Private firms and individual CPA's generally charge one of two ways either a flat rate, or an hourly rate. Hourly rates vary by city. The rates can be as low as $25 per hour, or as high as $300 per hour. Flat rate means you will pay one rate for the preparation of your taxes.For personal returns, which are more standardized, you can expect a total fee between $400 and $500 for your IRS 1040 return and associated forms.For business returns, some individual CPA's charge a sliding scale, based on receipts.For example, if your business has annual receipts of $500,000, they can charge a fee of $400. However, for a business with annual receipts of $1 million, they may charge $850 to file the return.lat rate means you will pay one rate for the preparation of your taxes. For personal returns, which are more standardized, you can expect a total fee between $400 and $500 for your IRS 1040 return and associated forms.