Which tax software do you use and why?

[Dan J 277]

I use an accountant because my taxes are complicated and they know how to optimize my return the best. I typically get refunds on the order of 80% of the tax I paid as a result, and when I tried various cheap ones, they only got a trivial amount back.

Getting married will probably not impact the taxes very much.

ETA: What's a $100 fee when my sum refund goes from about $500 to $7000? (And yes, my accountant's advised me on how to get them to withhold more, and every year, I increase my exemptions by one, and it's still insufficient... but in this economy, my money is slightly safer with the feds than it is in my stock portfolio!)

Have your employer to withhold more just to get a bigger refund? You know you don't get paid interest on that. I must be missing something.

[Nik+Heather 121]

I did the free online version of H&R Block last year (that's tax cut, I think) I agree with your assessment that it's about the same as turbo tax. It did the mortgage interest deductions, and handled dividends and capital gains (losses). I thought I read on a thread last year that they will also do the foreign income deduction that I'll need to report and deduct Nik's 2009 income from the UK.

So anyway, it gets the job done to my satisfaction, has my history from last year, and I'm choosing H&R Block over other fairly equal choices because they sponsored Hulu. Would have done it even if they hadn't done it commercial free.

[K and L 27]

Are your taxes complicated, or is this something that you think can happen for anyone? I mean, do you think an accountant can get 80% back for most people, or only if you fill a specific bill.

There are lots of little things anyone can use to decrease their tax liability (particularly if they have a significant amount of work-related costs -- travel, professional membership, interest paid, charitable contributions, tuition/school expenses, etc) -- but most people just take the standard deduction. My accountant sends me a worksheet that asks for estimates on things that can be used on the various schedules to reduce my taxable income and has a program that they run after they enter it in that optimizes deductions to maximize my refund (or, for those that underpay, minimize their taxes).

Everyone's unique - and as complicated as taxes can be, it's worth it to find a decent accountant. A good accountant will be familiar with the law and the nuances (something the software won't be = software is only as good as the people programming it, and programmers are NOT accountants), and will know things to ask to find out if taking an itemized deduction is actually better for you.

[PhiLandShiR 18]

I tried both Turbo Tax and H&R Block software last year.

H&R Block left about $400 on the table that Turbo Tax got for me.

As I have a small business I use the Turbo Tax Small Business edition.

-phil

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Turbotax?

HR Block?

Some other package or online website?

Do you efile or paper file?

Do you use an accountant or do your own?

I used HR Block last year, but I'm tempted to use one of these online sites like http://www.freetaxusa.com/

Turbotax (online version). I have an account with them so they store my info and I keep a backup (which is also backed up).

[BluesTraveler 0]

Turbotax?

HR Block?

Some other package or online website?

Do you efile or paper file?

Do you use an accountant or do your own?

I used HR Block last year, but I'm tempted to use one of these online sites like http://www.freetaxusa.com/

If you have the time and patience, normally you can try the software for free online. Just pay once you are going to file. Enter your info into multiple sites and see who does the best job for you.

If you don't want your SS#, name and address, floating around on the web, use a fictitious one.

[Nikita2Charles 32]

I started using the online web version of turbo tax back when they were INTUIT<

Turbotax Home and Business

I skipped 2 years and went with Tax Act but when i got audited 2 years later because some Capital gain on the 1040 didn't transfer to the states. Also I Can get a copy of any previous tax return right on the website.

I like the safety net of the Audit protection after that bad experiment with Tax act, If i get audit they will reprensent my case, like an insurance policy i think i paid $39. last year.

[NickD 203]

I feel it's criminal that we have a tax system that is so enormously complex, you even need a software program to deal with it or even worse, have to hire a professional to prepare your return for you. And that is a racket in itself. If I can only get another 250 million people to agree with me, we can storm Washington DC and get it changed.

Getting a tax audit is a complete nightmare, what they do is go back five years, kill all of your deduction, figure your gross tax on that and say pay up. That bill is a complete nightmare and unimaginable. But at the end say you can appeal this decision that puts the burden of proof to prove your innocence. It was so scary, I elected to hire the best tax attorney I could find and he put those auditors to shame, dumb b@stards don't even know the tax law as well as he did. But they were mean rotten dirty b@stards during the process.

It turned out all of my claimed deductions were legal and in the process we even found more deductions. But the way it works with the IRS, they can kill a deduction, but if you find a new deduction, you cannot add it. So I ended up paying a buck more for a few of those years and a buck less for the other. My only error was choosing the wrong form they never questioned from the start. This entire process took two years and they did not get an extra red cent from me. But I really had a stiff bill to pay to that tax attorney. That came off as a deduction on my next years taxes, so the dumb stupid b@stards ended up screwing themselves.

When this happens in the so-called country of freedom, you can really get a negative attitude. That was 15 years ago for me, never had an audit since.

Still say, our tax system is criminal and way too complicated. But if I am not sure about something, will call the IRS, guy that answers the phone, doesn't know sh!t either. Call twice with the same question, get two different answers. Now that is way too complicated when even the IRS does not understand their own rules. It's impossible for anyone to understand all that #######. And they sure love to use triple negative sentences to permanently torque your brain.

I did get my Wisconsin sales tax report sent off today and wonder why I don't get a commission for having to collect their damn taxes. Have to do this for free.

[Otto 83]

Tax Act - it's simple and free (Federal is free, state if required, has a charge I believe).

[Dr. Obvious 49]

TubroTax. It was really easy to use and was accurate.

[spookyturtle 9,466]

You guys file taxes?

[AlHayatZween 2]

i have a super complicated return... and was using an accountant for a while.

This year, i may buy Turbo Tax and just muscle through it...

i agree with Nick... it sucks... you make no $$ but you still get taxed through the nose.

[Marilyn. 340]

we have been going to the same accountant for the past few years...

[NickD 203]

Can anyone give a logical explanation as to why the IRS has both earned and unearned income? Besides giving extra tax breaks to the people that don't work for a living and make money with money. Income should be income, period and everyone pays the same tax. It's very political.

1,015 forms and 11,000 pages of tax laws is way too much, but can also say the same about our 1,525 government agencies. At first they just guided congress, now they rule breaking many laws of our US Constitution. If we need a law enforcement agency, should be just one, not a zillion, that is why errors are made.

With the IRS, a dozen forms should be more than enough and tax laws should be less than two hundred pages, more like 24 pages if they would hire somebody that know how to write asking the questions they want answers to. Each from should only have two pages of explanations if explanations are even required.

What the IRS does not do is to go back with what they have, just keep on adding stuff each year, at this rate in the next ten years will have 20,000 pages of tax laws. This is ridiculous! Our government is ridiculous.

Feel the best thing that could happen to this country is that Washington DC be burnt down with a new capitol built in the central part of the USA, and going back to our US Constitution for the basis of our laws. And keep it simple.

[payxibka 10,047]

Can anyone give a logical explanation as to why the IRS has both earned and unearned income? Besides giving extra tax breaks to the people that don't work for a living and make money with money. Income should be income, period and everyone pays the same tax. It's very political.

Who says unearned income is not taxed?

I started using the online web version of turbo tax back when they were INTUIT<

they still are