Georgiana Daniels Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 SOS! How hard is Turbo Tax to use when you have a few W-2's, 1099's, and some business deductions? Also, is there a greater chance of getting audited when you use TT? Bear in mind--I'm seriously techno-challenged, but at the same time I don't want to fork over $200 to have them done this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaAkins Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 TT is so easy to use for basic taxes such as what you've described. We've used them for the past 6 years or so and have never had any trouble. In fact, I just finished filing my taxes, plus my parents' taxes too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgiana Daniels Posted February 2, 2011 Author Share Posted February 2, 2011 Thanks for the input. LOL, in my head I *know* our taxes are basic, but in reality I'm a wimp ;) Perhaps I shall take a deep breath and give it a shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 Thanks for the input. LOL, in my head I *know* our taxes are basic, but in reality I'm a wimp ;) Perhaps I shall take a deep breath and give it a shot. I LOVE using Turbo Tax. It is soooo easy. You actually don't see the tax forms until the end. The program walks you thru each part, step by step. It's super simple. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TXMary2 Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 I LOVE using Turbo Tax. It is soooo easy. You actually don't see the tax forms until the end. The program walks you thru each part, step by step. It's super simple. Ditto! Totally worth the money. I used to pay a tax preparer $300-400 to do my taxes! Craziness - now it is about $89 for the TT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjzimmer1 Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 My husband is employed full time and does some consulting work on the side. We don't claim home office or advertising expenses but he does have some software that he has to buy from time to time. I "thought" we had to buy the home and business to handle the self-employment stuff but then one year I bout the Deluxe version instead. It also has "interviews" (as they call it) for all kinds of self-employment issues. Of course it always recommends I upgrade to the home and business but I just hit cancel and go on my merry way. So now I save another $40 dollars every year because I don't need the home and business version. Depending on your business expenses you might even be able to get by with a lesser version as well. Oh and turbo tax is easy to use. I especially like that it imports every thing from previous years, so once you've used it you don't have to re-enter last years income or your kids ss etc as long as you saved last year's file. Just something to think about for the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheryl in NM Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 Speaking as a financial and a tax professional; Turbo Tax is a good program and if you read the questions and answer honestly you will get the same tax return as if you went to one of the "big boys". Just make sure you read every screen so nothing slips by you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samiam Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 Plus you don't pay for it until you are finished, so if you don't end up liking it, you didn't lose any money by trying it. And just remember, alot of those tax places, like HR Block and Jackson Hewitt, those people who are doing the taxes have very little training. They took a 4 week course. Most of that is how to sell the "extra" products those companies sell. They are just inputting your information into a computer program VERY similiar to TurboTax, with very little thought of their own going into it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarinesWife Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 Love TT! We paid $20 this year. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deannajo Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 I work from home as a freelancer (for the past 11 years), and claim home office deductions, we've bought and sold a rental house, I do a lot of charitable donations....and I've used Turbo Tax since its inception. I've always been super pleased with its ease of use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RegGuheert Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 Also, is there a greater chance of getting audited when you use TT?Personally, I think there is a LOWER chance of getting audited when using tax-preparation software than when doing it manually. The reason is that the software helps you catch common mistakes. I used to do all my taxes myself by hand because I was too cheap to purchase new software every year. But I kept getting flagged by the IRS for mistakes such as not paying the alternative minimum tax, etc. About five years ago I started using TaxAct! since it is a free download and allows you to eFile. This is a nice arrangement, since they provide the software for free. If you decide later that you want or need any of the advanced features or the state return you can simply enable those at any time. In addition to the free version they offer the deluxe addition for $12.95 or the deluxe+state bundle for $21.95. There are also more advanced packages above that. I've never had to purchase any software from them and have done fine for the past five years, but it is nice to know I can easily upgrade. Just be sure to click the "Download/CD" button on their site, otherwise they will have you doing your taxes online, which I prefer NOT to do. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgiana Daniels Posted February 2, 2011 Author Share Posted February 2, 2011 Thanks, everyone! I'm convinced. This morning I will cancel my appt and give it a shot. Already happy thinking of the $$$ saved! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheryl in NM Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Plus you don't pay for it until you are finished, so if you don't end up liking it, you didn't lose any money by trying it. And just remember, alot of those tax places, like HR Block and Jackson Hewitt, those people who are doing the taxes have very little training. They took a 4 week course. Most of that is how to sell the "extra" products those companies sell. They are just inputting your information into a computer program VERY similiar to TurboTax, with very little thought of their own going into it. Actually, HR Block employees have to take a 9 week class (it is 80 hours) and pass with an 80%. They they have to spend another 50 hours in training before completing any tax returns. And with the new IRS regulations that coming, which HRB is already complying with, the tax preparer is on the hook personally for the tax return. We are being VERY careful this year. And here I am giving advice for free and advocating a competitior's product because it works and it's what OP has on hand. Just saying.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela in ohio Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Actually, HR Block employees have to take a 9 week class (it is 80 hours) and pass with an 80%. They they have to spend another 50 hours in training before completing any tax returns. And with the new IRS regulations that coming, which HRB is already complying with, the tax preparer is on the hook personally for the tax return. We are being VERY careful this year. And here I am giving advice for free and advocating a competitior's product because it works and it's what OP has on hand. Just saying.... :iagree: When I worked at H&R Block, the majority of employees had been there for ten or more years. The first year, we had to prepare returns by hand before we ever touched the computer. Each year, we took continuing ed classes to learn new areas (business, investments, etc.) My mom is an Enrolled Agent with the IRS (which requires a ridiculous amount of testing) in every specialty category available, and she learned everything she knows from H&R Block classes (she manages a chain of them now.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunshine State Sue Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 We had our taxes done for a few years, then I tried TT. After I completed them, I compared them to the tax preparers from the years before, asked a friend's husband a number of questions until I understood the similarities and differences, and then I felt more comfortable with it all. Using it year after year just makes it easier. I love saving the $200. Plus, I had to pull together so much unnecessary paperwork for our tax preparer that it actually makes it simpler just to sit down with the documents we receive. Good luck! ETA: I must say that I detest how TT asks you to upgrade all the time. I've been thinking about calling and telling them I'm not 100% satisfied because of tha and I want my $$ back. Raging peri-menopause here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgiana Daniels Posted February 3, 2011 Author Share Posted February 3, 2011 Actually, HR Block employees have to take a 9 week class (it is 80 hours) and pass with an 80%. They they have to spend another 50 hours in training before completing any tax returns. And with the new IRS regulations that coming, which HRB is already complying with, the tax preparer is on the hook personally for the tax return. We are being VERY careful this year. And here I am giving advice for free and advocating a competitior's product because it works and it's what OP has on hand. Just saying.... Great to know! Even more comfort. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Nyssa Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Turbotax works well if you have a simple return and are willing to spend the time. I used it for years. However, if your family is a pastor's family, you will find the questions related to housing and self-employment tax to be very hard to understand. Their "community" forum has various answers, and even (paper) communication with Turbotax did not help. (I wrote to the CEO.) So if you are in a clergy family, skip it and go to an accountant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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