#*$ taxes! Software vs Paper

Shesh but this year sucks with the software versions. Both Turbotax and HR Block want way over $100 for the software and filing. I'm trying to like TaxAct because it's far cheaper, but it's got a few major bugs with how it's handling some of the data.

For all the headaches and expenses of electronic processing and filing this year, I find myself leaning more and more towards doing it on paper and mailing it all in. Something I haven't done in years.

I pay $100 bucks and let somebody deal with that E36 M3 for me.

Tim Baxter wrote: I pay $100 bucks and let somebody deal with that E36 M3 for me.

I think my accountant is at $200 and I gladly pay it. I'm all about "here you go, Ralph!" and walking away.

At $100, seems like H&R Block would make more sense.

I've been using Turbotax since 1995. It keeps getting more expensive, but so does everything else. Whatcha gonna do?

Tim Baxter wrote: I pay $100 bucks and let somebody deal with that E36 M3 for me.

This. Although I pay a bit more to use a proper CPA/EA and to escape the clutches of the likes of Block, but that's partially because our returns used to be fairly complicated.

I pay an accountant to do mine.....screw saving a few bucks.

You guys should try being Americans living abroad! We get to do this twice. Actually three times since we have to file the FBAR on top of it all.

It gets weird because if you earn investment income, it gets taxed twice since only "Earned Income" is covered by the tax treaties.

…the CFO of a company I used to work for had a nervous breakdown and ultimately resigned.

We were friends and so he just did my taxes for many, many years after that…former CFO with a CPA, MBA, EIEIO, you name it all for 150 bucks a year…sweet.

Anyway, he cut me loose last year saying that the regulatory requirements had become too demanding for him to continue so I’ve got nothing.

This is all so ridiculous, if you make a mistake, the IRS is on your a$$ in a nano second so why don’t they just tell you what’s required.

Hi, this is the IRS, you owe us $2,371.78 for your 2014 federal taxes, please click the button below to make an electronic transfer.

See ya’ next year

Man... and to think in Canada it is free. We have some seriously good free software tax programs (integrated online with the Canadian Revenue Agency) that allows me to submit my stuff easily.

Its good for me being the single adult male I am that works a normal job. Even if the girlfriend and I were married, as DINKs it would still be good. Once kids and/or businesses or major investments became involved, it would get passed off to an accountant.

I used to use TurboTax - did our taxes myself for many years. Then we opened our part-time business, and the first year I attempted to use TurboTax I realized right away that it wouldn't suit our needs. I called the local accountant, and for ~$100/year he's been able to get us back way more of a refund than I'd ever imagined(and yes, starting our business had quite a bit to do with that fact). Then last June I received a letter from the IRS..."We believe you have underpaid on taxes, you have xxxx days to blahblahblah..." I called up our accountant, rather panic-stricken, and he says "Eh, don't worry about it. We'll take care of it." And that was that. Done, no money out of pocket. Yup, I'm sold.

HiTempguy wrote: Man... and to think in Canada it is free. We have some seriously good free software tax programs (integrated online with the Canadian Revenue Agency) that allows me to submit my stuff easily.

Yep, I believe our federal government created a free program as well but then lobbyist for accounting firms got them to shelve it.

There are several free programs on the IRS site. they have different requirements for income, etc. If you're a rich person you can't use them.

TurboTax. I have kids and can do my wife's and mine in a couple of hours. Just saw it at Costco for $29 (in Canada). It steps you through everything.

SWMBO is an accountant. Getting my taxes done just costs me a nice dinner :)

I've used taxslayer.com for the past handful of years. I always do it on the paper and then do it on their website. This year I'm thinking if going out to a tax guy as I think I am not taking advantage of everything I can relating to working from home.

i got turbotax home and business for under $60 a few weeks ago when it was on sale plus more discount for amazon prime. i had my crap done in 3.5 hours(adding up my business receipts takes more time than anythign else) and already got my refund.

free service through my State Employees Credit Union

When we first moved to OH, and I was going to have to file, Fed, AR, OH, County, School District I lived in, and School District I worked in, Turbo Tax was going to charge $120+, which was way more than the $19.99 I'd been giving them for years. Annoyed and poor, I called SWMBO's mom, who does book keeping for an accounting firm, and has done all her kid's, most of her sibling's, her mother's, and her own taxes forever. She walked me through doing them myself, I realized that it was WAY easier than I originally thought, and all it cost me was postage.

If you're not running a business, or have some other crazy circumstance, doing them by hand (.pdf online) isn't hard, and all it costs is a little bit of time, might take an hour if you're slow.

Now if you've got eleventybillion 1099s, itemize, or have your own business, farm, etc. I could see paying a pro.

I've been using H&R Block's software for the last bunch of years and it seems to do okay. My returns are fairly uncomplicated, though. I just got the digital download of the federal and state packages for under $25 from NewEgg since they're running some sort of 50% off sale right now.

I use the fill-in forms from IRS.gov. Tried TurboTax years ago and it would not let me deduct items I knew I could deduct. Threw it out and did the taxes on my own. BTW it was rental property that wasn't working right. I'm just too damn cheap to pay someone to file electronically.

This year I had to figure out the HSA forms. The instructions are typically stupid. In the end, I just stepped through the form and was done.

foxtrapper wrote: For all the headaches and expenses of electronic processing and filing this year, I find myself leaning more and more towards doing it on paper and mailing it all in. Something I haven't done in years.

I came to the same conclusion a few years ago - the tax programs just aren't worth the money to me. Even with itemizing deductions and adding the 8889 Form for my HSA, doing my taxes this year took less than an hour (did them Sat night after debating with a guy about what program to use vs. DIY).

The PDF's you get from irs.gov are saveable PDF's - you enter the info on the computer and then save it. Yeah, you still have to do the math, but hell - it's basic addition/subtraction.

Now I get it - my taxes are pretty simple save the HSA (which is what drove me to DIY in the first place, since TurboTax couldn't seem to enter that info correctly in 2013 because my company doesn't deduct it pre-tax) - I'm single, no kids, one W2, minimal deductions. If you have a business and rental properties, I could see using programs, but otherwise - no. It was my ex- who fed me the TT kool-aid over a decade ago. I swear I didn't really get my refund all that much faster than when I mail it in.

Resident CPA here...if you guys/gals have any questions or need help filing feel free to reach out.

Debating get mine done on Turbo Tax again, last 2 years I filled under "married file separate" and Mrs. has 2 years of back filling to do. I gave her until 3/1 to get her back stuff taken care of or I file separate again.

I've had mine done by a pro since moving out here 10 years ago (first year I was here was a complicated mess due to the way my company handled the reimbursement for my expenses and having bought a house) and have never regretted it. That first year I'd done the numbers on my own in TurboTax before going in- and I got more back AFTER subtracting the cost of having him do it than if I'd have filed them myself. Despite now filing jointly it actually cost me less this year since we didn't end up itemizing...

I'm debating between a real accountant vs. Taxact this year. Probably sticking with TaxAct since it shouldn't be complicated at all; next year will be more complicated with a job change, using traditional instead of Roth contributions, get married... I'll be using an accountant then.

I'll need to "fudge" a few numbers this on my side gig (gov't will end up getting more money) to ensure that I can keep reporting it as income instead of hobby income.