Expect The Best

"I will make your tax problems disappear"

Dr. Fairchild earned his Ph.D. in Social Psychology in 1977, and is now Professor Emeritus in Psychology and Africana Studies at Pitzer College. Yes, he taught full time while doing taxes full time. Now, he is a full time tax practitioner (and poker player). Many of his clients ask for (and need) his “Magic Wand.”

Dr. Fairchild wrote several books with his students that are available at Amazon (he also offers free PDFs at researchgate.net): (1) (Re)Solving Violence in America; (2) Black Lives Matter: Lifespan Perspectives; and (3) Social Psychology and World Peace: A Primer.

Year-Round Service

We offer tax services all year, but our strongest advice is to FILE EARLY. As the deadline approaches, our turn-around time extends to five or more days. We urge everyone to file early and avoid the days immediately before the deadline -- otherwise expect longer wait time. As you can see from our photo gallery, Heather and I like to travel in the "off season," but we're never gone for more than two or three weeks, and we will announce those departures on our answering system. We play the World Series of Poker every year in late June to early July (Heather finished in 239th place out of 5,404 entrants in the 2020 "Seniors" event; Hal contributed to the prize pool.)

How Much Does It Cost?

The best way to answer this question is to say, “Our fees range from $0.00 to $2,000, depending on the specifics; but most of our clients make money when we do their taxes.” Please take the following Multiple Choice Test on “How Much Did It Cost” (OK to use a calculator).

1. Michael M., a mechanical engineer, had wages of $87,000 and federal taxes withheld of $10,200. When Turbotax calculated his taxes, he had a $1,000 refund. When Fairchild Tax Service calculated his taxes, he had a $2,500 refund, but paid $500.00 to Fairchild Tax Service. How much did the tax service cost Michael?
   1. $500.00
   2. $0.00
   3. Michael made $1,000 by coming to Fairchild Tax Service
   4. I don’t know, I don’t do math.
2. Sallie S., a nurse, went to H&R Block who told her she owed IRS $2,500. She said, “No, I’ll try Fairchild Tax Service.” At Fairchild Tax Service, she received a $1.00 refund, but paid $500 for the service. How much did the tax service cost Sallie?
   1. $500.00
   2. $0.00
   3. Sallie made $1,999 by coming to Fairchild Tax Service
   4. I don’t know, I don’t do math.
3. Jackie M., a non-binary school teacher, made $87,000, but because he/she went “exempt” for a few months, they owed IRS $1,500 when they used TurboTax. But when they came to Fairchild Tax Service, they received a $500 refund, but paid $300 for the tax service. How much did the tax service cost Jackie M.?
   1. $300.00
   2. $0.00
   3. Jackie M. made $1,700 by coming to Fairchild Tax Service
   4. I don’t know, I don’t do math.

Answers: The correct answer is “c” for each of the three questions. The simplest tax returns range from $10.00 to $200.00; returns with 1099s and other peculiarities range from about $300 to $800; and returns that are complex, or require magical intervention range from $400 to $2,000. But most of our clients make money by having us calculate their debt to Uncle Sam.

Our name is “Fairchild Tax Service.” We don’t know, exactly, how much your tax return is going to cost before we do it. But we will promise you this: Our price will be Fair. If you do not agree, go away at no charge.