The two largest tax-prep services are Jackson Hewitt and H&R Block, but there are plenty of others, and prices and services vary. You should know that many are franchises—which means that while standards and support come from company headquarters, each office may be under separate management.

Which tax-prep service you choose will depend on whether you want a person helping you one-on-one or easy-to-use software. It also depends on whether the company has an office near your home, since using a tax-prep service is first and foremost about convenience.

How to choose:

• Visit the company websites. After you make a list of five or six tax-prep services, go online and view their sites. Most will tell you where the nearest office is based on your ZIP code. Jot down several offices, since each office may be managed differently.

• Scope your e-options. While you’re at the sites, see if the services offer online options. Take a tour of the e-service or call the company to see if the online option is sufficient for your tax needs and matches your form-completion abilities.

• Call for costs. Local branches should give you a ballpark fee. Avoid services that calculate fees based on your refund. They may be too aggressive when calculating your credits, rebates and deductions to maximize fees and land you in hot water with Uncle Sam.

• Frisk the franchise. Ask how your taxes are calculated. Many firms use computers to arrive at refunds or payments due. Also check if there have been complaints about the local service with your local Better Business Bureau. According to the BBB, most complaints against tax-prep services are over billing disputes—meaning high charges for relatively low-income returns.

• Seek experience. Tax preparers in franchise offices are required to attend a 75-hour tax seminar given by the company during which they learn about various tax situations. There are no national educational and professional requirements for tax preparers. So you need to interview the preparer, either over the telephone or at the office. You want someone who has years of experience with the firm and a long track record of problem-free returns.

• Check the safeguards. You want a firm that has a system for double-checking a preparer’s work. You also want to know what happens if you face an audit, what happens if you’re charged a penalty for a mistake the preparer makes, and who can represent you in an audit.

• Beware of traps. Steer clear of services that say they can get you larger refunds than other preparers or promise instant returns. These “fast” tax refunds are actually high-interest loans, since the preparer is lending you now what you’re likely to get back from the government later. Also skip services that base their fee on a percentage of your refund, ask you to sign blank forms before data is completed, and have no policy for answering your questions months after filing should the IRS have problems with your return.

Important: Unlike a CPA, enrolled agent or tax attorney, a tax-prep service is not legally qualified to represent you with the IRS. However, some tax-prep services may provide referrals to such experts.

Want to Know More?

• What's a Tax-Prep Service?
• Should You Use a Tax-Prep Service?
• Grilling Guide: Questions to Ask Tax-Prep Services