I actually had quite a different experience when I was a 1099 contractor in the mid-90's. I went to the local IRS office and the clerk spent about an hour with me as she walked me through filing quarterly taxes, and what deductions I could take. She told me if I paid my quarterly estimated taxes on time, I would be very unlikely to get audited. During the three years I was a 1099, I paid an effective tax rate of 14% and never did get audited, though I had several bad dreams about it, lol. It probable took me under an hour a year to do my taxes and I never used an accountant.