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what free tax return service do you use?
12-30-2011, 05:59 AM
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#1
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: dubuque
Posts: 1,174
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what free tax return service do you use?
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.
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12-30-2011, 06:15 AM
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#2
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 746
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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.
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12-30-2011, 07:28 AM
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#3
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: NC
Posts: 21,298
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I get a TurboTax Deluxe offline version download Fed & State for free from Vanguard, like many at this forum...
__________________
No one agrees with other people's opinions; they merely agree with their own opinions -- expressed by somebody else. Sydney Tremayne
Retired Jun 2011 at age 57
Target AA: 50% equity funds / 45% bonds / 5% cash
Target WR: Approx 1.5% Approx 20% SI (secure income, SS only)
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12-30-2011, 07:39 AM
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#4
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Administrator
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Chicagoland
Posts: 40,708
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Midpack
I get a TurboTax Deluxe offline version download Fed & State for free from Vanguard, like many at this forum...
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Thanks for reminding us. A quick check at Vanguard shows it is now available for download.
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12-30-2011, 07:59 AM
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#5
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 13,143
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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.
__________________
Have you ever seen a headstone with these words
"If only I had spent more time at work" ... from "Busy Man" sung by Billy Ray Cyrus
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12-30-2011, 02:55 PM
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#6
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Chattanooga
Posts: 3,893
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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.
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Earning money is an action, saving money is a behavior, growing money takes a well diversified portfolio and the discipline to ignore market swings.
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12-30-2011, 04:18 PM
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#7
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Chicago
Posts: 1,154
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Freetaxusa has worked for me for several years.
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12-30-2011, 04:25 PM
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#8
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 3,681
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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.
__________________
Married, both 69. DH retired June, 2010. I have a pleasant little part time job.
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12-30-2011, 04:30 PM
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#9
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Chicago
Posts: 1,154
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 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.
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Yes, it is a great site. I also do my kids return.
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12-30-2011, 08:19 PM
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#10
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Easten Long Island
Posts: 414
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I have no problem paying for 'Deluxe' tax software that costs less than .1% of my average tax liability.
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12-30-2011, 09:06 PM
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#11
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 13,143
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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.
__________________
Have you ever seen a headstone with these words
"If only I had spent more time at work" ... from "Busy Man" sung by Billy Ray Cyrus
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12-30-2011, 09:17 PM
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#12
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: LaLa Land
Posts: 4,698
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I also use TT Deluxe via Vanguard for free.
__________________
Work is something you do to get enough $ so you don't have to....Me.
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12-31-2011, 09:26 AM
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#13
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 14,328
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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.
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12-31-2011, 06:53 PM
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#14
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 12,880
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Has anyone compared TT with Taxact?
__________________
Al
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12-31-2011, 07:04 PM
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#15
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Texas: No Country for Old Men
Posts: 50,021
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TromboneAl
Has anyone compared TT with Taxact?
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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.
__________________
Numbers is hard
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12-31-2011, 07:18 PM
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#16
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 2,657
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I've used TaxACT and been happy with it, so never been motivated enough to do a test against TT.
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12-31-2011, 07:32 PM
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#17
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 1,684
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TromboneAl
Has anyone compared TT with Taxact?
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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.
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12-31-2011, 07:41 PM
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#18
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Administrator
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: N. Yorkshire
Posts: 34,124
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TromboneAl
Has anyone compared TT with Taxact?
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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.
__________________
Retired in Jan, 2010 at 55, moved to England in May 2016
Enough private pension and SS income to cover all needs
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12-31-2011, 07:50 PM
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#19
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Orlando
Posts: 2,656
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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.
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12-31-2011, 08:51 PM
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#20
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 3,229
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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.
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