Income Taxes: Turbo Tax - H&R Block - File Your Own?

[duffer]

For my entire life, I've filed my own taxes (over 50 years of filing). Used TTax for a number of years, but like a previous poster, got pissed at their marketing and bait and switch stuff. Went to HRBlock. Never looked back.

I'm a retired Financial Advisor. I told all my clients who didn't do their own taxes, to go buy either TT or HRB for $20 (back then). Then give their stuff to the their CPA and see how far apart they were. 90%+ of them starting doing their own taxes after that.

If you look closely at the CPA forms they give you to fill out, it's essentially the same layout as the 1040 from the IRS They just input your numbers, do a cursory check for 5 minutes and charge you whatever you'll put up with.

If you use the "interview" format on HRB, it's pretty tough to make a mistake.

 

[goeduck]

I have been using H&R Block's software since it was Tax Cut (I think that was the name). Maybe another company prior to that, not sure.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

The IRS has been really confused lately. Back in 2020, we got a notice that we had underpaid our 2019 taxes, so they had applied our first 2020 quarterly payment. We asked them why we owed more tax, and they never responded.

Switch to 2021, and we got a bill for additional tax on our 2020 return. We sent them a check. It languished for months without clearing, so we stopped payment on the check and issued a new one, sending it by certified mail this time. Three months later we got a refund of both checks, which arrived a day after the return receipt for the second check. We banked the check and waited. They sent a bill for the full amount we refunded, so we sent them a check. The check cleared. Now we got a bill for the check we stopped payment on. The money has been paid. We have the canceled check.

I don't think the bill has ever been touched by human hands. Their computer generated the bill, and there apparently is no way to discuss it with an actual human being. They were threatening to file tax liens, so I paid them again, and sent them a letter. My accountant says they are currently opening mail from last April, so I expect it will be at least a year before I get my money back.

I still don't know why they think I owed them the money on the 2019 return. They never responded.

 

[fishdrivel]

I'm not for sure what you we're getting with them that racked up $200. Every year, I get the TT Deluxe (fed/state) for $40, which does it all. If you have a bunch of dividends and stocks and all that, and you really need them to dummy down the interview process for you (and honestly, you don't), you could opt for the Premier for $70, but that should be it.

I had a bunch of extras last year. I didn't pay. I went elsewhere.
I had 3 states and other things. don't remember.....

 

[3 Horse Ranch]

I hear from all the presidential candidates that pretty soon we can do our taxes on a postcard.

Line 1: What are you assets and income _______
Line 2: Make check payable to US Treasury in the amount of line 1
Line 3: Send it in and have a nice day.

 

[jyoutz]

Well I'm on the fence to continue paying our tax guy $250 again for what is now a very simple return. I just did it by hand using the 1040 .pdf file and know what the results should be. I've always done my own but the past 20 years we have used her family friend tax guy and the bill was $340 last year due to several phone calls and emails required.

Would mail it in but want to file electronically for the refund just need the access to do so.

Leaning towards pulling the trigger for the Turbo Tax or H&R block versions.

So if I use a pay to play version this fee is every year right? I'll have to weigh that against the $250 cost and no headache. Oh wait, I've already done the headache part :confused2:......and I keep my crap in order every year

I have used turbo tax for 18 of the past 20 years. I used a CPA on two returns that were more complex. I like how TT walks you through the process and uploads the previous return information into the current return.

 

[metalbender]

My taxes are pretty simple. TT forms, couple minutes it's done. Once electronically filed. the CRA will point out any problems.

 

[KennyG]

Whatever you do, always electronic file. Last year I was unable to electronically file because of a computer problem. I sent in the forms with my check as payment in March. Two weeks ago, I got a letter from the IRS saying I had a credit for the amount of my payment but they had not received my tax forms. They were in the same envelope. When I mailed another copy of the forms, the guy at the Post Office said it was very common to see people coming in to mail duplicate tax returns because the IRS had misplaced their return.

The IRS computers seem to work pretty well, the IRS staff less so.

 

[npalen]

Yep. I was amazed when poking through TT and entered my employers ID number from W2 and it populated the full W2 info in less than 2 seconds!

I've used TT for a number of years but never experienced the W2 auto populate. Is there a setting for that to occur?

 

[GeneV]

I've used TT for a number of years but never experienced the W2 auto populate. Is there a setting for that to occur?

It asks you when you're in the "enter W2" field, but it doesn't work for every employer. Between my wife and I, we have four W2's to enter, and it only does the auto-populate thing for one of them.