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Tax Preparation Software for 2003?
Aaron asks: "After last year's debacle with TurboTax's copy protection system, I want to avoid their software (even though they say they won't do it again). But after reading some of the reviews on TaxCut, it sounds a bit buggy. What tax preparation software are people using for their 2003 taxes? I've heard of TaxACT, the free tax software - is that any good? I don't suppose any decent tax software works on Linux..."
Break out the calculator and suck it up, man.
Other than that, there are a plethora of websites that will do your taxes as well, assuming you trust them not to rape your financial data for illicit gains.
Oh yeah, thanks for reminding me that tax time came around.
frist spot?
7 November 2006: The day Americans realized corruption and incompetence weren't addressing 11 September 2001
A professinal accountant may cost a little more, but they will usually find ways to reduce your tax burden above and beyond what any software could do.
I have been pwned because my
TurboTax for the web. You can get pissed at the TOS, but I'd rather be safe than sorry when it comes to my taxes.
Jesus was all right but his disciples were thick and ordinary. -John Lennon
I've been using TaxAct since 1998 now. I've never had any problems with it and it seems to work well. It has a very nice interface. I get the 20 dollar version from their website. That gets me the State and Federal versions. I used Turbotax the year before and and this seem almost the same to me.
Personally I will be VERY happy to go back to TurboTax this year - TaxCut sucked horribly and I have liked TurboTax for almost a decade now
Moral of the story - company does what I want them to - I will send my business back to them
I have mod points and I am not afraid to use them
Except the fact that it's IE-only I've enjoyed using turbotax's web feature.
I remembers past years and it takes me about 10 minutes to do my taxes. I pay the 15 dollar fee or whatever it is and I have my refund in 2 days. Not bad and I can knock it out the day I get my W2's.
If you drink heavily afterward and try to remind yourself that it's not an ActiveX buttraping waiting to happen you get over it.
TurboTax claims to have a web-based application.
Celebrate the finer things in life
I'd go with the in-browser option. I used it last year, and had no problems. (I used Mozilla too) They also have a list of software up.
This was covered previously . I didn't dig through the comments but there may be a lead in there. I don't know how helpful this is since the story is from 1999. I have yet to find Linux tax software that I like. I am assuming you are in the USA. The biggest problem with finding a steady vendor for tax software is that the laws change from year to year, requiring an overhaul of the program. I've seen plenty of projects here one year and gone the next for that very reason. I've had to resort to web based tax filing for the past few years now. I hope this turns up something good, I'd appreciate it.
Best part: You can file as many paper returns as you need for free. Filing online is free for the first federal+state, and I think it's $7.95 for each additional filing (max of 1 free + 4 additional).
The downloadable version is Windows only. However, they do have an online web-based edition here.
I've used TaxACT the past couple of years. It's web-based, and costs nothing if your taxes are (like mine) really simple (and, like me, you don't have a state income tax). I don't know of any solution that (1) runs on free software, and (2) is itself free software, so that pretty much limits me to using a web-based service.
Anything worth doing is worth doing badly -- G.K. Chesterton
http://www.hrblock.com/taxes/partner/product.jsp?o tpPartnerId=187&productId=31
It was very easy to use and about as enjoyable as software can get before telling you that you owe a couple hundred bucks to someone. There wasn't any ambiguity -- it explains every step concisely, and even gives some tax saving tips for the coming year when you're through.
I was done in about ten minutes, and didn't feel anything had been unclear or "weird." The interface impressed me enough that I sent some feedback about it. (Least Painful Windows App Ever)
I'm looking forward to using Tax Act again this year; it promises to import last year's data so I should pretty much just have to punch in my W2, some money earned on the side, and then be done with it.
btw -- Anyone tried it with Wine?
Registration issues not withstanding, I've had good luck getting TurboTax to run under Wine.
(And besides, they've repented, why keep bitching about it? They do a good job.)
I've been using Linux for some time now, and there's little chance of my giving it up, but I still can't STOP using Windows. My taxes are complicated enough that there's no way I'd give up the benefits of TurboTax unless it's for something equivalent or better.
Where does Stallman think a free (as in yadda, yadda), reliable, continually updated TurboTax clone is going to come from? How does Stallman do *his* taxes (assuming he even does them)?
"Those who have never entered upon scientific pursuits know not a tithe of the poetry by which they are surrounded."
I go to the library (live in CT) and get the forms, go home, spend some quality time with the TI-81 graphing calculator that gets used exactly one time per year (original batteries from 1993 by the way), a pencil, staples, and a manilla envelope when I'm done. There are very few things I don't trust a computer to do. My taxes are one of them.
Security through obscurity I suppose.
The nice thing is I can do the state form on the phone, and the fed form isn't a big deal as I don't own a house yet. One W2, and the tax from my car, and I am all set.
Hope I made enough this year to warrant a $1000+ combined return. That extra $20 a pay period that I rarely notice through the year really adds up!
That a tax system that requires spending money on complication-processing software, or having to hire an accountant/tax preparer, is a tax system in dire need of reform?
There is no America. There is no democracy. There is only IBM and AT&T and DuPont, Dow, General Electric, and Exxon
I had dinner with someone who is a salesman in Intuit. They absolutely will not pull crap like that again. They know they lost a lot of business to Tax Cut and will be working to get those customers back this year. No Worries.
I've used it for about four years now. Works fine.
No, there's no Linux version, but I use my wife's Win98SE PC for it and it takes me less than an hour to go through everything and print out the forms. It's a free download for the basic version, but if you buy a house or need forms not included with the free download the more complete version they sell is quite reasonably priced.
Where are the bad reviews and bugs in TaxCut?
I didn't know anybody on slashdot had actually gotten a paycheck in the past 3 or so years!
Heil Sig! -Rob
They charge a lot of money for this software. Last I checked (this changes every year though) they want you to pay to e-file.
Alternativly, you can do it all by hand on the free paper they send you, and for the cost of 2 stamps (normally my return is just more than one stamp) you can send it in. It doesn't actually take that much longer because the bulk of the work is getting all the papers you need no matter who/what does your taxes. (Okay, it takes me twice as long, but only cause I do it twice, the second time neatly on their forms)
If your taxes are really complicated a pro is worth it, but for most people everything is straight forward. Even with a house (so I have to itemize deductions) it isn't too big a deal.
The two big advantages of this are you learn what really matters. Sure I can deductte some expenses, but that doesn't mean for every dollar I spend I get it back latter, it means for every dollar I spend I get about 22 cents back (depends on tax braket of course) Not to mention all the people I know who brag about deductions they are taking, but a quick in the head calculation shows they are better off not taking them. (and odds are the pro who does their taxes just ignors them like he should)
If you have questions, the IRS has volenteers trained in the tax code to help the poor and elderly. Find out when they are around and drop by. Normally nobody is there, so even though technically they shouldn't help you, they will be happy to answer questions, and might even do it for you - for nothing.
Pros have only advantage: liability. The good ones will cover you should they make a mistake. (meaning they pay the lawyers, and your fines. you still owe the right tax amount) Make sure you understand the find print of this coverage, and make sure you get it. Any pro not willing to cover your back for their mistakes isn't worth talking to. IMO
At least try it. Many people have very easy taxes and yet still pay to have it done.
In Germany we got 205 laws and approx. 96 000 regulations dealing only with taxes.
You definitely need a pro AND a programm, if you want to save money.
A side node:
60 % of the world tax literature is written in german for Germany.
It seems as we invented the damn thing!
There are only 10 types of people in the world: Those who understand binary and those who don't.
I used it for the first time last year (previously had used TurboTax, passed on it after the problems last year) and didn't have any trouble with it that I recall.
Cheaper than TurboTax, relatively EULA-friendly, and trouble-free if you make sure to download all the available updates. TC's been balky out of the box on a couple occasions (I've used since '99), but the automatic updates have set it right each time.
Life is like surrealism: if you have to have it explained to you, you can't afford it.
Death to the IRS....Viva La VAT!!!
I used Taxwiz last year, and plan to do so again ... its cheap ($10) and I e-filed straight from the program.
Quick and dirty.
On slashdot, everyone talks about what is the best tax software, but no one seems to mention much whether or not tax software is the best for your situation.
The thing to remember is that tax law is very, very complicated, and tax software is programmed to work for the lowest common denominator of user. Thus the software is not neccisarily going to give you the biggest refund. And more importently, the tax software cannot give you advice on how to best position yourself to reduce your tax liabilty in future years.
I used turbotax online few years back and got a refund, and I was happy. The following year I talked to a very experianced tax preparer, and he did my taxes that year and redid them for the past year. My refund for the past year was quadrupled. An experianced tax preparer was able (honestly and legally), to get me four times as much money back, compared to turbotax.
So before you decide what software to use to do your taxes, first decide whether software is the best way to do your taxes.
Sig!
An outstanding program. It doesn't have the frills of the Intuit software; it is just no-nonsense fill out the forms and file the returns. The software is free, it is $10 to file Federal, and they'll do State for free. You can check them out at their web site.
I used Intuit until the activation feature came along then swithed to tax cut. Wait for the in-store box. You get a number of rebates (free state / free e-filing). Turbo tax fscked me hard. They required IE5.5 (or IE6.0) update which could be uninstalled after filing. At the time, IE 6 was (and still is) buggy so I reverted back to 5.0. Now I cannot upgrade to 5.5 and cannot install M$ updates / drm backdoors. IE is beyond fscked. It has no idea what version is installed. The IE component has redistribution licence restrictions so that VB assholes must require full IE installs to use the one component they really need (which cannot be independently packaged [by license]). That is why unix / linux / open source will ultimately succeed. Control over the code you run. If you cant develop it, you dont need it! Geccie
I maintain my financial records meticulously using Intuit Quicken. They issue annual "upgrades" that generally offer little new functionality, so I upgrade only every 3rd year or so. This year I found that Intuit's Taxcut (slightly better UI in my experience) now REQUIRES you to upgrade to the latest 2004 version of Quicken for its most-automated data transfer functionality. Not even Quicken 2003 will work! So I think it's time to drop Taxcut, and probably Quicken!
The following year I did it myself with TurboTax - I actually found it quite satisfying.
I use it for my Federal & State and my Business (S-Corp) Federal & State. It's very easy to use and is a first class piece of software. 5 years in a row now for me. My accountant charges me around $1200 to do all those filings where I paid $145 for TaxCut. Plus, they offer to pay your penalties & interest if there is a miscalculation that causes a problem with your return! Now that is standing behind your product.
I have been using Turbo Tax on the Mac (formerly Macintax) for 10 years or so. I have been incredibly pleased with the product. Given the importance of doing your taxes right and given the fact they have corrected the issue in question.. I would reward them by continuing to be their customer. Don't you want to support companies that listen to their customer base and respond in a positive manner?
OpenTaxSolver is a tax preparation package for GNU/Linux. No GUI yet, and 2003 rules are still in progress, but it works. You provide a text file with the values of the lines that you have to provide (income, interest, etc), and it spits out a file with the value for every line. It does federal taxes as well as the state forms for a few states.
I will definitely not use Turbo Tax.. I switched to TaxCut last year because of the Intuit fiasco. (I spent several hours trying to clean the c-dilla junk from my parents computer over the holidays, reinforcing my disdain for their tactics.)
But, my problem with TaxCut is that they make you play the rebate game for state tax software. They don't offer a combined Federal/State package. And, even if you buy both from their WWW site, downloading the software, they still make you pay full price for the state portion, then mail in rebate forms.
It looks like I'll be trying TaxAct this year.. $20 for TaxAct Deluxe + State Tax via internet download.
I've dickered around with both the online forms & the paper forms. I admit that I found the paper forms somewhat confusing at first. But I stuck with it. ;) there is no free Federal tax software.]
- The computer tax software doesn't get me any more of a deduction than what I get on my own.
- I understand all of the questions & what is legal & not legal.
- I know how to modify my behavior for the rest of the year.
- It only cost postage. [Unless you are working on an open source salary
It may just be a matter of taste, but there was a distinct lack of continuity to TaxCut, from my POV.
"Fundamentalism" isn't about divine morality. It's about human authority.
Your choice of software (an installed client or website) or ink pen and paper (never use a pencil) entirely depends on two things: your specific financial situation and how fast you want a refund (if you're entitled to one). I will continue to use TurboTax, not because it's better than the other packages but because I like its interview-style approach, it plays well with Quicken and I've never had a problem with electronic filing. Yeah, I was pissed at Intuit for the lock, which turned into a major pain in the ass when I upgraded my OS, but since I design tax software for a living I understand why they made that decision (it's really expensive to maintain an app that deals with taxes, and most of the companies that do it barely get by). If your financial situation is complicated (married, kids, own a home or two, bought a home in 2003, run your own business, many investment gains/losses, substantial charitable gifts or medical costs, participated in 'unique' tax planning ideas and are scheduled to testify before Congress and/or haven't paid your taxes in 10 years, etc), then it may pay to hire a professional (not H&R Block, but someone who truly knows the code and regs). I have heard horror stories from people who have used many different packages (except mine). My standard recommendation to people who ask me is that if it wasn't included in PC Magazine's review of tax software apps (http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,1418195,00.a sp) , then use at your own risk. Your taxes are one of the last things you want to f- up, because the IRS's computers generate most of the notices that you may receive and it takes a while to clear up any problems. And they don't accept the excuse that your software ate your tax return.
The web-based packages are getting better but I'm still a bit paranoid about data security. One hack and someone has everthing s/he needs to have a field day with your identity. Although I haven't yet seen anything about electronic filing systems (both web-based systems and the systems that process e-filings) being compromised, it may just be a matter of time.
Your ability to obtain better deductions with one package or another usually depends upon your knowledge of the tax regs and how aggressive you are with determining the numbers. You give the system your information; the system doesn't say, "hey, your charitable deductions look a little low compared to your income. Didn't you incur mileage driving to/from that school in the city where you donate your time as a sys admin?".
When I first used TurboTax (~4 years ago) it was great. Decent explanations, good UI. Then they changed the UI to a seudo web-browser. It was non-intuitive and buggy. Many of the explanations were better, but you had to go to a different screen to see them (they weren't along-side the item anymore, or in a popup window), and getting back to where you were often was a 3-page process involving re-entering numbers you've already entered. Their TOS was just a last straw for me. If they had stayed with a good UI, I'd go back.
I wish this question would have come up sooner. It sounds like TaxAct is the way to go, but I already purchased TaxCut (whose interface isn't much better than TurboTax and whose explanations aren't that great).
Some people have complained about the way it's structured, and I slightly agree. It seems to be designed for people that have all their forms and want to sit down for an hour and do it. I probably won't have all my information until the start of march, so I enter it as I get it, so if you do that, you should double check you didn't miss some section.
Usually, you can get Tax Cut for $30, and a 10 rebate, and free (after rebate) copies of MS Money and the state edition. Since I use MS Money, I think it's a good deal.
Do you even lift?
These aren't the 'roids you're looking for.
I used TurboTax for many years but used TaxCut last year (2002) after they Put C-DillA spyware into the program. TaxCut worked well (it lacked 1 form I needed) but TurboTax seemed to be a little more user friendly. I publish several free internet newsletters, "Dr M's Computer Tip List" and also "Dr M's Computer Tips"and have told my subscribers that the link to eliminate that C-Dilla spyware is still available even though Intuit no longer lists it on their web site. Go to: http://support.turbotax.com/kb/ViewDocument.asp?do cumentId=491&categoryId=80068
Seriously, getting an accountant to do your taxes is well worth the money and not as expensive as you might think. Tax software that I have seen is not that effective at getting every last drop out of available deductions and credits. Yes, tax software might cost you $50 and an accountant $300-500, but you stand to gain a lot more in return. This is especially true if you are: self-employed, own a business, are married, have children, own property, have investments or anything else beyond being single, living in an apartment and having one job as employee. An accountant knows exactly what questions to ask and can tailor the return to meet your exact needs as an individual. No tax software can do that. An accountant knows the right questions to ask and the right answers to provide. Also, an accountant is vital to have representing you should your return ever be audited.
Furthermore, and equally important, an accountant can look at your present tax situation and make recommendations on how to manage your finances in the coming year. This is called "tax planning" and it is critical to conduct it every year.
Remember that lower-income earners pay a higher percentage in taxes even though higher-income earners are taxed at a higher percentage rate. The difference is that the higher-earners know to get professional help. And I'm not referring to H&R Block and the like. The higher-earners know where to use their money to their advantage.
Essentially, the rich know how to get richer.
And with all of the time that you save by not doing your taxes yourself, you can spend it working out your financial strategy for the coming year. I recommend starting here.
Ryosen
One man's "Troll, +1" is another man's "Insightful, +1".
There have been many other issues with Intuit software over the years, the product activation was just the last straw. For me, in my pre-linux years, IIRC in the past they installed software without asking, hosed my system badly, replaced the version of IE I was using with a new version which I did NOT want and with security settings changed from where my previous IE version's were set, and more. I always liked TurboTax better than TaxCut, but last year I moved on to Tax Cut and I am not moving back. Tax Cut is "good enough".
If I could do it for free, I'd be a card carrying cheapskate, so I am loathe to pay for tax prep software.
.02
However, my tax situation is a bit more complicated than the EZ form, so I've been paying for tax prep for the past few years.
I have found that typically in mid-January you can begin to see deals for the Federal and State versions of Tax Cut along with free e-filing and including MS Money (if you're so inclined) for approx $25USD after rebate.
It's been money well spent.
Just my
Regards,
Anomaly
But Herr Heisenberg, how does the electron know when I'm looking?
Check with your state, but Marylanders can efile at no cost through the treasurer's website.
But Herr Heisenberg, how does the electron know when I'm looking?
according to the IRS website, the government, through a cooperative agreement with private industry will provide free e-filing to at least 60% of taxpayers. Exactly how to accomplish this has not yet been published, but it should be on line soon. Respectfully, Anomaly
But Herr Heisenberg, how does the electron know when I'm looking?
This is what we think you owe us / we owe you.
Of course, only free software should be trusted for such a system. Their PDF forms online are a great start, but much more can be done.
Friends don't help friends install M$ junk.