskate-exclusive coupon. Normally, Visor's flat-rate tax-return preparation would cost you up to $198.

Rick Broida Senior Editor
Rick Broida is the author of numerous books and thousands of reviews, features and blog posts. He writes CNET's popular Cheapskate blog and co-hosts Protocol 1: A Travelers Podcast (about the TV show Travelers). He lives in Michigan, where he previously owned two escape rooms (chronicled in the ebook "I Was a Middle-Aged Zombie").
Rick Broida
2 min read
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I'm still on the road, cheeps, but here's an update of a deal from last month -- an update with extra savings!

Funny how the planets align sometimes. Because tax-return season is officially underway, I've been getting ready to write about Visor, a service that charges a flat rate to hook you up with a certified public accountant who'll prepare and file your return and answer your questions.

That rate is an attractive $99, though it jumps to $198 if you add a "tax situation" such as self-employed status or stock sales. But lo and behold, suddenly there's a deal.

For a limited time, ZDNet Academy has Visor tax-prep (with one free add-on) for $79 with promo code VISOR10 -- a savings of either $20 or $119, depending on your situation.

Visor works like this: You answer a few questions about your income, get paired with a live, human CPA, then upload your documents. The CPA then prepares your return, shares it with you for review and, ultimately, files it. This includes both your federal and state returns, according to the deal page.

As noted above, add-ons normally cost $99 extra, but this deal lets you add either self-employed status or stock and cryptocurrency sales for free.

My question: Where has this been all my life? I've been self-employed forever, and after I gave up on tax-prep software -- it always confused the heck out of me -- I started working with a CPA. An awesome CPA, to be sure, but let's just say I paid way more than $99. Or, in this case, $89.

I haven't used Visor myself (though I may well end up doing so), so I can't say for sure if it's as easy as it claims to be. I will note that once you redeem your ZDNet Academy-purchased license for the service, there are no refunds. Unredeemed licenses can be returned within 15 days, but only for store credit. These are fairly common policies for services, but I just wanted to make sure you're aware.

Your thoughts? I love the idea of flat-rate tax prep, especially if allows me to work with a living, breathing CPA instead of potentially frustrating software.

Read more: The best online tax software for 2020

Originally published on Feb. 5, 2019.
Updated, Feb. 18: Added discount code.


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