Best & Worst States for Finding Tax Help

There’s no shame in admitting it – many of us would rather pay someone to do our taxes than spend the 20+ hours the IRS estimates it takes to do them ourselves. But much like State & Local Tax Rates , the accessibility, affordability and effectiveness of tax help varies significantly from state to state, according to a new WalletHub report  recently released.

WalletHub compared the 50 states as well as the District of Columbia in terms of seven key metrics– ranging from the number of accountants per capita to their average workload and hourly compensation – in order to identify the geographical sweet spots for tax assistance across the country. You can find a brief overview of our findings below.

• On average, there are 8 accountants per 1,000 jobs in the U.S., with each handling roughly 227 returns.
• 57% of people pay someone to prepare and file their return.
• 2.6 million people made “math errors” on their taxes in 2012.
• The average American taxpayer receives a $1,560.38 refund. (Note:This figure reflects the average across tax filers, not just those receiving a refund).

For more information about where your state ranks and expert tips, please visit: http://wallethub.com/edu/best-states-for-tax-help/2808/