 This rule continues to be effective for preparation of any federal tax returns after December 31, 2010.The cost of preparing and filing all business and personal tax returns is estimated to be $100 to $150 billion each year.According to a 2005 report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office, the efficiency cost of the tax system—the output that is lost over and above the tax itself—is between $240 billion and $600 billion per year.