In early February, I used Taxslayer to do my tax forms. After 2 days of effort, get $272 back from Uncle Sam and owe ~$4,000 to South Carolina and Georgia. Not good and momma ain't happy so no one is happy.

I delete all information from Tax Slayer and call Tax Man for an appointment. Same numbers, same information, but now I owe Uncle Sam $81, and have a total REFUND of $1,105. After all the dust settles, pay the Tax Man, and pay for gasoline to get to Tax Man; my net refund is $735.

Aren't tax forms and instructions:

Fun to read,

Easily understood,

Simple to follow!

The best part was that 85% of my Social Security payments were taxed as income. No more hamburger for Snuggles .

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S&WHF 366

That's one of the reasons I stopped using H & R Crock, they have to be one of the biggest tax scams going. Twice they screwed up my taxes, once so bad that it took until May to get them fixed, after having them done the first week of February. Now I use an accountant and in the last two years between the child tax credit, new home buyer credit, and having windows replaced the wife and I have gotten alot more back than we ever did before. I can tell you that the tax codes are so complicated that software or not, I won't ever even attempt to do my taxes ever again.

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Vaya con Dios

I've gone thru all the stages, I think. Did taxws myself, helped by friends, had a CPA doing them, and finally, H&R . H&R consistently
has brought me more money than any of the other methods. I have
to believe that it's because of the individual tax-preparers, and their
commitment, pro or con, to help their customers. Over the years, I've
heard plenty of bad about H&R, but my personal experience has
been totally positive. TACC1

I dont tuse H&R anymore I use an accountant and he has done me very well !

I did my own taxes for 35 years. About 10 years ago Illinois demanded that Indiana residents that work in Illinois pay state tax to Illinois. The first year of that baloney I screwed up my taxes so bad, I got letters from Indiana for 6 years thereafter demanding quarterly payments.

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SOS USA

I have a sub S corporation. I pay dearly for someone else to do my taxes.

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Insert short witty words here

I did my own taxes, until about 12 yrs ago, after my Dad passed away. It's too complicated for me now. I use a CPA. (and I still haven't taken him my stuff!)

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Wayne
Torn & Frayed

I do a lot of bankruptcy work. Instead of the old paper forms we now use programs to prepare the schedules. You don't need to be a lawyer to buy one of these programs. I think doing ones own taxes on a computer program (unles it is dead simple almost a 1040EZ situation) is as crazy as Joe in debt up to his ears doing his own bankruptcy just because he has access to a program. Pay professionals for what they know-you will save money in the long haul. If you know how to do it-you don't need them but nobody can be an expert on doing everything. It's why people make good livings as plumbers, electricians carpenters etc. Having a fully equiped shop does NOT make the owner an expert machinist.
Climbing down off of soap box now-gonna eat lunch and go mess with the boat.

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Forum consigliere

I have a completely unbiased opinion--go to a CPA. (I've been one for 46 years)

I never get a refund and always take my taxes to a CPA. The one I use worked for IRS for 30 years & retired, before opening his doors. No, refunds, but no problems with the IRS.

A good time for the Fair Tax argument I suspect.

Americans For Fair Taxation: Americans For Fair Taxation

Geoff
Who is a supporter.

I've got degrees in accounting and finance, and do my taxes with Turbo Tax. If that wasn't available, I would take the taxes to a pro. The people who write the tax regs, are masochists. The folks on this forum are hardly dummies, yet few do their own taxes. What about the older folks and those who aren't up to number chrunching?
Tax laws are so daunting that the guvmint don't hardly know what they are; but will congress do something about it? Naw

Since I have gotten away from doing individual returns and prefer to concentrate on representing those that the IRS and states have assessed or sued, I like those who do their taxes themselves - though I cannot necessarily recommend it. I particularly benefit from the people, like Wesley Snipes, who listen to the dozens of tax protestor scams out there explaining the myriad of "legal reasons" why we do not have to pay income tax. Just because the instructions or rules say something that sounds perfectly clear in one place does not mean that the meaning is not changed by a more specific or recent rule in other places. The tax codes are the most complex single chapter of statutes ever written and our public servants are immune from prosecution or blame if they are not presented clearly. In a recent North Carolina case, it was discovered that the department of revenue higher ups deliberately instructed the department to not issue guidance in several key matters for the purpose of "enhancing receipts". In the same batch of emails, individual and corporate taxpayers were referred to repeatedly throughout the department by the term "mutants". The main defense of taxpayers are the statute of limitation, that there are so many of us, and experienced ethical preparers. The IRS and states know the experienced return preparers, and many times will not look as closely or long at a return signed by a known, experienced and ethical preparer. For most of us, it is luck of the draw or so called "audit lottery" (see films of widebeast herds crossing crocadile infested rivers). A number of high income people know that they will be audited every year and hold back deductions from their original return to offset the audit.

I am hoping that a "tax simplification" bill is in the offing. Te 1986 "tax simplification" kept me busy until 2003. If there is another one, I may actually retire before I am 80. Good luck!