The answer

For one Schedule C and simple expenses, Keeper Standard at $199 a year is the cheapest published way to have a tax pro review and sign your return, and TaxAct Xpert Full Service at $219 plus $69 for all states is the cheapest published price for having an expert prepare and file it. Year-round firms (Pilot, Collective, 1-800Accountant) run $2,188 to $3,588 a year because they also keep your books. Prices as published on 19 October 2026, for returns filed in 2026.

The hand-off ladderwhat each step up buys, with the published price
You prepare itDIY softwareA pro checks itreview or sign-offA pro files itper returnA firm runs ityear-roundFreeTaxUSA: $0 fedTurboTax: $139H&R Block: $75*Keeper: $199/yrTurboTax: $229TaxAct: $219+ $69 all statesTaxfyle: by quotePilot: $2,188+/yrCollective: $2,3881-800Accountant:$3,588/yrEach step up hands more of the work to someone else.The Schedule C is the same form on every step.* H&R Block figure from its pricing page as read on 14 October 2026.
The form never changes: every step files the same Schedule C. What you pay for is who does the work, and the two biggest price jumps come when a pro takes over the preparation and when a firm takes over the books. DIY prices are each vendor's Schedule C tier as published on 19 October 2026.

Which tax prep service fits a freelancer?

The right service depends on how much of the work you want to keep. A freelancer whose books are already clean needs a professional only for the return; a freelancer who has not looked at a receipt since March needs the books done first, and that is what the memberships sell.

The IRS Schedule C page defines the form as the one sole proprietors use "to report income or loss from a business you operated or a profession you practiced," and the IRS self-employment tax page adds Schedule SE once net self-employment earnings reach $400. Every service below files both; the difference is how much they do around them. Our Schedule C guide walks the form line by line.

First-year freelancer, one or two clientsKeeper Standard, $199 a year

A tax pro reviews and signs the return, federal plus up to two states, and the app tracks expenses all year. It is the lowest published price with a professional on the return.

Wants it filed, not just checkedTaxAct Xpert Full Service, $219 + $69 states

TaxAct's experts prepare and file a Form 1040 with Schedule C or F; all states are one $69 add-on. The cheapest fixed price we found for a hands-off return.

Already files with TurboTaxTurboTax Expert Assist, sole proprietors, $229

You keep doing the return in TurboTax, with unlimited help from business tax experts and a final review before you file. State is additional.

Single-member LLC with steady revenuePilot, from $1,000+ a year

Pilot's plan includes the Schedule C, federal and state filing and quarterly safe-harbor payments, but it must be bought with Pilot Bookkeeping, from $99 a month.

LLC heading toward an S corporationCollective LLC, $199 a month

Collective bundles bookkeeping, quarterly federal and state estimates and a basic individual return, and its $349 S Corp plan adds the 1120-S and payroll when you elect.

Wants a dedicated accountant year round1-800Accountant Starter, $299 a month

Billed annually, it files your personal return plus one entity return (Schedule C, 1065, 1120 or 1120-S) with a dedicated team and quarterly reviews.

CeoCult earns a commission if you start a Keeper trial through the Keeper link on this page. It does not change any verdict above or the order below; every other vendor link is a plain editorial link.

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What does a pro-filed Schedule C cost at each service?

A professionally handled Schedule C costs from $199 a year to $3,588 a year at the services we priced, and two of them publish no fixed price at all. The chart puts every service on one yearly scale.

One Schedule C, eight price tagsyearly cost, pricing pages read 19 October 2026
H&R Block Tax Pro Review*from $75Keeper Standard$199/yrTurboTax Assist, sole prop$229 + stateTaxAct Xpert Full Service$288 with statesKeeper Premium$399/yrPilot (needs bookkeeping)from $2,188/yrCollective LLC$2,388/yr1-800Accountant Starter$3,588/yrMonthly plans x 12. Taxfyle and TurboTax Full Service publish no fixed Schedule C price.*Read 14 October 2026.
Per-return prices are for returns filed in 2026 (tax year 2025) and are usually reset when the next filing season opens in January. Pilot's figure adds the $99 a month bookkeeping its tax plan requires to the $1,000+ starting price.

Annual fee, monthly membership or per-return price?

The three pricing models charge for different work, which is why the numbers do not line up. A per-return price (TaxAct, TurboTax, H&R Block) buys one filing season; an annual fee (Keeper) buys the return plus a year of expense tracking; a monthly membership (Collective, 1-800Accountant, Pilot's bookkeeping) buys a team that keeps your books every month.

What each price includesas stated on each pricing page
Pro roleBookkeepingQuarterliesState returnKeeper StandardsignsincludedPremium onlyup to 2TurboTax Assist (sole prop)final reviewnonot listedadditionalH&R Block Pro Review*reviewnonot listed$0 per stateTaxAct Xpert Full Servicefiles itnonot listed+$69 allTaxfyleCPA or EAnoquotequotePilot (SMLLC tax)files itrequiredsafe harborincludedCollective LLCbasic returnincludedfed + statenot stated1-800Accountant Starterfiles itsoftwareComplete onlyincluded
"Not listed" means the pricing page does not name the feature, not that the provider cannot do it. *H&R Block row from its pages as read on 14 October 2026.

Watch the state line. TaxAct charges $69 for all states, TurboTax lists state as additional, Keeper includes up to two states, and Collective's page does not say. For a freelancer who moved mid-year, that line can decide the cheapest option.

Is expert help inside DIY software enough?

For a straightforward Schedule C, usually yes. TurboTax Expert Assist and H&R Block's Tax Pro Review keep you as the preparer and add a credentialed reviewer, which catches the common errors (a missed home office, mileage, or the deductible half of self-employment tax) at a fraction of a membership's cost.

The review is not the same as preparation. If you have not reconciled your income against your 1099 forms, a reviewer checks what you entered, not what you left out. That is the case for TaxAct Xpert Full Service or a firm. Our freelancer filing walkthrough lists what to gather either way, and the deductions guide covers what reviewers most often add.

When does a CPA firm beat a service?

A firm earns its price when there is a decision to make, not just a form to file: an S corporation election, a partnership, multi-state income, or a past-due return. The IRS says anyone with a PTIN can prepare returns for pay, so check credentials before you hand over a Social Security number.

The IRS guide to choosing a tax professional points to its Directory of Federal Tax Return Preparers with Credentials and Select Qualifications, and to the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program for free basic preparation if you qualify. A multi-member LLC files a different return altogether; see our Form 1065 options guide.

Which service should file your Schedule C?

Do you want someone else to keep your books every month?
  1. YesAre you planning an S corporation election in the next year?
    1. YesCollective ($199 a month LLC plan, $349 once you elect).
    2. NoPilot if you want safe-harbor quarterlies set by accountants (from $1,000+ a year plus bookkeeping), or 1-800Accountant Starter ($299 a month) for a dedicated team.
  2. NoWill you prepare the return yourself if a pro checks it?
    1. YesKeeper Standard ($199 a year, signed by a tax pro), or TurboTax Expert Assist ($229 + state) if you already use TurboTax.
    2. NoTaxAct Xpert Full Service ($219 + $69 all states) for a fixed price, or a Taxfyle quote for an unusual return.

Before you pay anyone, ask the same eight questions. Copy them into your notes or an email.

8 questions to ask a tax prep service
1. Does your price include Schedule C AND Schedule SE?
2. Is the state return included, and how many states?
3. Who prepares the return, and who signs it? (CPA, EA, or PTIN holder?)
4. Can I see the preparer in the IRS Directory of Federal Tax Return Preparers?
5. Does the price include quarterly estimated tax amounts for next year?
6. Do you keep my books, or do I bring them reconciled?
7. What happens, and what does it cost, if the IRS sends a letter?
8. Is this price for the current filing season, and when does it change?

When do these prices change?

Per-return prices reset when the filing season opens. TurboTax's pages still showed tax-year 2025 offers ("File by 3/31 to save") on 19 October 2026, and TaxAct's prices are for the current filing season's returns. Expect new numbers in January; memberships (Keeper, Collective, 1-800Accountant, Pilot) price by the year or month and change less often. If you pay quarterly estimates, our January 15, 2027 guide covers the next payment, and the set-aside calculator sizes it.

Pay for the work you do not want to do. If that is only the final check, $199 to $229 covers it; if it is the books, budget $2,000 or more a year.

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Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to have a professional file a freelancer Schedule C?

On pricing pages read 19 October 2026, a pro-reviewed and signed return starts at $199 a year with Keeper Standard; TaxAct Xpert Full Service files a Schedule C return for $219 plus $69 for all states; TurboTax Expert Assist for sole proprietors is $229 plus state. Year-round firms cost more because they bundle bookkeeping: Pilot from $1,000+ a year plus its required bookkeeping, Collective $199 a month, and 1-800Accountant Starter $299 a month billed annually.

Is Keeper or 1-800Accountant better for freelancers?

They sell different things. Keeper Standard ($199 a year) pairs an expense-tracking app with a return a tax pro reviews and signs, federal plus up to two states. 1-800Accountant Starter ($299 a month, billed annually) adds a dedicated accountant, year-round advice and quarterly reviews, and files your personal return plus one entity return. A freelancer with one Schedule C and simple expenses rarely needs the second.

Does TurboTax Full Service publish a price for self-employed returns?

Not as a fixed figure. TurboTax says its Full Service "Starting at" price covers one federal return with one W-2 and one Form 1040, and that the final price for sole proprietors depends on your tax situation and forms. TurboTax Expert Assist for sole proprietors, where an expert helps and does a final review but you prepare the return, is listed at $229 plus state.

How do I check a tax preparer is qualified?

The IRS says anyone with a Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN) can be a paid preparer, but skills and credentials differ. Its Directory of Federal Tax Return Preparers with Credentials and Select Qualifications lets you look up CPAs, enrolled agents and attorneys in your area.

Do I need a professional to file Schedule C?

No. Schedule C is the IRS form a sole proprietor uses to report business income or loss, and consumer software can file it. A professional earns the fee when your situation has moving parts: several income streams, an LLC with an S corporation question, inventory, or a prior-year problem to fix.

How we built this page

How we built this page: we read each provider's published pricing and plan pages on 19 October 2026 (H&R Block's blocked our automated read that day, so its figures are from its pages as read on 14 October 2026 and are labelled), plus the IRS pages linked above, and drew demand from the questions AI assistants cite CeoCult for. We did not file a return with these services for this comparison. Prices are as published on the date shown and usually change when the filing season opens in January.

This is general information, not tax advice for your situation. CeoCult is an affiliate of Keeper; see our disclosure.