Taxhub: Reap the Financial Benefits of Convenient Online Tax Filing With Top-Tier In-House CPAs

In a Nutshell: Taxhub stands out in the online tax preparation market because it functions as if it were a traditional brick-and-mortar CPA firm, only online. That means it can provide top-tier service with more convenience and lower cost. And while some online services outsource tax work to accountants on the lower end of the CPA pay scale, Taxhub keeps its work in-house. Every tax year, Taxhub CPA experts help filers earn enough extra deductions to more than pay for the cost of the service.

Traditional brick-and-mortar CPA firms do a good job helping tax filers find deductions and gain the best financial advantage. But their work comes at a cost. And as more and more financial services move online, convenience-minded customers increasingly look for web-based services that can do the same thing.

But not all online tax prep platforms are created equal. Instead of transferring the expertise of a traditional CPA firm online, some function as marketplaces. They outsource work to accountants willing to settle for an hourly wage to keep costs down.

Because those accountants have to share their earnings with the platforms they work for, it’s hard to know whether they’re digging down and finding every available deduction.

Taxhub is a major player in the online tax prep industry because it functions like a traditional firm that has moved online. It’s not a marketplace like some of its competitors, nor is it an automated service.

Every year, in-house CPA experts at Taxhub sign returns on behalf of individual and business filers who want the convenience and affordability of an online platform. Hundreds of positive reviews attest that Taxhub produces returns without compromising service quality.

Now that the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of hybrid work arrangements have accustomed consumers to living their financial lives online, Taxhub is there to help individual and business filers get what’s coming to them.

“We don’t let outside CPAs act as brand representatives for Taxhub because who knows how those CPAs would perform,” said George Birrell, who co-founded TaxHub in 2015. “Our business model is so efficient we can provide the same level of service as a local firm but charge a much lower price.”

The convenience starts with the intuitive TaxHub platform. Registering an account and beginning a working relationship with a TaxHub CPA who understands each filer’s tax needs is easy. TaxHub also pledges that relationships with individual CPAs will continue year after year, just as they would at a local firm.

After registration, the site directs users to a dashboard with instructions to upload tax documents, including brokerage statements, W2s, and profit and loss statements from self-employment.

For added flexibility, TaxHub allows users to upload image files and to use messaging services rather than email if that is their preference. That means it’s possible to photograph documents and upload them through a mobile device.

The next step is to schedule an initial call. The TaxHub CPA assists during the call when there are issues with uploading documentation. If there are no issues or the filer has previously worked with Taxhub, the call proceeds as if it were a conventional tax interview with a local CPA.

“You go through the interview, and then you e-sign and e-file and pay online,” Birrell said. “After a year or two, some customers just upload their documents, schedule a call, and we’re done within a couple of days.”

Pricing is transparent. Personal plans include a standard 1040 filing with Schedule C submissions for independent contractors and Schedule E submissions for landlords. Business plans incorporate partnerships and trusts and accommodate C corps and S corps.

Self-employed individuals turn to Taxhub as the only online platform with an S-corp conversion service, which transforms a sole proprietorship into a business.

“We’ve saved up to $10,000 for freelancers who convert to S corps,” Birrell said.

About the only way a filer can save more money than the savings Taxhub facilitates is by filing on a do-it-yourself basis. Indeed, many tax filers can accomplish their goals that way.

But Birrell said he often sees individuals with more complex financial situations failing to do their due diligence. Taxhub caters to filers, including freelancers (Schedule C filers), landlords (Schedule E filers), and individuals with sophisticated retirement accounts such as Roth IRAs.

Taxhub leaves no stone unturned in saving the maximum amount of money by leveraging all deductions for those types of filers and others. The skill of the dedicated Taxhub CPA team makes that possible.

Self-employed individuals often neglect to take obvious deductions they’re qualified to take, including auto mileage and home office expenses. They know these deductions are available, but they’re hesitant to take them because they think they’ll be audited and perhaps penalized.

Birrell said he is confident that Taxhub can perform better because his experience tells him so.

“More often than not, we see people who are more conservative than they should be,” he said. “I sign hundreds of returns a year, so I know what’s allowed and what’s not, what’s an audit trigger and what’s not.”

Because Taxhub deals with many filers in special categories, Birrell said he is also confident he can find deductions for folks who may not do their specialized work full time. Even for “side-giggers” who may pay taxes based on full-time W-2 jobs, Taxhub is more than able to justify its fee.

“Even for that type of filer, we can save way more than what we charge in fees,” he said. “It’s amazing how much people leave on the plate when it comes to tax deductions.”

Customers were relatively slow to come to Taxhub when the service got up and running in 2015. Birrell said he quickly learned that filers weren’t eager to give their banking and income data to a service that hadn’t earned its reputation. A tipping point came during the pandemic.

“The stage was set,” Birrell said. “We had worked hard on our reviews and earned brand credibility.”

As the platform grew, the team also placed a high priority on security. Taxhub complies with all mainstream security protocols. All data, including all communication, is SSL-encrypted to ensure network anonymity.

Then, Taxhub takes security further by quickly transferring customer data from its internet-facing server to local on-site storage. Customer data is safe even in the improbable event a criminal breaches the platform.

“Digital security professionals who use our service as customers tell us they see no vulnerabilities in our ecosystem,” Birrell said.

Filers new to online tax prep may chat with a Taxhub specialist for free. It’s a great way to learn more about how Taxhub can find money within the tax system by being more diligent than the competition.

The site also offers extensive educational and informational resources in an FAQ and a blog, free and open to the public.

And for individuals in need of more specialized attention, Taxhub offers CPA coaching sessions for people who need 15 minutes or more with a CPA but don’t need full tax prep services. Taxhub CPAs are always available to give opinions on specific tax stances, optimize and plan to reduce taxes, review prepared returns, assist with bookkeeping, and maximize deductions.

“With the standard mom-and-pop CPA business model, you’re paying thousands of dollars a month for a nice office,” Birrell said. “We provide the same level of service at a greater value.”