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.
Thanks for reminding us. A quick check at Vanguard shows it is now available for download.I get a TurboTax Deluxe offline version download Fed & State for free from Vanguard, like many at this forum...
Yes, it is a great site. I also do my kids return.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.
Do you mean has anyone done their taxes on both to see which gives the best refund?Has anyone compared TT with Taxact?
Has anyone compared TT with Taxact?
Has anyone compared TT with Taxact?
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 said: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.
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.