|
|
12-07-2017, 12:26 PM
|
#81
|
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Coronado
Posts: 3,669
|
|
|
|
|
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!
|
12-07-2017, 02:30 PM
|
#83
|
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 sengsational
Last year I had forced withholding so my refund was going to be large, but I couldn't justify taking the refund as an Amazon gift card. Yes, sooner or later I might spend money on Amazon, but I wasn't going to have a big "balance" on Amazon waiting to get spent. Not worth it.
|
One doesn't have to use their entire refund on an Amazon gift card.
We are going to use HRBlock anyways because it is cheaper AND we got sick of the TurboTax misinformation campaign to get folks to pay more for a version that they didn't need. So as long as we are using HRBlock, we might as well use the refund bonus. So suppose our tax refund amount was $11,000,299. In that case we would have $10,999,799 put into our checking account and get a gift card for $525 ($500 from refund and $25 from the bonus). The $25 bonus would more than cover the cost of the software.
|
|
|
12-07-2017, 04:01 PM
|
#84
|
Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 275
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by LOL!
...and get a gift card for $525 ($500 from refund and $25 from the bonus). The $25 bonus would more than cover the cost of the software.
|
False accounting. Since you can easily get 5% off Amazon (e.g. various credit cards), $525 at Amazon should cost $525*0.95=$498.75 so you actually lose money. It's not a particularly good deal at all.
|
|
|
12-07-2017, 04:04 PM
|
#85
|
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 2,602
|
If you used H&R Block last year, they may send you a disk this year with a coupon that gets you the Deluxe edition (does not include state) for 19.95.
__________________
Only got A dimple, would have preferred 2!
|
|
|
12-07-2017, 07:26 PM
|
#86
|
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Jalisco, Mexico
Posts: 1,745
|
Generally just having last year's data auto-import is a barrier to switching software, but having all your W2 and stock cost-basis and all dividend transactions auto-import is pretty sweet. I switched from TaxAct to TurboTax last year for reasons I can't recall, but I'm guessing it had something to do with making things easier overall. And now that I'm here, why switch back? Didn't hurt that I got probably my largest refund ever...
|
|
|
12-07-2017, 08:22 PM
|
#87
|
Moderator
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 9,101
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by cathy63
|
I want the physical CD. I don't know why. I've never reloaded that I recall, but something about having it just in case, makes me feel better. If I was to download a copy, I would make sure that I got it properly registered so there would be support in case you need it reloaded in a couple years.
|
|
|
12-08-2017, 06:53 AM
|
#88
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 13,202
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jerry1
I want the physical CD. I don't know why. I've never reloaded that I recall, but something about having it just in case, makes me feel better. If I was to download a copy, I would make sure that I got it properly registered so there would be support in case you need it reloaded in a couple years.
|
That's a good point. If you need to file amended later, you'll need that year's tax program. I've had to go back two years because the IRS caught a stock sale I missed and billed me at 0 basis unless I re-filed with the actual basis. I've got the last 4 years still on my laptop, but I do uninstall them at some point to declutter. You can keep the download files and probably reinstall from that, but a physical CD seems safer (as long as you don't lose it).
|
|
|
12-08-2017, 06:56 AM
|
#89
|
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Jalisco, Mexico
Posts: 1,745
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sunset
For me, the difference is I don't use Twitter, use FB about 5 times per year to comment upon some friends posting (don't post anything myself), and tax software will detail exactly what and where you have your money, giving a map to follow to the treasure.
I don't need to make it even easier for the bad guys to empty my accounts.
So I use local tax software and encrypt it on my machine and in backups.
|
And then the IRS gets hacked and all your data is taken any way. Even paper-submitted data.
Seriously, using online tax software isn't making it 'easier' for anyone. Their security is probably better than the Feds. I had a false tax refund filed under my name back in 2010, before the IRS got hacked.
|
|
|
12-08-2017, 07:07 AM
|
#90
|
Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Atlanta suburbs
Posts: 633
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jerry1
I want the physical CD. I don't know why. I've never reloaded that I recall, but something about having it just in case, makes me feel better.
|
I feel the same.
|
|
|
12-08-2017, 08:16 AM
|
#91
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 13,130
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jerry1
I want the physical CD. I don't know why. I've never reloaded that I recall, but something about having it just in case, makes me feel better. If I was to download a copy, I would make sure that I got it properly registered so there would be support in case you need it reloaded in a couple years.
|
For any important software that comes in download form only, I always burn a copy to CD. Seems safer than just having the software sitting in a folder on my computer.
__________________
Have you ever seen a headstone with these words
"If only I had spent more time at work" ... from "Busy Man" sung by Billy Ray Cyrus
|
|
|
12-08-2017, 09:57 AM
|
#92
|
Moderator
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 10,653
|
Yep, right onto a CD, even before installing it. And I write the unlock code with a sharpie right on the CD.
And I never remove the software. I know how old my computer is by counting the tax software icons on the desktop.
|
|
|
12-08-2017, 10:14 AM
|
#93
|
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Red Rock Country
Posts: 1,915
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by sengsational
I know how old my computer is by counting the tax software icons on the desktop.
|
Ha ha me too!
|
|
|
12-09-2017, 10:57 AM
|
#94
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 13,130
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by sengsational
Yep, right onto a CD, even before installing it. And I write the unlock code with a sharpie right on the CD.
And I never remove the software. I know how old my computer is by counting the tax software icons on the desktop.
|
What I do is create a notepad (text) file and burn that along with the software to the CD. That way, if I ever need to reinstall, the unlock code is only a copy/paste away.
__________________
Have you ever seen a headstone with these words
"If only I had spent more time at work" ... from "Busy Man" sung by Billy Ray Cyrus
|
|
|
12-09-2017, 01:37 PM
|
#95
|
Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 977
|
Don't mean to hijack this thread, but this year I moved to an iMac computer. All previous years Turbotax was done with Microsoft Windows computer. I assume I can simply buy the Turbotax-for-Mac version, but what about importing previous year's return. Will my Mac be able to read the Microsoft version?
|
|
|
12-09-2017, 03:35 PM
|
#97
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 13,202
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by cbo111
Don't mean to hijack this thread, but this year I moved to an iMac computer. All previous years Turbotax was done with Microsoft Windows computer. I assume I can simply buy the Turbotax-for-Mac version, but what about importing previous year's return. Will my Mac be able to read the Microsoft version?
|
I think it tries to find the .tax file first, and maybe those from other tax programs, but canj use a .pdf file. I don't know if you can just move a .tax file over to your Mac and have it be able to read it, but the .pdf file should be universal, isn't it? Obviously you're going to have to move one or both files over to the Mac.
|
|
|
12-10-2017, 09:23 PM
|
#98
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Northern Virginia
Posts: 7,544
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by dixonge
And then the IRS gets hacked and all your data is taken any way. Even paper-submitted data.
Seriously, using online tax software isn't making it 'easier' for anyone. Their security is probably better than the Feds. I had a false tax refund filed under my name back in 2010, before the IRS got hacked.
|
You surely are increasing risk by providing your tax data in electronic form to an intermediary.
A hack of IRS is a constant regardless of filing method.
No shock, I file on paper.
|
|
|
01-12-2018, 12:41 PM
|
#100
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Portland, Oregon
Posts: 7,108
|
How does the 5% refund bonus work?
Will this software transfer data from last year's TaxAct?
__________________
Duck bjorn.
|
|
|
|
|
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
|
|
|