Tax Software Recommendation

[Tiny]

TaxAct is free through my work, and it’s better than TurboTax in my opinion

 

[GalaxyBoy]

One of the people I do taxes for has Pennsylvania income. PA has a website where you can fill out the forms and submit electronically. I wish every state had that. In Michigan, to electronically file, you have to use a third party (like TT) and it costs $20 to file. Only way around it is having a low income level and using one of the free tax prep options.

Virginia had that until a couple of years ago; it was called free fillable forms. They say the company who did the software is no longer offering it. The state does offer downloadable forms in pdf format that include fillable fields. It doesn’t do the math, though, hence the need for a spreadsheet.

 

[RetMD21]

I have used TT for years but the 1116 is driving me to distraction. I can't report multiple countries for one 1099-Div. I found a work around but it is too cumbersome:

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/b...dd-multiple-countries-for-form-1116/00/712006

I can force another 1116 but I can't get TT to add them together. I can't edit the forms only the worksheets. My solution is to do it wrong but with the right numerical answer. If/when I am audited I can explain.

 

[meleana]

I have been using free online software but things have gotten more complex now and I want to try a software that is easier to work with.

I sold some of my Roth conversion and triggered an early withdrawal penalty (I am 64 y/o but missed the 5-year date). I can't figure out how to clear things up using the FreeTaxOnline software.

It would be nice if I could load the files from Fidelity/TDA directly into the tax software. Mostly 1099-R forms but a lot of time to enter everything.

Any recommendations are welcome.

Would also appreciate help on figuring out the implications of the early withdrawal. Fidelity's 1099-R Box 7 showed a Distribution Code "T". Box 1 showed Gross distribution amount. All other boxes were blank.

I have been handling my own taxes for about 30 years.

I know I’m in the minority, but I hate Turbo tax I use a Tax Act on line.

 

[Toocold]

Turbotax. Generally it's very good but this year has been a bear.

 

[GenXguy]

OLT online software. It's free but about $10 for state for me because my income more than double their threshold.

 

[F.I.R.E User]

H&R Block was free for over 20 years but not sure why they aren’t now?

I use Cash App which is free.

 

[waynezo]

H&R Block was free for over 20 years but not sure why they aren’t now?

I use Cash App which is free.

I also use Cash App. Very user friendly handles all my retirement accounts.
Parent company is credit karma which is excellent for credit monitoring and both are totally free

 

[F.I.R.E User]

I also use Cash App. Very user friendly handles all my retirement accounts.
Parent company is credit karma which is excellent for credit monitoring and both are totally free

Yeah, use to be CK.

 

[leftcoastjayhawk]

I've used the H&R Block program and it's predecessors since about 1989. (The program descends from one of the first available tax programs for DOS called "Ask Dan About Your Taxes". I kid you not) I've never had a problem and I'm now on an annual subscription for Deluxe + state which costs me $24.99 per year.

Me too! I started using it in 1988 when MECA started selling for Daniel Caine as Andrew Tobias' Taxcut. (I was also using Andrew Tobias' Managing Your Money at the time) Still have my 1988 return printed on a dot matrix printer. (remember those?) Used it every year since. Name changed to Kiplinger Taxcut one year, then H&R Block Taxcut, then H&R Block At Home, and now as H&R Block Tax. It will always be Taxcut to me.

 

[F.I.R.E User]

Me too! I started using it in 1988 when MECA started selling for Daniel Caine as Andrew Tobias' Taxcut. (I was also using Andrew Tobias' Managing Your Money at the time) Still have my 1988 return printed on a dot matrix printer. (remember those?) Used it every year since. Name changed to Kiplinger Taxcut one year, then H&R Block Taxcut, then H&R Block At Home, and now as H&R Block Tax. It will always be Taxcut to me.

I started using HR in 1999 online version but it’s no longer free from 2020 or so. Not sure why?

 

[PointBreeze]

Is everyone comfortable with providing a username and password for TurboTax to TDA and Fidelity?

I don't like to provide my password to ANYONE.

For Fidelity, TT actually has Fidelity open a window in your default browser and you provide your username and password directly to Fidelity.

With Vanguard, you do provide your username and password to TT. I don’t like it, but I’ve done it ever since it was possible to do it with TT, and never had an issue.

 

[FIREarly]

I've been using TurboTax for over 20 years. I've been getting TT Premier for free from Fidelity for several years now. So not going to stop using it now.

Do any of the other B/D offer this?

e.g. Vanguard, Schwab, TD, etc...

 

[rk911]

Is everyone comfortable with providing a username and password for TurboTax to TDA and Fidelity?

I don't like to provide my password to ANYONE.

i usually just enter the 1099-DIV, -INT, -R etc by hand but this year we had several long 1099-B forms from JPM so I imported them into TT. like others mentioned a separate window opened outside of TT where I logged into our account. but if I had had to provide the login data to TT and i was worried about that I could always just change the PW after the data was imported.

 

[Murph]

I used TT a couple of times, until I compared HRBlock. Big improvement. But for the past four years I have used TaxSlayer.

 

[maestro]

Do people still do taxes when they're in their nineties? ....asking for a friend.

 

[qwerty3656]

I also use Cash App. Very user friendly handles all my retirement accounts.
Parent company is credit karma which is excellent for credit monitoring and both are totally free

Is Cash App like paypal, or does it serve another purpose?

 

[waynezo]

Is Cash App like paypal, or does it serve another purpose?

Cash App is more like Venmo. You can transfer money to friends. I only use it for taxes.

 

[Jerry1]

Do people still do taxes when they're in their nineties? ....asking for a friend. ��

Quite possibly no. In the IRS instructions there is a section titled “who must file”. If your income is low and you owe no taxes and haven’t paid any withholding that needs to be returned, they do not require a return.


https://www.irs.gov/help/ita/do-i-need-to-file-a-tax-return

 

[RunningBum]

With Vanguard, you do provide your username and password to TT. I don’t like it, but I’ve done it ever since it was possible to do it with TT, and never had an issue.

I did not have to do this. I just rechecked it, and with a VG brokerage account all you need is the account # and document ID. With the old VG mutual fund account you would need to give them username/pw. That's a good reason for allowing VG to convert you to a brokerage account.

 

[RetMD21]

I did not have to do this. I just rechecked it, and with a VG brokerage account all you need is the account # and document ID. With the old VG mutual fund account you would need to give them username/pw. That's a good reason for allowing VG to convert you to a brokerage account.

It is very slick. IDK if this is just with TurboTax. I might try HRB next year.

 

[pc95]

The last few years Amazon has the best deal on TurboTax usually late DEC or early JAN of the new tax year.

This year TurboTax followed all the hoard of businesses raising its price near 25%. Yeah 25% in 1 year. MFs

 

[j3cowan]

I use Tax Slayer, and find it fairly easy, but have nothing to compare it to.

 

[meleana]

I use Tax Act on line. I’m 66 years old.

This year I tried turbo tax and tax act simultaneously and they came out within a dollar of each other. I filed with tax act. The few times in the past that I played around with turbo tax I didn’t like it.

Also I did not find the importing of my brokerage statements to Turbo Tax that helpful anyway. It only would recognize one 1099R and I had several.

Plus I don’t like having to log into my brokerage company with my user name and password while importing. I decided not to file with Turbo Tax Andy just deleted the whole return.

Tax Act doesn’t import from my brokerage co. But really it’s no big deal to manually plug in the numbers.

Anyway cost me $35. Our state does not have an income tax.

Better than the CPA’s I used for a few years at $350 and who made mistakes that I had to have them correct!

 

[Sunset]

Do people still do taxes when they're in their nineties? ....asking for a friend.

Nah,,, by the time IRS starts writing letters, most 90 yr olds will be dead

Actually, I do the tax returns for relatives over 90. I am surprised, but they are sharp about it and know how all the numbers relate.

One fellow last week said he was worried I'd die before filing his return, and he'd have to pay some company $300 to do it