My accountant is very good. I don't pay him, but I know his regular rate is $300/hr and average client has an 8-figure net worth. Every year, just for kicks, I try to do my taxes myself before sending it all to him. I sit down with a bottle of scotch and actually try to do the forms and math to make sure I have all the documents I need and get a better understanding of where I am financially. Every year, according to my calculations, I would get a couple hundred back. Every year, when he is done with my stuff, I get a five figures back.
It is hard to recommend him because he is so darn expensive, but I know he would pay for himself at his rate compared to me doing my own.
In your example of getting a few hundred back vs 5 figures it really makes me question what kind of tricks the accountant is doing to get so much more back. Maybe I'm the sucker for not optimizing my tax return down to the bone but I'm also conservative in that I don't want to get audited for all kinds of questionable deductions that push the boundaries of the tax law. His rate is definitely much higher than I'm spending for tax preparation.