|
Online tax prep sites - thoughts?
12-16-2016, 07:55 AM
|
#1
|
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Gosport, IN
Posts: 1,218
|
Online tax prep sites - thoughts?
I have used TaxAct download version for the past 8 years having switched from TurboTax. Ths year the price went up and it seems like i don't need all the bells and whistles so I started looking at online sites to do taxes that way.
Test driving the TaxAct online site I found some required forms I need to require the purchase of the next level above the free online version. I then researched some others online prep sites and it I did a test run on FreetaxUSA which looks like it will allow me all of the options I need for free on the fed return and run $12.95 for my state return.
Anybody else find online tax prep sites that works for them at a low cost?
Any previous users of FreetaxUSA?
|
|
|
|
Join the #1 Early Retirement and Financial Independence Forum Today - It's Totally Free!
Are you planning to be financially independent as early as possible so you can live life on your own terms? Discuss successful investing strategies, asset allocation models, tax strategies and other related topics in our online forum community. Our members range from young folks just starting their journey to financial independence, military retirees and even multimillionaires. No matter where you fit in you'll find that Early-Retirement.org is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!
You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with our members, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create a retirement blog, send private messages and so much, much more!
|
12-16-2016, 08:15 AM
|
#2
|
Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 979
|
I've used FreeTaxUSA for years, they had (or maybe still have) free state filing for military, and I was never disappointed.
__________________
I'm free and I like it!
|
|
|
12-16-2016, 08:21 AM
|
#3
|
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Gosport, IN
Posts: 1,218
|
Thanks, RetiredGypsy! No military service but $12.95 isn't an issue since TaxAct had been running about $20 previously including state!
|
|
|
12-16-2016, 08:22 AM
|
#4
|
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 3,229
|
I've used TaxAct online for several years and it worked well. Tried Online Taxes (olt.com) last year since it was free for both feds and state and liked it but my taxes are fairly straight forward, I don't itemize deductions.
|
|
|
12-16-2016, 08:29 AM
|
#5
|
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Gosport, IN
Posts: 1,218
|
Thanks zinger! - went to olt and it looks like state return filing is $9.99 - guess I could just mail that in.
|
|
|
12-16-2016, 02:29 PM
|
#6
|
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 3,229
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by wmc1000
Thanks zinger! - went to olt and it looks like state return filing is $9.99 - guess I could just mail that in.
|
Last year (2015) OLT was free for state efile as long as your AGI was below a certain level, it's still early so not sure about 2016. My states (AZ) gov web site list which tax software vendors offer free state efile but there isn't anything posted for 2016 yet.
|
|
|
12-16-2016, 02:43 PM
|
#7
|
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 1,181
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by zinger1457
Tried Online Taxes (olt.com) last year since it was free for both feds and state and liked it but my taxes are fairly straight forward, I don't itemize deductions.
|
Standard OLT (Free Federal, $9.99 state): https://www.olt.com/main/home/default.asp
Free Federal & State with $13k-$64k AGI: https://www.olt.com/main/oltfree/default.asp
|
|
|
12-16-2016, 04:03 PM
|
#8
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 10,252
|
I'd rather have fully functional desktop software that the vendor pays me to use, so I don't have to pay for it and get paid money for using it.
So I use HRBlock with the 10% rebate on one's refund. It's like buying a short-term CD that has a yield of 10% which is more than enough to pay for the software and get some other things on Amazon.
I mean, if cost is a big deal to you, then why not have them pay you $100 to use their software?
|
|
|
Online tax prep sites - thoughts?
12-16-2016, 04:20 PM
|
#9
|
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 3,681
|
Online tax prep sites - thoughts?
I've been using FreeTaxUSA for years and it's been just great for everything we need. We have W2, 1099 and recently the forms for ACA subsidy stuff. Haven't itemized for years so it's pretty simple.
I've also used it for my son who is self employed - Schedule C. But last year we ran into an issue with the ACA subsidy in combination with the self employed health insurance deduction and the circular calculation. So this year I'm going to try it in FreeTaxUSA and if they haven't updated that he may have to buy tax software. Last year we realized it made very little difference in his income range but this year he's earned about 50% more (gross) and I'm thinking that calculation could be meaningful.
So if you know a tax package that handles the self employed health insurance deduction along with the ACA subsidy, post about it, please.
Sent from my iPad using Early Retirement Forum
__________________
Married, both 69. DH retired June, 2010. I have a pleasant little part time job.
|
|
|
12-17-2016, 05:03 AM
|
#10
|
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: dubuque
Posts: 1,174
|
I have been using taxhawk for a few years. covers about any scenario you can think of. it has free federal, but state cost 12.95. I usually print and mail the state so it doesn't cost anything. works well for me.
|
|
|
12-17-2016, 08:15 AM
|
#11
|
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Ormond Beach
Posts: 1,407
|
|
|
|
12-17-2016, 09:59 AM
|
#12
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Boise
Posts: 7,882
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sue J
So if you know a tax package that handles the self employed health insurance deduction along with the ACA subsidy, post about it, please.
|
Hi Sue J!
I've used TaxAct over the past few years and have liked it.
It seems to do what you're asking for well according to this: https://thefinancebuff.com/tax-softw...ax-credit.html
Also, it is free for both federal and state if you meet certain conditions. Check out http://www.irs.gov/freefile in January.
__________________
"At times the world can seem an unfriendly and sinister place, but believe us when we say there is much more good in it than bad. All you have to do is look hard enough, and what might seem to be a series of unfortunate events, may in fact be the first steps of a journey." Violet Baudelaire.
|
|
|
12-17-2016, 11:31 AM
|
#13
|
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 2,612
|
So for those using an online service, not a downloaded program, do you do your taxes in stages or all at once?
I tend to load things as they come in - will the online service allow that?
- Rita
__________________
Only got A dimple, would have preferred 2!
|
|
|
12-17-2016, 11:38 AM
|
#14
|
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Gosport, IN
Posts: 1,218
|
Gotadimple, Yes the online sites allow you to do a piecemeal input as you go. I put in the estimated numbers for the first go round and then edit as needed when I have my final numbers.
|
|
|
12-19-2016, 03:06 PM
|
#15
|
Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: MSP
Posts: 304
|
I thought I'd try an online site to do some pro forma work in advance of deciding my end of year Roth conversion amount. I chose OLT based on the above comments along with the fact that my state's revenue department has approved them (as well as several others) as an online filer.
Setting up an account required providing the obvious email address which was then verified by a code. I was OK with that. But as I moved into the Fed 1040 return I discovered that I was forced to provide all the personal info upfront, such as phone#, address, SSN, etc. before I could proceed. Tabs for income, adjustments, withholding, etc. were prominently displayed but non-functional. I suspect it's one of those things where one has to work through the return sequentially. What I was hoping is that I could experiment with inputs/results and not have to provide all the personal info, especially SSN, up to the point of filing which I don't plan to do using OLT. (I planned to pay for the state return in advance of doing likewise.)
Perhaps, once the personal data is entered, one can work through the various tabs at random. But never having used online tax forms before, I'm not confident in that. (Up through 2014, I'd used the online TaxAct to do my pro forma returns, albeit without state.) I guess at this point I'm a bit hesitant to pull the trigger, feeling like I'd rather eat the cost of buying the fed/state upfront where I can install it on my machine and play to my heart's content. I would certainly hope that TT or H&R Block's state download wouldn't require such info in order to function.
Can anyone say if that's the case?
|
|
|
12-19-2016, 03:35 PM
|
#16
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 10,252
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by UpAnchor
. What I was hoping is that I could experiment with inputs/results and not have to provide all the personal info, especially SSN, up to the point of filing
... feeling like I'd rather eat the cost of buying the fed/state upfront where I can install it on my machine and play to my heart's content. I would certainly hope that TT or H&R Block's state download wouldn't require such info in order to function.
Can anyone say if that's the case?
|
Bogleheads.org has been beside itself with announcing the deals on download version of HRBlock tax sofware.
It is the case that one can use that downloaded version without giving true personal info and SSN or even registering the software. However, if you download, they will know your e-mail address.
|
|
|
12-19-2016, 03:48 PM
|
#17
|
Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: MSP
Posts: 304
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by LOL!
Bogleheads.org has been beside itself with announcing the deals on download version of HRBlock tax sofware.
It is the case that one can use that downloaded version without giving true personal info and SSN or even registering the software. However, if you download, they will know your e-mail address.
|
Thanks. I can live with that.
|
|
|
12-19-2016, 03:52 PM
|
#18
|
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Gosport, IN
Posts: 1,218
|
You can always use a bogus ss # and other pertinent personal info for testing periods.
|
|
|
12-19-2016, 11:01 PM
|
#19
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Spending the Kids Inheritance and living in Chicago
Posts: 17,093
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by wmc1000
You can always use a bogus ss # and other pertinent personal info for testing periods.
|
Exactly, it only takes a few tries to create a fake SS number. (they have rules so they can tell which are real vs fake).
Or just use last years software, it's normally close enough for most folks to know, since often they don't have exact figures. I just copy the file from last year, with a name like fake1 and open that and change the numbers that are already there.
|
|
|
|
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
|
|
Thread Tools |
|
Display Modes |
Linear Mode
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
» Recent Threads
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
» Quick Links
|
|
|