Just trying to figure out what route I want to go. I've always used Turbo Tax and last year I tried Tax Act. If you go in personally and have someone do it for you, do they really get you more back?

I've used Turbo Tax online for years now...and it's hard for me to believe that anything else could more thorough. I'm sure other things are just as, but I'm a creature of habit. I went to a H&R block branch once and was disappointed. All that idiot did was use their program and charged me me over a hundred bucks and told me a I owed hundreds more to the government and I probably only needed to file a 1040EZ. I thought to myself I could do that, so the next year I tried turbo tax and never looked back

A good CPA/tax guy can make it worthwhile to get them done professionally. Expect to pay around $300. My guy, in SoCal, worked the other side of the fence (for the IRS) for 20 years. He knows alot lol.

BTW-fuck H&R Block-bunch of rookies that don't know shit.

I suspect that, for most people, using an online program will get you pretty much all you need. I've been using the H&R Block deal online for four years, now, and it's always done right by me.

TaxACT

I went to H&R block and wasn't very happy so next year im gonna do it myself.

http://www.hrblock.com/
H&R Block online, $14 for your basic taxes
been doing it for the last 4 years

I've been using turbo tax the last few years.

^ditto.

I just used the Turbo Tax online. Same ive done since 2003!

turbo tax, I won't pay someone to do something I can do.

I didn't think those places got you all that they claim, so I went back with Turbo Tax again. Thanks for the replies, I feel a little better now knowing I'm not missing out on anything. And just out of curiosity, I started the filing process with both Turbo Tax and Tax Act, still came out with the exact same amount.

Good ol' 2gnt helps me yet again! I couldn't remember which service I used last year, but I did remember making a post about it lol.

Like last year, I started my return with Turbo Tax, Tax Act and H&R Block-all of them offered the exact refund amount yet again.

So it's Turbo Tax again this year, cause it has "turbo" in the name lol!

Just wanted to share, it might help someone.....hopefully

lots of advertisements for taxslayer.com. they advertise $10 federal

Originally posted by 420agreenvilleSC
lots of advertisements for taxslayer.com. they advertise $10 federal

If you made less than 31k a year certain states will be completely free for Turbotax Freedom Edition.

I know SC is one of them.

Originally posted by teklein

Originally posted by 420agreenvilleSC lots of advertisements for taxslayer.com. they advertise $10 federal

If you made less than 31k a year

well, i certainly qualify for that

I just fill out the 1040EZ myself. Pretty simple.

I do mine online, 9.95 for state FRee federal filing :) direct deposit, takes two weeks to process. To be honest I wouldn't use H&R or Jackson Hewitt. I've used both in the past while I was married, they cost too much.

+1 turbo tax.

One thing you do have to understand about doing your taxes is that the more things you have, the more complicated it becomes. Take into consideration the first time home buyers rebate. You can't file it electronically and the IRS is not even going to consider those returns until after the middle of march. Another thing is the Making Work Pay Credit, you need to make sure that your online programs are including that in your forms, if not then you need to go back and amend that return and redo it.

Last year, we ended up going to the tax guy who's been doing the taxes for my parents for years. He's a Jackson-Hewitt guy. When I worked at Motorweb.com in the first half of 2008, those retards didn't take anything out for taxes. The health insurance was so expensive, I didn't even notice!

At tax time, we came up owing over $3500 to the Feds. Tax guy asked us a bunch of questions about Vanessa's photography business. (If you make any money from your hobby, you can treat it as a business, BTW.) He managed to get that bill down to about $1500. Cost us $250, but I'd say it was worth it.

This year, my employers withheld taxes like they should and I made less than $20,000, so that, combined with more photography deductions, should help us do pretty well.

Next year, though, next year I plan on claiming Gearbox Magazine expenses (and being able to legally offer those deductions to the people running the other Gearbox sites with me). Sweet.

Well last year I used turbo tax. This year I'm paying someone to do it. With getting married and finishing up my CPA, I'd rather not have some shit go wrong and get fucked over on the professional front with my licensing. (haha, a CPA that won't do his own taxes) Plus like said above, there's some additional credits, etc. this year that are above and beyond the standard years.

FYI for anyone that bought a new car in 2009, your sales tax is deductible whether you itemize or take your standard deduction.

Tax laws have changed. You can now claim three children for Earned Income Credit this year instead of two.

+ to freetaxusa site. No problems so far :)

Originally posted by dalesmitsu
+ to freetaxusa site. No problems so far :)

good to hear. I was going to try them for the first time this year.

Just did H&R Block today, cost like $300 but we're getting a hefty refund (and the wife says I can spend it on the car!) And with the bankruptcy last year we wanted the peace of mind. They guarantee their returns up to $5000, so I felt a lot safer using a professional this year.

If we hadn't filed chapter 7 last year I would have done it myself, but I didn't want to screw my family because I missed something I wouldn't have known about