How many people use Tax Software

[UncleBuck]

Is it worth the money, $39.00 with state return included, how "mistake free" are they.

[Bird]

I can't say whether it's worth the cost (although it has been for me because it's quick, easy, and convenient) or whether it's "mistake free" (I don't know of my return being audited by the IRS, but at least I haven't heard from them, so I hope neither I nor the software made any mistakes), but I've been using TurboTax Deluxe for quite a few years.

[jimbrown]

I have used Turbo Tax for years. It is easy to use. I like to use the programs because you do not have to enter all the data at once you can do it over days or as I mostly do as I get it. Also if you use it for the second year it will carry items over so all you have to enter is the numbers. I worked for H&R Block one year and the computer programs are probably more acurate thatn what you get from them. Although most of the tax services are now using computer programs. They are simply more accurate when it comes to manipulating numbers than most people are.

[DUMBDOG]

I would recommend Turbo Tax. It is pretty much error free. That is for most returns, if you get into some of the more complicated returns and make some changes for assumptions you should go back and check to make sure that the program has accounted for all items that you made changes for.

I did not sleep at a Holiday Inn last night.

However I am a CPA and got out over twenty years ago due to the fact that I was scared of computers and that is the way the industry seemed to be heading, later I realized that was not the fact, justed hated all the BS that went with the job and the firms associated with it.

[Pat]

We used Turbo Tax for years and years but eventually went to human help (NOT THE TAX GUY IN A BOX, H.R. BLOCK) Always liked Turbo Tax when we used it. USE a non computerphobic CPA. My wife does such thorough preperation that there is little left for anyone to do but it is complex enough that we like the consultative access of a live expert familiar with our situation.

Before we used Turbo Tax we had used BLOCK a few times and it bugged my wife that they just took her info and put int on forms with viratully no thought added. That was our motivation to go to Turbo Tax. For returns of moderate complexity Turbo Tax is way better than BLOCK, in my experience.

[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[chrisjbell]

Turbo Tax is a good program and will work fine for most returns. I'm pretty comfortable with computers but I still use a person (I agree - not the tax guy in the box). I hope to never be audited, but if it ever happens then my guy will go with. That is worth the money to me [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img] - as one of my old business partners liked to say (he's a CPA), the IRS simply has no sense of humor.

[Bird]

Chris, in the years that I've been using Turbo Tax, there have been two years when I did my return using it, but wasn't sure if everything was right, so I took everything to a CPA. An each time, after they reviewed it and asked questions, they said it was all done correctly and nothing to change.

Of course we've all heard or read the horror stories about the IRS and I'm sure at least some of them were true, but many many years ago when I was a youngster (and before computer software) there was one year when I thought I was going to owe more than I had. So I took everything and went in person to the IRS office solely to find out whether they had a payment plan so I didn't have to pay it all at once. And IRS agent sat down with me and did my return, and not only did I not have to pay anything; he got me a small refund! [img]/forums/images/icons/blush.gif[/img]

[Pat]

BIrd, My best bud in SOCAL is pretty good with numbers as he was a math major/physics minor to my physics major/math minor and he used to offer a little help in the early days of our doing our returns.

So one year he gets audited and apparently rubbed some IRS type the wrong way in a big way. They had to give him a supplemental refund because when they audited him he really went over everything carefully and got help from one of his brothers who was a CPA (my bud was one of 10-11 kids in the family) B_U_T... they audited him the next year and the next and the next etc for 5 years. Every time he was able to find a way to get at least just a few bucks more back than he originally claimed.

Finally someone must have considered cost/benefit analysis and decided it was costing way more to mess with him than it was worth since they always owed more. He swears they must have a s--t list of folks they want to scrutinize or bother.

I'm sure I pay more than I have to but don't like to cut it too close.

[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[Gatorboy]

I had used Turbo Tax for a few years, and last year used Tax Cut. Both are excellent programs and I will not go back and do my taxes manually anymore.

[Bird]

Pat, you may be old enough to remember the really short card form that existed 45 years ago. I think it had about 10 lines. It was incredibly simple. But one year, I didn't have quite enough withheld, so I owned (and paid) about $80 when I filed my return. In August, I got a letter from the IRS that my return was one of those randomly selected for audit, that there was an error on line 7, and I was due a $10 refund that would be sent separately. I checked my copy of the return and I'm absolutely sure there was no error; however, I got a check for $10 and spent it. [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

The year I retired and sold the house in January was one of the two times I went to a CPA and he found no problem with my return; however, in addition to the withholding for the year, I had to send a sizeable check because of the capital gains tax. Then in July I got a letter wanting a "penalty" of nearly $200 for not having enough withheld (or not filing a quarterly return to pay that capital gains tax earlier). I was in Alaska when I received that letter, so I just sent them another check. [img]/forums/images/icons/frown.gif[/img]