Income Tax Software Questions

I'm going to start my taxes soon. TurboTax was expensive last year, more expensive this year. I used Tax Act last year and it looks about half the price of Turbo Tax (Fed and state and free e-file for Premium). Does anyone know of a cheaper or better service to use?

GEEK
• Do you buy the physical software? I have in years past, but have just worked online for the past decade or so. Shop around at the IRS "FreeFile" section on their website. Many purveyors offer free fed filing but will gouge you the state filing. It pays to compare.

• Have your taxes done by an Enrolled Agent.

  NOT Tax Troll

• R2, is there a web site for IRS Agents to suck my cock?

• Ever since TurboTax used a "root-kit" one year, I've avoided them like the plague. I use "Tax Cut" by H&R Block. Easy to use, accurate, and inexpensive.

• Does H&R have an app for the iPad?

• They only have software for PC (Windows) and Mac (OS X) ... but they do have a website that should work with iPad:

  http://www.hrblock.com/tax-software/index.html

• I always end up with Tax Act online for the free federal return - and then use a library form for State. Of course, I always owe a few hundred so it will wait until April 15th. I signed up for VITAS (volunteer tax preparing) because I'm nosy and some returns are fucking hilarious, but nobody has called me back.

• I would no sooner do my own taxes than fill my own teeth.

  Needs%20a%20calculator%20for%20a%2020%25%20tip%20on%20a%20%24100%20check.

• Can anyone here do their own taxes if necessary?

• R9, I obtained a finance degree while stoned. If I can do my own taxes, you can as well. It's no more or less difficult than following Ikea instructions.

  r7

• Check this site to learn if you can file you state and federal taxes FOR FREE.

  http://taxprephelp.org

  Helpful%20Hallie

• Downloaded TurboTax Home & Business 2012 for free through a torrent.

• TaxTrollEA here ... Some interesting comments! First of all, R3, be aware that Enrolled Agents are most definitely NOT "IRS Agents." We're mostly self-employed tax professionals, who simply have been licensed by the IRS to represent taxpayers in audit situations (The only other tax preparers who can do this are CPAs and attorneys.) We work for YOU, not the IRS, and our goal is to help you pay the lowest legal tax. (As for whether or not we suck cock, it depends on which EA you ask. :) Of course, you CAN do your own tax return, The better question is "Is that really a good idea?" Kind of depends on the individual, as well as the complexity of your return. Just a W-2 or two, maybe a little interest income, filing an EZ form, sure ... you'd actually be foolish to pay someone to do the return for you. If you itemize deductions (and especially if you are not sure what is/isn't a legit deduction), having it done for you might be a good idea, at least for the first year, then you can use what you learn from that to do your own in future years (But, keep in mind tax laws changes from year to year.) Today's tax software tries to guide you through the process, but it is most definitely NOT "tax accountant in a box" and you CAN make mistakes or (more likely) miss out on credits or deduction that could have saved you a significant amount of money. This is especially true if you have shared finances with your partner, which could allow an experienced tax pro to suggest shifting income or deductions in such a way as you would save quite a bit of money. If you have domestic partner benefits, own a home together, or one has a business in which the other participates to some extent, get advice on how to proceed. The big thing to remember is that tax law is not a matter of black and white, but has many "gray areas" that are subject to interpretation. Consumer tax software will always error on the side of caution, giving you the most popular / least likely to be questioned alternative to something that could have two answers. It just might be wrong for you, and cost you money. If you decide to do it yourself, be aware that the top two consumer software packages out there are TurboTax and HR Block's, in that order. TT has been around a lot longer, and has a more comprehensive interview mode that makes it less likely you'll miss something. But Block's software takes less time, and seems less daunting. FYI, Tax Act has has problems in the past few years (TT had some one year, but seems to be past that), and I most definitely do not recommend it. I also suggest buying an actual software package rather than doing it online, as info can get lost; be sure you print out a PAPER copy of your return, which you should keep for a minimum of three years after the due date of the return. As far as the "free filing" sites go, my default comment here is "You get what you pay for." But they generally do an OK job, although ... as someone already mentioned ... companies use them mostly as a loss leader to get you to pay big bucks for state filings or other services. And keep in mind when you click on the defaults that you are allowing them to USE and SELL your e-mail address, as well as non-confidential tax info (such as your occupation and city) to whomever you want, likely resulting in more SPAM than you ever imagined. PS: If you have tax questions for me, please post on the other thread "Questions for TaxTroll..." Thanks.

  TaxTrollEA

• Use "Tax Cut"... it's by H&R Block, and they've got your back. I switched from "Turbo Tax" many years ago and haven't looked back.

• I use tax act every year 14.95 for fed and state e files