Families
Family tax preparation for the year everything changed.
Dependents, daycare, college and the credits that come with them, checked on every return. Federal, PA-40 and local in one price, $395 on our pricing page (illustrative).
A year like this?
- A new baby, or a child who started daycare.
- A kid off to college and a 1098-T you do not understand.
- A marriage, a separation or a divorce, and a filing status question.
Or call (412) 555-0163. January to April: Monday to Friday 9 am to 7 pm, Saturday 9 am to 2 pm.
How it works
Three steps, with the credits checked at each one.
- Step 1
List what changed
At the sit-down we go through the year: births, moves, jobs, daycare, school, and who lives where.
- Step 2
Check every credit
Federal and Pennsylvania credits are checked against your situation, not just the ones software asks about.
- Step 3
Review together
You see which credits applied and why, before anything is filed.
The credits we check
On every family return, every year.
Pennsylvania added and raised credits recently, and many families have not claimed them yet.
- Federal child tax creditFor each qualifying child, with the income limits worked out.
- Child and dependent careThe federal credit, plus the PA credit, now 100% of the federal amount: up to $1,050 for one dependent and $2,100 for two or more, refundable.
- Education creditsTuition on the 1098-T, matched to what was actually paid.
- Working Pennsylvanians Tax CreditNew from tax year 2025: 10% of your federal earned income credit, up to $805.
- PA Tax ForgivenessCan bring PA tax to zero for families under the income limits. Our Tax Forgiveness guide has the table.
- Dependents with their own incomeA teenager with a summer job may need their own PA return.
Life changes
The years that change your return.
- Marriage
Filing together or apart
We run both ways and show you the difference.
- Separation or divorce
Who claims the children
Filing status and dependents, set out plainly, with the papers you will need.
- A birth or adoption
A new dependent
Credits from the first year, and the daycare credit once care starts.
- A death in the family
The final return
Filing status and the last return for your spouse or parent. See also our page for retirees.
Fair questions
What families say before they book.
“We always get about the same refund.”
That can mean nothing changed, or that a credit has been missed every year. If it was missed, we can go back with an amended return.
“Our software handles credits.”
Software claims what you tell it about. We ask the questions it does not, and it does not file your local return.
How we do it
One preparer who knows the whole family.
Claire leads family returns. Once she has done yours, she knows who is in daycare, who is in college and whose job is outside the City, so next year starts where this one ended.
If a letter arrives about a dependent or a credit, it comes back to her through notice help. And because the local return is in the same job, the local side never gets left behind.
Who you will work with
Claire DunmoreFounder and Senior PreparerClaire leads family returns and writes our Tax Forgiveness guide.
Where we work
Brookline first, then the whole city.
Our office is at 1031 Brookline Blvd, Suite 2, Pittsburgh, PA 15226. Most clients live within twenty minutes of it; plenty never visit at all and do everything by secure upload and a phone call.
- Brookline
- Beechview
- Overbrook
- Carrick
- Banksville
- Bon Air
- Dormont
- Mt. Lebanon
- Castle Shannon
- Baldwin
- Whitehall
- Bethel Park
- Green Tree
- Mount Oliver
- Anywhere in Pennsylvania, remotely
Before you book
Family return questions
Something else? Call (412) 555-0163 and a preparer will answer.
What is the PA child and dependent care credit worth now?
It matches 100% of the federal credit: up to $1,050 for one dependent and $2,100 for two or more, and it is refundable.
What is the Working Pennsylvanians Tax Credit?
A new PA credit from tax year 2025, worth 10% of your federal earned income credit, up to $805. You claim it by filing the federal return and the PA-40.
Does our family qualify for Tax Forgiveness?
It depends on eligibility income and family size. The full table is in our Tax Forgiveness guide.
Does my teenager need to file?
A dependent child with PA income over $33 files their own PA return. We can prepare it alongside yours.
What if one of us has a side business?
Then the return moves to the self-employed tier, which includes everything in the family tier.
Next step
Bring the year. We will find the credits.
Book a 30-minute sit-down with last year's return and leave with your price in writing.