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Honored Contributor
Posts: 18,178
Registered: ‎07-26-2014

Re: What Is The Difference Between Doing Online Taxes VS Buying The Software At The Store?


@VaBelle35 wrote:

 

I know that i get a discount on the online version from every financial service I have an account with.

 


You were getting ripped off.  The IRS online website has always been free as well as their walk-ins.

 

AARP will also file your taxes for FREE!  You do NOT have to be a member either.

"Never argue with a fool. Onlookers may not be able to tell the difference."


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Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,579
Registered: ‎03-11-2010

Re: What Is The Difference Between Doing Online Taxes VS Buying The Software At The Store?


@Mz iMac wrote:

@VaBelle35 wrote:

 

I know that i get a discount on the online version from every financial service I have an account with.

 


You were getting ripped off.  The IRS online website has always been free as well as their walk-ins.

 

AARP will also file your taxes for FREE!  You do NOT have to be a member either.


          The IRS website is free but you have  to make a certain amount of money. I don't know about AARP but if they are doing it for free I bet it is for very easy ones. I remember years ago you could do it on the phone if you  had an easy one to do.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 17,491
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: What Is The Difference Between Doing Online Taxes VS Buying The Software At The Store?

Turbotax is free if you are filing 1040EZ or whatever.

 

 

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# IAMTEAMWEN
Super Contributor
Posts: 492
Registered: ‎07-21-2017

Re: What Is The Difference Between Doing Online Taxes VS Buying The Software At The Store?

Cost is more to do taxes online vs. buying the software & downloading to your computer. 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 33,580
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: What Is The Difference Between Doing Online Taxes VS Buying The Software At The Store?

Be very careful about any place that will do your taxes for free.  Many times they have no idea what they are doing.  Even walking into H&R Block or Liberty Tax Service is a carap shoot.  Many of those preparers do nothing more than take a class and all of a sudden they are doing returns that are far beyond what they are capable of doing.    

 

I do my taxes on-line and I couldn't use a free version because free versions are for basic taxes.  Mine haven't been basic since we purchased our rental property.  We had to get the next step up wich is considered premium.

 

I have done taxes using the CD and I've gone on-line.  Both are identical to me. Both allow you to pull up your return from last year and transfer over the information so you don't have to re-enter everything and both versions walk you through step by step if need be.

 

There are no more 1040EZ or 1040A forms. Everything is now a 1040.  However, there are still various versions of programs out there, depending on your situation.    

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Posts: 2,187
Registered: ‎03-13-2010

Re: What Is The Difference Between Doing Online Taxes VS Buying The Software At The Store?

[ Edited ]

@Lipstickdiva wrote:

Be very careful about any place that will do your taxes for free.  Many times they have no idea what they are doing.  Even walking into H&R Block or Liberty Tax Service is a carap shoot.  Many of those preparers do nothing more than take a class and all of a sudden they are doing returns that are far beyond what they are capable of doing.    

 

I do my taxes on-line and I couldn't use a free version because free versions are for basic taxes.  Mine haven't been basic since we purchased our rental property.  We had to get the next step up wich is considered premium.

 

I have done taxes using the CD and I've gone on-line.  Both are identical to me. Both allow you to pull up your return from last year and transfer over the information so you don't have to re-enter everything and both versions walk you through step by step if need be.

 

There are no more 1040EZ or 1040A forms. Everything is now a 1040.  However, there are still various versions of programs out there, depending on your situation.    


@Lipstickdiva  I agree but those AARP folks are trained better than most paid preparers.  I know bc I was one from 2005 through 2010 and know the training we were required to take.   We prepared 1040s, Schedules A, B, C-EZ and D and Virginia state taxes.  Before we could prepare a return, we had to attend 56 hours of tax law as it applies to those schedules.  At the end of training (and each year thereafter) we had to take/pass an IRS exam.  Every year we'd have to go back for one day to go over any new tax law changes for that year and that's when we'd take the IRS exam for that year.  

 

We had two ppl in the class that were also paid preparers in another community and both said they'd never had that level of training. The first year that requires the extensive training, we had a class of 15.  Three (3) ppl dropped out after the first day bc they thought it was doing simple taxes and by the last day of training, 2 others dropped out - so an initial class of 15 turned out 10 volunteers.  This is one volunteer job that, once ppl see what's involved, often decide it's more time and effort than they wish to invest into a volunteer job.  At our location our site leader was a CPA and he would do a once over of all returns with Schedules C-EZ and D before he would send, figuring those would have more errors which turned out to be not true.  DId we have returns with errors, yes, we did but at our site, I'd guess 85% of  bounced returns was bc of divorced parents -  both trying to claim their kids as dependents.  There were specific guidelines for that and we'd ask questions before we filed but we often got "wrong" answers - I guess bc they figured it wouldn't get caught.  Once they were bounced they were turned over to the taxpayer who needed to fix and that meant interfacing with the IRS.  

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Posts: 5,839
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: What Is The Difference Between Doing Online Taxes VS Buying The Software At The Store?

I hand do our taxes every year. (I can do long and short but we do short the past few years since we don't have enough deductions) My adult kids kind of laugh, but don't care. I love Math always have, as in love working with numbers, reading the tax book and keeping my mind busy. lol. And the local and state are so easy a grade school child could do them.Takes me 3 minutes each to do the local and state. A bit longer to do federal and then I go over them all with a fine tooth comb to double check before mailing. Anyone could do them if theyd take the time to read the book. Really.. 

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