Tax Time

[Timb1]

With tax time coming up has anyone used any of the free on line tax filing sites? I am hoping to keep it simple this year so I am considering Taxact or Taxcut. But I would like to know a little more about this.

Thanks Tim

 

[oldfella]

I use the free service provided by AARP.

Pete

 

[Steve in Vermont]

Tim, I completed my Federal Taxes yesterday using the H&R Block At Home Basic edition. I bought it at Staples for
$ 20.00. It was very easy and took less than an hour. They file it for you and notify you when the IRS has accepted it. I've also heard that Turbo Tax works as well. I didn't use the "free" downloads because I don't trust anything that's free. There's usually a hitch. Our return is a simple one, no special deductions, but there are other programs for more complicated returns. I printed the 1040A from the H&R program and will use that info. to file the state return, which is very simple and straightforward. I hope this helps.

 

[tomhenry]

I don't trust anything that's free.

I'm working as a tax preparer with VITA this year. (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance.) It's a program for free tax preparation for people under $60K total income.

We use Tax Wise and that's about as good as it gets. But be advised that the IRS is not accepting any but returns filed with a standard deduction. They aren't accepting itemized returns until Valentine's Day.

BTW, ours is free, but each return is actually "done" three times before it's filed. First by the preparer. Then it's reviewed/redone by an accountant. Finally it's reviewed/submitted by a CPA.

 

[Capt Steve]

I have used Turbo tax for the last couple of years and will do so again this year. They do the fed return for free but charge for the state filing. I think it was $69 for everything. They check your data to see whether itemized or short form saves you the most money. It takes about 45 minutes on line to enter the info and print put the finished returns and they do the electronic filing. Any refund goes straight into my checking account in just a few days and I pay their fee with a credit card. All in all a fairly painless way to get your taxes done from home. YMMV

 

[JcMack]

I use the free service provided by AARP.

Pete

AARP is anti gun so I don't support them after I learned that fact. If you can't file the long form just do your own taxes.

 

[mafuta54]

I have used Turbo tax for the last couple of years and will do so again this year. They do the fed return for free but charge for the state filing. I think it was $69 for everything. They check your data to see whether itemized or short form saves you the most money. It takes about 45 minutes on line to enter the info and print put the finished returns and they do the electronic filing. Any refund goes straight into my checking account in just a few days and I pay their fee with a credit card. All in all a fairly painless way to get your taxes done from home. YMMV

I've been using Turbo Tax for about 20 years and will continue to do so.

 

[dickttx]

Getting started on my 51st. tax season, and I think the last!
Continuing Education requirement is getting old! I have sat thru so many long boring tax lectures I sometimes want to jump up on the table and scream.
Have been doing self-study on the internet the last few years. Not as bad, but still takes a lot of time.

 

[Bullet Bob]

You can file online with the IRS for freeeeeeeee.

 

[USAF385]

I've used taxact and will continue to do so because they keep some information saved from the previous years... so it takes very little time for me to complete me taxes. Federal is free and they charge for state, but it's not a lot.

Last year it got me some extra cash back that I otherwise would have missed.. something to do with being a student.

 

[Class III]

I do mine the easy way. I take BOXES of receipts, 1099's, 1099INT's, mortgage interest statements... to the CPA and let him do his thing. Up until about 12 years ago I had always done my own return. Then we incorporated and bought our farm. It's WELL worth the $350.00 for the CPA to figure up what goes in which box and on what form. For the last 11 years my return has been in the $10-$12K range. I consider that a great return on investment.

Class III

 

[jmathis84]

I personally dont trust the do it yourself tax programs. I have a older lady who has been doing taxes for 40+yrs. She soes mine for very very cheap and I get my return back the next day. She deducts her pay out of the taxes and shows me where she did .

 

[pilot99]

I use Turbo Tax Freedom Project, they do free file for several states as well.

 

[Damn Yankee]

Is their any reason not to have a flat tax? Probably could do it on the back of a post card.

 

[Engineer1911]

Taxslayer.com does federal free and state for $9.97. On line and simple. Not as helpful as Turbo Tax but a whole lot cheaper.

 

[yaktamer]

You can file online with the IRS for freeeeeeeee.

Yup, but only up to a certain income level.

 

[enfield]

I'll use TurboTax again. Been using it since the days when you printed out the return on your dot-matrix printer and then hand-copied the numbers onto the 'official' forms.

 

[don95sml]

Everyone's needs are different. But for me the solution is Turbo Tax Basic, and I've been using it for years. The Basic version is sufficient because I always take the standard deduction and do not itemize. The big convenience is that after the return is filed, all your personal info is stored in a file on your computer so the next year you don't have to input the data all over again.