what free tax return service do you use?

[frank]

I do my two grandaughters tax forms and filings each year. do any of you use the online tax services and what do you think are the pros and cons of those you have used? I usually try to use the ones that are free for state and federal filings.

 

[East Texas]

If you're a USAA member, you can access Turbo-Tax through the USAA website at no-to-low cost. I always use it for our taxes (I paid something like $10 to import previous year data just so I wouldn't have to key it again). I also used it for our grandkids returns. They have their own logon and it keeps history. I've been very happy with it.

 

[Midpack]

I get a TurboTax Deluxe offline version download Fed & State for free from Vanguard, like many at this forum...

 

[MichaelB]

I get a TurboTax Deluxe offline version download Fed & State for free from Vanguard, like many at this forum...

Thanks for reminding us. A quick check at Vanguard shows it is now available for download.

 

[easysurfer]

TT Deluxe from Vanguard also that comes with free state download. Free for Fed, not free for State e-filing, but efile my state return anyhow as it's convenient to just e-file that way.

 

[frayne]

Since I work for H&R Block, my tax returns are free. Block also will offer free 1040EZs during the first part of tax season, the same as they did last year.

 

[ripper1]

Freetaxusa has worked for me for several years.

 

[Sue J]

I've used FreeTaxUSA® FREE Tax Filing, Online Return Preparation, E-file Income Taxes for many years. Our returns are fairly simple and this site has served the purpose just fine. I do mine and DH's (MFJ) and both of our sons' returns. One son does a Schedule C and the other one has a K-1 form and I've had no problems.

Federal is free but our state costs $9.95. I let the program compute the State return and then I go do it for free at our state tax site. I have to input all the info a 2nd time, but I'm not going to pay to file a tax return.

 

[ripper1]

I've used FreeTaxUSA® FREE Tax Filing, Online Return Preparation, E-file Income Taxes for many years. Our returns are fairly simple and this site has served the purpose just fine. I do mine and DH's (MFJ) and both of our sons' returns. One son does a Schedule C and the other one has a K-1 form and I've had no problems.

Federal is free but our state costs $9.95. I let the program compute the State return and then I go do it for free at our state tax site. I have to input all the info a 2nd time, but I'm not going to pay to file a tax return.

Yes, it is a great site. I also do my kids return.

 

[justplainbll]

I have no problem paying for 'Deluxe' tax software that costs less than .1% of my average tax liability.

 

[easysurfer]

I used to subscribe yearly with Intuit and get the TT Deluxe in my mailbox just after Thanksgiving. Was quite happy with that (plenty of value for a reasonable price).

But since I now get that free anyway with Vanguard..a freebie is still a freebie. If not for Vanguard, I'd probably still subscribe with Intuit.

 

[73ss454]

I also use TT Deluxe via Vanguard for free.

 

[travelover]

I do my MIL's taxes and go to the State of Michigan treasury site. There I can choose among tax programs to use for free due to her lower income. I usually pick Turbo Tax. For my own taxes I have been using TaxAct for $10.

 

[TromboneAl]

Has anyone compared TT with Taxact?

 

[REWahoo]

Has anyone compared TT with Taxact?

Do you mean has anyone done their taxes on both to see which gives the best refund?

No, I've used TT and H&R Block TaxCut, but never Taxact.

 

[growing_older]

I've used TaxACT and been happy with it, so never been motivated enough to do a test against TT.

 

[Rustward]

Has anyone compared TT with Taxact?

I suspect you are asking if any forum members compared. Don't know.
I get a fair number of hits when I google "tax act vs turbo tax". Taking a quick look at the results there are things to like and dislike about both, so it's probably a tossup.

Planning to use Tax-Act free download myself.

 

[Alan]

Has anyone compared TT with Taxact?

Yes.

I use TT myself as I get it free from VG but I wanted my son to be independant so the year he graduated is when I first tried Taxact. He only worked 6 months that year (2007), one job, one W-2, easy peasy and I first did his return on TT.

However, we did his taxes together using Taxact and his refund was $35 higher that TT. Further investigation showed that Taxact picked up the fact that because his income was so low but he still contributed to a 401k that he was due a tax credit intended to encourage low income workers.

I went back to TT and saw the mistake I'd made, but was impressed enough to try Taxact on my own return. Although it produced the same results the free version was much harder to use with my return as I have foreign pensions and banks to deal with.

Each year I use TT for myself and my son uses Taxact.

 

[Buckeye]

Love TaxAct and I have used it since it first came out. I pay for the downloaded program which is discounted because I purchase it at the end of the previous tax year. The same folks used to do Parson's Tax Edge which was also my favorite.

 

[zinger1457]

I used TurboTax for many years but switched to TaxAct online after I stopped getting TT for free from the company I had some investments with. Can get TaxAct Ultimate online for $14 and it includes 1 ferderal and state efile. Had no problem pulling the information from my TT previous year tax form (pdf) into TaxAct. The user interface seemed equivalent to me but my tax returns are fairly simple so I don't use a lot of the features.

 

[Dawg52]

I have no problem paying for 'Deluxe' tax software that costs less than .1% of my average tax liability.

I pay for Deluxe as well. I do my taxes, mom's and at least one friends return. I paid $45 for fed and state with 5 free federal efiles. Not bad imo. Plus I'm used to TT.

 

[W2R]

I pay for Deluxe as well. I do my taxes, mom's and at least one friends return. I paid $45 for fed and state with 5 free federal efiles. Not bad imo. Plus I'm used to TT.

I'm used to TT too, and it picks up data from last year's return to use in this year's if I want to. That saves me a lot of typing and looking up tedious repetitive entries and so on. So, to tell the truth, I have never tried another tax preparation program and I am not motivated to do so. Even worse, I don't use the online or download version and actually PAY for it This is ostensibly because I like having it in my hot little hand and having the CD stored on my shelf in case I need it later, but actually it is because I can't procrastinate if I have paid money for it. Don't ask me the psychology of that, because I can't explain it.

I just use Basic, though, $30. My taxes aren't very complicated and they are the only ones I do. I only use it for federal, because filing Louisiana taxes online is really easy. They are very simple and based on the federal return.

 

[Beryl]

I've used TT as long as it has been in existence. Before that, I used my own free spreadsheet.

I'm used to TT too, and it picks up data from last year's return to use in this year's if I want to. That saves me a lot of typing and looking up tedious repetitive entries and so on. So, to tell the truth, I have never tried another tax preparation program and I am not motivated to do so. Even worse, I don't use the online or download version and actually PAY for it This is ostensibly because I like having it in my hot little hand and having the CD stored on my shelf in case I need it later, but actually it is because I can't procrastinate if I have paid money for it. Don't ask me the psychology of that, because I can't explain it.

I just use Basic, though, $30. My taxes aren't very complicated and they are the only ones I do. I only use it for federal, because filing Louisiana taxes online is really easy. They are very simple and based on the federal return.

Totally relate to your post. I use the next level up because I sold and rented out property for a few years before FIRE. I think I can get away with Basic now.

I'll look into Vanguard. Do you need an account there?

 

[East Texas]

For a whole lot of years I did just fine doing my taxes using a pencil, calculator, Pub17, and various schedules and forms. The first few years I used TT I still did my taxes by hand just to make sure TT came up with the same number. I continue to do a light double-check just to make sure everything looks good.

 

[MichaelB]

This mirrors my experience. I have used TT, TaxCut and TaxAct. Each has a different user interface, and each is better at some forms, none is clearly superior. The interface is sufficiently different to make it difficult to migrate easily from one to another. The foreign tax credit was simplified a couple of years ago, which was the biggest TT weakness for me, and the automated download of transactions made it my preferred program. Intuit has generated an amazing amount of negative sentiment in recent years and, more than other companies, disregards user concerns.

Yes.

I use TT myself as I get it free from VG but I wanted my son to be independant so the year he graduated is when I first tried Taxact. He only worked 6 months that year (2007), one job, one W-2, easy peasy and I first did his return on TT.

However, we did his taxes together using Taxact and his refund was $35 higher that TT. Further investigation showed that Taxact picked up the fact that because his income was so low but he still contributed to a 401k that he was due a tax credit intended to encourage low income workers.

I went back to TT and saw the mistake I'd made, but was impressed enough to try Taxact on my own return. Although it produced the same results the free version was much harder to use with my return as I have foreign pensions and banks to deal with.

Each year I use TT for myself and my son uses Taxact.