Tax preparation in Sacramento
Federal and California returns prepared by a former federal auditor, with the price published before you book. Remote anywhere in the U.S., in person around Sacramento.
Individual returns from $200, self-employed from $400. $1 million audit defense included with every return. See every price
Tax Preparation
For individuals and the self-employedA tax return is a set of numbers someone has to stand behind. Every return here is reviewed and signed by Tony Pisarenko, a CTEC Registered Tax Preparer who spent ten years as a federal auditor before founding APAL in 2022. He has read thousands of returns from the other side of the desk, which is why ours are prepared to survive a second look.
You work with Tony directly, not a call center. Your return is prepared in Intuit ProConnect, professional tax software, he goes over it with you before anything is filed, and we e-file federal and California once you sign.
Prices are published below. What you see is what you pay, unless your situation adds forms we could not know about, and then you hear the number before we continue.
Every return includes
- Federal and California returns, e-filed, with a PDF copy for your records
- A review of last year's return for missed credits and deductions; if an amendment is worth filing, we quote it
- A short review call before filing, so you understand your refund or balance
- Next year's estimated payment vouchers and withholding advice when you need them
- $1 Million Tax Audit Defense from Protection Plus: if the IRS or FTB sends a notice or audits the return, their enrolled agents and CPAs handle it for three years, at no charge to you. Bought on its own it costs $59.95 a return
- Secure document upload through Intuit Link. No email attachments, no photos of your W-2 in a text
What a return costs
Federal and California together. Every price is public, and you hear about anything extra before we continue.
| Your situation | Price |
|---|---|
| Individual returnW-2 income, standard deduction, interest or dividends. | $200from |
| Individual return with more going onItemized deductions, stock sales, dependents, education or childcare credits, Covered California. | $300from |
| Self-employedSchedule C for freelancers, contractors, gig work and single-member LLCs, with the self-employment tax and the QBI deduction worked out. | $400from |
| Rental propertySchedule E with depreciation, per property, added to any return above. | +$75each |
| S-Corp or partnership ownerPersonal return with K-1s, basis tracking and the QBI deduction. $200 when we prepare the business return too; see the business returns page. | $400from, on its own |
| Amended returnFixing a return someone else filed, or claiming something that was missed. | $250from |
What "from" means here
Each price covers one federal return and one California return. Additional states, foreign income or accounts, stock options and heavy crypto activity add forms, and we quote those before we start. Prior-year returns cost the same as a current one. If you are several years behind, we look at the records first and give you the full price in writing.
Every price includes the $1 Million Tax Audit Defense program from Protection Plus, which costs $59.95 a return when bought separately, and a year of identity theft restoration. Firms around Sacramento rarely publish a price for a return at all. Ours are here so you can decide before you book, not after.
Three steps, no office visit required
Book
Two minutes of intake below, then pick a time. The same day you get a secure Intuit Link invitation listing exactly what to upload.
Upload and review
Upload your documents, or bring them in. Tony prepares the return and goes over it with you on a short call, line by line if you want.
Sign and e-file
You sign electronically, we e-file federal and California, and you get a PDF copy. The IRS issues most e-filed refunds in under 21 days.
Where this fits
Switching from software or a chain
Your return got more complicated than tax software, or you want a person who answers the phone in July. Bring last year's return and we check it for anything missed.
Self-employed and gig workers
Contractors, truckers, realtors, barbers, rideshare and delivery drivers. We sort out what counts as an expense, set up next year's estimates, and tell you when an S-Corp would actually save money.
A year or more behind
Unfiled years, an IRS letter on the counter, or a return someone else got wrong. We pull your transcripts, file what is missing, and set up a payment plan if there is a balance.
Tax preparation, answered
Are you a CPA?
No. Tony Pisarenko is a CTEC Registered Tax Preparer (#A334694), which is the California registration required of paid preparers who are not CPAs, enrolled agents or attorneys. Before APAL he spent a decade as a federal auditor at the U.S. Department of the Interior, reviewing other people's numbers for a living. If your situation genuinely needs a CPA or an attorney, we will tell you so at the first call.
Do I have to come into an office?
No. Most returns are handled remotely: you upload your documents through a secure Intuit Link portal, we prepare the return, go over it with you on a short call or by email, and you sign electronically. Clients around Sacramento, Elk Grove, Folsom, Roseville and El Dorado Hills are welcome to meet in person in Rancho Murieta by appointment.
What do I need to send you?
Last year's return, your W-2s and 1099s, any 1095-A if you had Covered California insurance, mortgage and property tax statements, childcare and education expenses, and for self-employed clients a summary of income and expenses. The tax checklist page lists everything by situation, and your secure upload invitation shows the same list.
What happens if the IRS or the FTB sends me a letter?
Send it to us. Every return we file comes with the $1 Million Tax Audit Defense program from Protection Plus, at no charge to you. Their enrolled agents and CPAs read the notice, prepare the response, and represent you before the IRS or the Franchise Tax Board, all the way through a full audit, for three years after that return's filing deadline. Identity theft restoration for you, your spouse and your dependents is included for a year. A notice about a return we did not prepare is quoted separately.
I have not filed for a few years. Can you help?
Yes. Prior-year returns are prepared at the same prices as a current one. We pull your IRS wage and income transcripts so nothing is missed, file the oldest year first, and set up a payment plan if there is a balance. If you are several years behind, we look at the records first and give you the full price in writing before any work starts.
Book your tax appointment
Two minutes. Your answers go to Tony directly, then you pick a time right below. Documents come later, through a secure link, never through this form.
Pick a time
A 30-minute call or in-person meeting to go over your situation. Your secure upload link follows the same day.
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Know someone who dreads April?
Refer a friend or family member. When their return is filed, you both get $50 off.