I had this misconception for a long time, that a tax expert can somehow magically reduce my tax bill. Turns out, I had it backwards. Once the tax year is behind me, everything is said and done. You pay what you owe, doesn't matter if the number comes from TurboTax or a CPA. It's the planning part that's important. And to plan better, you either talk to an accountant before the year starts, or you learn to do tax yourself.