An E-Filing Site for Taxpayers Who Need Hand-Holding

While TurboTax.com, H.D. Vest Online and hrblock.com and others duke it out to attract do-it-yourself tax filers, a dark horse site is making a play for taxpayers who need a little hand-holding.

e1040.com is trying to combine the convenience of Web data entry with the comfort of a live tax preparer. Customers fill in a questionnaire on the site (www.e1040.com ) that is immediately sent to a live preparer. The preparer promises to contact you within 20 minutes (during business hours) with any follow-up questions and then complete your return.

This service starts at $49.95 for a Form 1040. Add in the cost of electronic filing, and filling out a Schedule A or B, and the total for a typical return comes to around $85 -- comparable, if not cheaper, than showing up at, say, your local H&R Block (HRB Quote) office. ...