Which Tax Software do you recommend for age 67 Retiree?

[iloveyoga]

I have used Taxslayer for many years and I like it better than TT or HR Block. It seems simpler to me, but does the job. I efiled my taxes yesterday and got a nice surprise. No Iowa state income tax on retirement income which means a nice refund for us!! I knew this had happened but hard to believe there was not a cap or anything.

I need to be sure to have no state income tax withheld in the future.

 

[Morgan22]

freetaxusa.com

I've used TurboTax since I went away from paper filing sometime back maybe 20 years ago. I've used both the online version and the download/software version. The download/software version has always ended up being cheaper in the end. Another plus is that the download/software version you can look at the forms and tax worksheets as you're going through the process if you so choose.

But I have to say, I would give freetaxusa.com a try. I just used it last night to file my taxes. It was a much better experience/interface than TT.

I was having difficulty answering some of the TT questions in the interview process about part time residency between 2 states. I wasn't one hundred percent sure I was answering the questions properly since I found the wording confusing.

I decided to give freetaxusa.com a try since one of my kids' uses it and said they liked it better than TT themself. The interview process was so much easier to go through. It does cost $15 per state, plus tax, but that's it. (And you can upgrade to deluxe for an additional $8 to get live chat/priority support if you have any questions. Might be worth it if you're nervous filing this first year in a while by yourself.)

If I had stuck with TT I would have had to pay an additional $80! $40 to add an additional state, plus $20x2 to e-File for the 2 states. (I only paid $5 for the download via Fidelity, so that was a plus. I can lose $5 and not get too upset over it. )

 

[Turbo29]

I have used TurboTax for 20 years. This week I decided to try FreeTaxUSA. I found it to be easier than TurboTax; much less expensive too.

 

[gauss]

+1 to FreeTaxUSA. I used them again this year and actually ponied up the $15 to allow a State efile (in addition to the free Fed efile).

I found them to be free of bugs that have effected some of the big boys (ie HR Block , TaxSlayer etc) in the past on my returns.

It was a pleasure being able to efile and not having to file a marked up paper return due to bugs that could not be worked around.

-gauss

 

[Humbooster]

Yes to FreeTaxUSA. This is the first year I have used it. Up to now I have used Turbo Tax but have become increasingly frustrated with the bugs and constant updates. The bug they did not solve (again) is paying to file by credit card. This was my first time having the problem although others have complained about it in the past. After two waste of time phone calls with their "Help Desk", I gave up and tried FreeTaxUSA. It was a good experience. The results were within five dollars of what I had calculated with TurboTax so I filed and was accepted by the IRS. Goodbye TT.

 

[frank]

what did they charge to file the state taxes? I like taxhawk, but they charge to file state also.

 

[GenXguy]

what did they charge to file the state taxes? I like taxhawk, but they charge to file state also.

Looks like FreeTaxUSA is $14.99 state file unless your AGI is under $45,000. OLT is $9.95 for state unless your AGI is under $45,000. I use OLT so have to pay the $9.95 for state.

 

[bobandsherry]

Many years ago used TurboTax, encountered a problem with it. Switched to HRBlock and have been happy with it. It's typically available for half the price of TT, so sticking with what's been working.

 

[OCGuy]

FWIW, CashApp Tax is completely free. The only issue I had is that not all of the Qualified Business Income categories seemed to be there (most people aren't going to notice, and it's an arcane tax credit calculation that is due to expire in 2025)

 

[StevenA]

I had been a longtime TT user because it was one of three tax software sites where I could import my TDAmeritrade brokerage information (along with H&R Block and TaxAct). A few years ago I switched to TaxAct to save money, but found it clunkier and more difficult to navigate. This year, my TDAmeritrade account was merged into Schwab and I had two brokerage accounts to import. That proved impossible to do with TaxAct, so I have gone back to TT. TT is so much easier to use that it's worth the extra cost. I get a 20% discount by accessing TT through my Schwab account, plus an additional $10 rebate if I pay for it using my Amex cash back card.

 

[lucky penny]

I just use TurboTax. I'm familiar with the interface, it works, I watch the sales for a (relatively) low price, and for a once-a-year minor expenditure I'm just not gonna get that anal about the price if not doing so greatly simplifies life. Which is the case for me.

+1

 

[Healthy Lifestyle]

My total 401k was rolled over to Merrill Edge.recently.
Can FreeTaxUSA software easily handle a large 401k rollover to traditional IRA and smaller amount that also transferred to Roth IRA?