rk911
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
same old , same old. if it wasn’t for the last minute nothing would ever get done.
Last edited:
When to file tax return?
- Thread starter Brat
- Start date
Montecfo
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Same in Virginia. it is a big issue for states which follow federal. it creates a huge state windfall because deductions are lost, but unlike federal, tax rates did not change.
Politicians thus have new money to play with and reluctant to give it up.
Curmudgeon44
Dryer sheet wannabe
Do people not understand that FILING taxes is not the same as PAYING them, and if you owe taxes and file today, you still have until April 15 to pay on time?
That reduces the reason to wait. It's a little thing but you can frustrate fraudulent filers when you file early.
Hope this helps,
C44 with TaxAide 20 years
That reduces the reason to wait. It's a little thing but you can frustrate fraudulent filers when you file early.
Hope this helps,
C44 with TaxAide 20 years
True. But I wouldn't make an investment choice based on getting tax info by Jan. 31 vs. Feb. 15.
Yea, I finally figured that out. Timber!!
When you need TT Premier to handle your LLC's, basic isn't where it's at.
W2R
Moderator Emeritus
Last year I filed on February 18th. This year I wanted to wait a bit longer for some unknown reason; to make sure TurboTax correctly implemented the changes I guess?
But I'm already starting to think "I'd better get busy and DO this", nearly every day. At this rate, I'll probably get my forms printed out in a week or so, and maybe file in a couple of weeks if all my forms are available.
But I'm already starting to think "I'd better get busy and DO this", nearly every day. At this rate, I'll probably get my forms printed out in a week or so, and maybe file in a couple of weeks if all my forms are available.
skipro33
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
I completed my federal and state filing using H&R Block software. A couple things I discovered.
1. I am a resident of California. The software has you fill out the federal forms first. Several times the program pointed out that I didn't need to file deductions; for charities, donations, work related expenses, even expenses for filing taxes since all of them don't add up enough to offset the new and higher standard deductions. Great! Knowing this, next year's taxes will take all of 5 minutes. Then it had me fill out the state forms. I was shocked to see I owed hundreds more than I should. I went back to the federal form and reloaded all the donations and deductions I had deleted after painstakingly entered earlier, even though the new standard federal deduction is more than my itemized ones, and all of a sudden, instead of owing the state hundreds of dollars, I was due a refund of hundreds of dollars.
2. At one point the software had me enter a date to pay my taxes. It suggested April 15th. I could file my taxes electronically and pay the amount due at a later date. Refunds are paid back as quick as the system allows.
3. H&R Block software made a mistake on my filing. I used them last year and at one point near the end of e-filing, the federal government asks for the AGI from last year's taxes. H&R filled that box in and I assumed it was right. It wasn't. My federal form was rejected. Then the state of California also rejected my return as they require the fed to accept before they will. I looked up what my AGI was from last year and compared it to what H&R filled in. H&R filled in with the amount I got back from my state return last year, not the AGI from the federal form last year, but the refund from the state last year. That's messed up! Not only that, it's a box that I could not modify what H&R populated it with. Took me a while of research to find out I had to right click on the box, agree that any number I put in released them from any guarantee that the forms were filled right and I was safeguarded from an audit. Eventually I got the number in right and the feds accepted my filing. But the state rejected it because the AGI wasn't right. Fuuuuu......
Seems the state wants the AGI from the state form and the feds want the AGI from the Fed form. But H&R only asked me for the Fed AGI. But now that the feds accepted the form, I could repopulate the AGI that the state wanted. Filed again and it worked.
****EDIT****
4. I forgot; the software encourages me to hold off giving my donations and deductions every other year in order to accumulate enough to be more than the standard deduction on the federal return. If I did that, I'd owe more to the state of California every other year than I'd get back from the Feds.
1. I am a resident of California. The software has you fill out the federal forms first. Several times the program pointed out that I didn't need to file deductions; for charities, donations, work related expenses, even expenses for filing taxes since all of them don't add up enough to offset the new and higher standard deductions. Great! Knowing this, next year's taxes will take all of 5 minutes. Then it had me fill out the state forms. I was shocked to see I owed hundreds more than I should. I went back to the federal form and reloaded all the donations and deductions I had deleted after painstakingly entered earlier, even though the new standard federal deduction is more than my itemized ones, and all of a sudden, instead of owing the state hundreds of dollars, I was due a refund of hundreds of dollars.
2. At one point the software had me enter a date to pay my taxes. It suggested April 15th. I could file my taxes electronically and pay the amount due at a later date. Refunds are paid back as quick as the system allows.
3. H&R Block software made a mistake on my filing. I used them last year and at one point near the end of e-filing, the federal government asks for the AGI from last year's taxes. H&R filled that box in and I assumed it was right. It wasn't. My federal form was rejected. Then the state of California also rejected my return as they require the fed to accept before they will. I looked up what my AGI was from last year and compared it to what H&R filled in. H&R filled in with the amount I got back from my state return last year, not the AGI from the federal form last year, but the refund from the state last year. That's messed up! Not only that, it's a box that I could not modify what H&R populated it with. Took me a while of research to find out I had to right click on the box, agree that any number I put in released them from any guarantee that the forms were filled right and I was safeguarded from an audit. Eventually I got the number in right and the feds accepted my filing. But the state rejected it because the AGI wasn't right. Fuuuuu......
Seems the state wants the AGI from the state form and the feds want the AGI from the Fed form. But H&R only asked me for the Fed AGI. But now that the feds accepted the form, I could repopulate the AGI that the state wanted. Filed again and it worked.
****EDIT****
4. I forgot; the software encourages me to hold off giving my donations and deductions every other year in order to accumulate enough to be more than the standard deduction on the federal return. If I did that, I'd owe more to the state of California every other year than I'd get back from the Feds.
Last edited:
This is good info. I've been wondering how TurboTax will deal with the situation of std deduction on Fed and itemized on CA returns. I can't do our returns until after mid-Feb due to 1099s not being available yet, but I'll be interested to see how my experience compares with yours.
Actual, if that happened, it would become your problem, since you would have to chase the IRS bureaucracy to get you refund back.
Also, California resident. Yep, Fed. Took Standard deduction. State. Itemized. In my case, H&R, accepted all itemized FED, deductions. Then compared, recommended take standard deduction.
When, filling out Calif. State return. H&R software, imported Fed return,
and recommended itemize. Worked pretty well. H&R software did State return.
On, H&R, you can always "override", a "line/entry", by right clicking.
Feature I've used many times.
I also, compare previous years tax return to current. Anything that is
"really" different, I double check. To avoid future issues.
Oh, so the even though Fed, increased standard deduction, will still have to save/collect/record all information for itemizing. Unless Calif, follows Fed tax rules.
I went ahead and filed on 1/31 using H&R Block. I knew we’d be taking the standard deduction, so a straightforward return. The return was accepted that day and I just got notice (2/10), it was approved and our refund is scheduled for 2/13. Our refund/payment will be a lot smaller for 2019 as I now have the calculations on a spreadsheet which matched our 2018 refund.
Another Reader
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2013
- Messages
- 3,413
The CPA files it on April 15th. If it goes on extension, he files it October 15th. That's his MO. This year, because of the changes in the law, I am meeting with him next week with everything ready to go. I'm going to be a pain in the neck until it's ready. If I owe a lot more, I want to be prepared to write the check. Hope those software folks at the brokers get their part done by February 15th.
skipro33
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
When I finally filed correctly, it only took less than an hour for the state and federal returns to be accepted and my state refund was in my checking account within 48 hours. Feds I owe, so it's flagged to send out to them April 14th.
