IRS Tax e-Filing Experiences? 60
jdrogers asks: "Last year I e-filed for the first time and it was by far the worst tax experience of my life. It was expensive. It was often hard to interpret the meaning of the 'easy questions' designed to determine my tax status and I found that the questions often led me to answer incorrectly. Two of my three state and federal returns were sent back to me due to errors. This year, there are many options for cheap or free e-filing. How have other Slashdot readers fared and which websites offer the best filing experience? What did you love or hate about it? And most importantly, which one should I use this year?"
Re:E-File is a Government Scam! (Score:1)
Do you use the tax-funded roads and go to tax-funded schools?
If so, then you should pay for it.
Re:E-File is a Government Scam! (Score:1)
Re:E-File is a Government Scam! (Score:2)
Re:E-File is a Government Scam! (Score:1)
I don't drive on federal highways...
OK, OK, technically you're right. But just because you receive something doesn't mean you should necessarily pay for it. You're receiving this conversation with me. Please send me a check.
Re:E-File is a Government Scam! (Score:2)
Roads are expensive, and somebody has to pay for them. Don't want to pay taxes? Fine with me, but don't use common resources that require other people to pay money to build and maintain.
Re:E-File is a Government Scam! (Score:1)
Roads are expensive, and somebody has to pay for them. Don't want to pay taxes? Fine with me, but don't use common resources that require other people to pay money to build and maintain.
I do pay taxes though. Just not income taxes.
Re:Just pay $250 for a tax accountant (Score:2)
The Government e-file services obviously aren't designed to give you the best advantage (why would they be?).
Plus if you get an accountant or other professional nominee to file, they assume liability and you're less likely to get auditied.
-psy
Re:Just pay $250 for a tax accountant (Score:2)
Most people do not have enough deductions to make it worthwhile. Unless you are paying on a house (which is a lot of people, contradicting the above...) odds are you cannot get enough deductions to get over the standard deduction. I personally have $800 in deductions other than my house. Not even close to what I'd need without the house.
Of course if you own your buisness, or some such you can get there, but most people don't.
One thing that really surprized me was to learn that tools for work are not 10
Re:Just pay $250 for a tax accountant (Score:2)
$30k in deductions for a professional couple sounds a little high to me.
Also, you're not saving $14,000 in taxes, you are saving $14,000 *
Plenty of so-called "consultants" improperly deduct portions of their homes or cars or fail to follow the rules properly. If you don't do these things properly, you leave yourself open to stiff penalties and interest.
HRBlock.com (Score:1)
Re:HRBlock.com (Score:1)
I used to do them by hand, but last year I had some capital gains (not very much, though :), and trying to understand the IRS directions was not an option.
Also, it makes it a lot easier to play with the numbers, and determine in real time how much I can contribute to my IRA.
If *I* ran a business whose sole purpose was to collect money form people, I would sure the fuck make it easy for people to pay!
no big deal (Score:2)
It sounds very much like you have a very
Re:no big deal (Score:1)
Re:no big deal (Score:2)
e-Filing is a-ok! (Score:1)
Re:e-Filing is a-ok! (Score:1)
Maybe he is from Utah?
Re:Hire a tax professional (Score:2)
State & Fed e-file (Score:2)
jason
My experiences... (Score:2)
Not I (Score:1)
www.globaltaxnetwork.com (Score:2)
Well, I have some experience with this issue... There are online web applications that collect your tax information floating around the 'net called Tax Organizers. They basically consist of many questions to determine your status, and they also collect your wages, etc so your taxes can be prepared for you. That said, I'm currently responsible for designing/maintaining/coding the online tax organizer at w [globaltaxnetwork.com]
No problems (Score:2)
Helpful hints:
1. Get a federal booklet. It will answer many of your questions.
2. www.irs.gov. It's there, use it. Their FAQ page at http://www.irs.gov/faqs/index.html [irs.gov] has lots of good info.
3. Check for a loca
Re:No problems (Score:1)
Turbo Tax and efile for the last 5 years or so (Score:1)
I have been efiling for as long as it has been around.
The last 4 years have been easy. Turbo tax makes sure all is OK and 10 days later, pop, money in the bank.
This year the IRS finally has their act together for getting your status online accurately.
Turbo tax has rebates for all the filing fees.
No problems, personally (Score:1)
Of course, I live in a state that only sort of supports e-filing (I still have to fill out a form, sign a voucher, etc. and mail it), but tha
Use TaxACT (Score:2)
Re:Use TaxACT (Score:1)
It's not going to happen this year.
Turbo Tax web (Score:1)
my solution... (Score:1)
It's worked perfectly so far.
Of course with the government monitoring everything these days this post probably screwed me over.
Re:my solution... (Score:1)
Good for us hovering around the poverty line (Score:2)
Most comments I've seen so far relate to those making relatively large amounts of money, at least enough so that they can measure their taxes in 5 figures. So if most of Slashdot has enough income that a 1040EZ is out of the question, I may as well be disregarded.
However, as noted by other people, it's free to file a 1040EZ online. There are multiple sites that offer the service and all of the one's I've seen utilize SSL. Once more, as already noted, the return is processed faster than a paper retur
Re:Good for us hovering around the poverty line (Score:1)
turbotax.com for four years (Score:1)
Who cares if they are evil? I thought we were supposed to choose the best tool for the job. In my case, it's turbotax by a landslide.
If you really have an odd situation, why not go to HR Block or Jackson Hewitt. Let them figure out your taxes and do the efiling for you.
Also, is it possible you are the luser who screwed up? Or the states
Re:turbotax.com for four years (Score:1)
Re:turbotax.com for four years (Score:1)
Use TaxAct (Score:2)
I used their web interface the first year, but then switched to their installed version in later years.
Easiest way to do taxes (Score:1)
In Canada (Score:2)
Last year I filed by telephone, got my refund in a week.
This year I used quicktax, they say I will get my refund in a week.
I file well before the deadline (so I get my money sooner).
The problem with tax software is the deductions aren't quite as straighforward, it is hard to make sure you get everything. (ie Spousal tution tax credit transfer).
I think it is best to do them on paper, transcribe it into software, file by phone whatever,
Why can't I e-file directly with the IRS? (Score:2)
It's as if the IRS wouldn't accept paper tax forms directly from me, but required me to take them to a scribe who, for a fee, would copy them onto a new tax form and mail them to the IRS...
Re:Why can't I e-file directly with the IRS? (Score:2)
Actually, it was Congress (Score:1)
The pop-ups don't bother me too much, as they are providing a free service. What does bother me
Re:Actually, it was Congress (Score:1)
You bring up the fact that the IRS software would be more efficient since they have, among other things, our W-2's. If that's the case, then why do we have to mail in copies of our W-2 to the IRS with our tax return. If they already have them, then shouldn't they be able to look it up based upon my SSN or something?
My speculation is that the IRS either doesn't receive the W-2's or they aren't readily accessible in whatever filing system they have.
Also, why is it we don't
H&R block is good. (Score:2)
TurboTax.com Worked for Me (Score:2)
Turbo Tax for the Web (Score:1)
Have a real tax preparer do it for you (Score:2)
The tax preparers are really good and they know lots o
I love e-filing (Score:1)
cheapest way is to pay for stamps (Score:1)