Free TurboTax 2007

[Goonie]

Not sure if this may be posted elsewhere around the boards, but I found a link at Earthlink to download TaxAct 2007 Standard Edition....for FREE! It's only 10.7MB, and is only for Fed return. It also include free E-file. You can get the state return for $13.95.

Now I've collected free versions of TurboTax, TaxCut, and now TaxAct.....all I have to do is decide which to use. I might try all 3 just for the heck of it!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dawg52 Well I'm in the process of downloading Deluxe. Doesn't hurt to see if the free version is the real deal. But at the rate it is downloading(dial up), I'm going to be here a while. Maybe by time I'm ready to go to bed it will be done.

FWIW, it's 87.5MB. I remember several years ago when I had dial-up, I downloaded a Mandrake Linux ISO file about 635MB.......37 hours!

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Yep, when I downloaded it last night I think it said it was going to take 5 or 6 hours by dialup. Turned out to be a minute and two seconds on the cable internet.

[Goonie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cute fuzzy bunny Yep, when I downloaded it last night I think it said it was going to take 5 or 6 hours by dialup. Turned out to be a minute and two seconds on the cable internet.

For me it was about 2.5 minutes on dsl.....I remember all of those mega-hour dial-up downloads I used to do! I was sooooo happy when they finally got hi-speed internet to us out here in the boonies!

[Texas Proud]

Well... I downloaded it (on dial up) last night and started on the return today...

And I had my info 'imported' form Vanguard and Ameritrade... but since I entered this info last year.. it is asking me to input it again.. and I can not SEE what was imported... and it did not bring in my cost basis...

Not as easy as they make it out to be... but I will persist..

[Dawg52]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Texas Proud Well... I downloaded it (on dial up) last night and started on the return today... And I had my info 'imported' form Vanguard and Ameritrade... but since I entered this info last year.. it is asking me to input it again.. and I can not SEE what was imported... and it did not bring in my cost basis... Not as easy as they make it out to be... but I will persist..

Hmmmmm.......is this because it is a free version? It did all this for me last year when I purchased it.

[ladelfina]

How can you guys get your taxes out so fast? I always wait til' April because I always seem to get a revised 1099 from the brokerage. Does this never happen to y'all?

[Dawg52]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ladelfina How can you guys get your taxes out so fast? I always wait til' April because I always seem to get a revised 1099 from the brokerage. Does this never happen to y'all?

I'm just getting everything set up. Fidelity sent me an email a couple of weeks ago recommending not to download 1099 info until the end of February, for the reason you mentioned. Plus I have to wait on my last k-1 statement from my old company. Won't get that until the end of March.

[ERD50]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Texas Proud Well... I downloaded it (on dial up) last night and started on the return today... .

If you are on dial up, you might really want to consider one of the on-line tax programs. When I was using the desktop TT, it seemed like every time I went to check, it wanted to download many MBs of updates.

The advantage to the on-line programs is that they do the program updates on their end - no DL time for you. Of course you need to be dialed in to use it, so if you are sharing that with a voice line....

-ERD50

[Texas Proud]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dawg52 Hmmmmm.......is this because it is a free version? It did all this for me last year when I purchased it.

Nope... it looks like the 'real deal'... just hard to navigate with some of the info...

AFTER I deleted 90 trades that I had downloaded from my broker.. and then AGAIN from the gain keeper (so in twice)... I find the menu option that would allow me to delete them all at once...

They made it to easy... so that you can not do what you want when you want.... but, free is free...

More info going in tonight... hope to have it done this weekend...

[cute fuzzy bunny]

BTW, if you went through that link and created a turbotax online account, the whole deal WAS free even accessed later.

The link through state farm to download the s/w or "buy" the online version for free went away pretty quick, but they didnt require re-entry through that link as it did with vanguard a few years ago. And they didnt charge me retroactively for the federal, state or efile, it was all free.

So if you went and made an online account but never used it, you can just go to the main turbotax site and go to the online portion and have at it.

Took me a couple of hours, which is pretty sweet considering we bought and sold a house, rolled over a pension and a 403b, sold a buttload of taxable investments and so forth...

[just_hatched]

TaxCut 2007 Basic edition is available for free here:
TaxCut Basic - Reviews and free TaxCut Basic downloads at Download.com

I don't like using the online tax tools, this version is downloadable (download.com also has a Mac version available.)

I used TaxAct first which has free e-file, but TaxAct has too many upgrade prompts and won't allow saving to PDF format for example.

So I usually wait for some free downloadable version of TurboTax or TaxCut before actually filing the return.

Then I compare the numbers from TaxCut with the numbers in TaxAct to see if they are close to check if maybe I missed something along the way.

Of course, the Basic version is only useful if you have a relatively simple return.

[gindie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by just_hatched ... and won't allow saving to PDF format for example.

Someone posted a while back about a free product called CutePDF (CutePDF - Create PDF for free, Free PDF Utilities, Save PDF Forms, Edit PDF easily.) that, after installed, shows up in your list of printers when you want to write a PDF. Works very well with just about any application (including TaxAct).

[BigBob]

Quote:

Originally Posted by just_hatched TaxAct ... won't allow saving to PDF format for example.

Just a tip for anyone interested:
If saving to PDF is what you want, check out PDF995 (or many other products) that allow you to "Print" your output to a PDF. I have used PDF995 (free, but with a couple popups) for several years.

..or try CutePDF - timing is everything

[Goonie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gindie Someone posted a while back about a free product called CutePDF........ Works very well with just about any application.......

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigBob ...or try CutePDF - timing is everything

I've been using CutePDF quite a bit the past several weeks that we've been here in FL on vacation. Using it a lot to "print" web pages for use later on when I'm away from an internet connection (on the road again) or for actual 'paper & ink' printing when I return to home to the Arctic Circle IL next week sometime.

It has worked flawlessly! Just hit print, select it from the list of printers (or do as I have for this trip and set CutePDF as your 'default' printer), and PRESTO!......a 'save' box pops up for you to name the file, and decide where you want it stashed.......and that's it! Done!

[Dawg52]

Just ran my Aunt's numbers through the free edition and it worked just fine. Brought forward last years data and obtained the updates along with the free State edition, within a reasonable amount of time even though I'm on dial up. The initial 5 hour program down load was a little long. But no worries, just took a nap.

Now, just have to wait on my former employer's k-1 statement and then I can see what kind of damage I have on my return.

[SecondCor521]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Want2retire That's a pleasant thought, especially since I am way ahead of my personal savings goals so actually I might choose to spend it this year.

Go ahead and try...

2Cor521

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SecondCor521 Go ahead and try... 2Cor521

Since the time I posted that, I have indeed spent it - - though not as I had envisioned.

First, I spent $285 on "fun stuff". I spent an entire day buying everything in the world, from things I had wanted for years, to true impulse items. I "shopped till I dropped" at probably a dozen big box and smaller stores, and filled my car up twice with stuff that I carted home.

Then, a freak windstorm on Feb. 20th blew two outside closet doors off my house. One of these doors leads to a toolshed closet, and one to a hot water heater closet. Both doors were shredded by Katrina, and barely functional. The windstorm was the last straw. I had been planning to replace them anyway.
Cost of new (metal) doors and labor to hang them: $480

I discovered the doors when checking my hot water heater last Saturday to see why it didn't work. It was (coincidently) completely shot and no longer holding water.
Cost of new 50-gallon water heater and installation, with new valve and connectors: $800

Tax refund money: $1395 (feds) + $105 (Louisiana) = $1500
Money spent so far: $285+$480+$800 = $1565

So, I am $65 in the hole. Isn't that how it always works?

[Khan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Want2retire Since the time I posted that, I have indeed spent it - - though not as I had envisioned. First, I spent $285 on "fun stuff". I spent an entire day buying everything in the world, from things I had wanted for years, to true impulse items. I "shopped till I dropped" at probably a dozen big box and smaller stores, and filled my car up twice with stuff that I carted home. Then, a freak windstorm on Feb. 20th blew two outside closet doors off my house. One of these doors leads to a toolshed closet, and one to a hot water heater closet. Both doors were shredded by Katrina, and barely functional. The windstorm was the last straw. I had been planning to replace them anyway. Cost of new (metal) doors and labor to hang them: $480 I discovered the doors when checking my hot water heater last Saturday to see why it didn't work. It was (coincidently) completely shot and no longer holding water. Cost of new 50-gallon water heater and installation, with new valve and connectors: $800 Tax refund money: $1395 (feds) + $105 (Louisiana) = $1500 Money spent so far: $285+$480+$800 = $1565 So, I am $65 in the hole. Isn't that how it always works?

I have an operating hypothesis.

They're all plotting together:
Appliances
Building Components
Vehicles
Pets
Teeth

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Khan I have an operating hypothesis. They're all plotting together: Appliances Building Components Vehicles Pets Teeth

Sounds like I might be well advised to procrastinate a little before scheduling my routine dental appointment, under the circumstances.

What amazes me is that the repairs were almost exactly equal to my tax refund, minus my immediate brief whirlwind shopping spree.

I still might spend some more, though this sort of took the wind out of my sails. After all, I was figuring on replacing the doors and hot water heater as part of the preparation for selling my house anyway. I knew they had to be replaced. But, gee.