I have used Turbo Tax for years, and find that its OK, but I am always willing to upgrade if there is a significantly better way. Are the online services better than the disc-based ones?
What do you all use?

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1982 300SD " Wotan" ..On the road as of Jan 8, 2007 with Historic Tags

I have used TaxAct. No filing fees even for the standard 1040. I used Turbo on line as a comparison and to see if I missed anything as TaxAct does not have the guidance system that Turbo does.

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Sent from an agnostic abacus

2014 C250 21,XXX my new DD ** 2013 GLK 350 18,000 Wife's new DD**

- With out god, life is everything.
- God is an ever receding pocket of scientific ignorance that's getting smaller and smaller as time moves on..." Neil DeGrasse Tyson
- You can pray for me, I'll think for you.
- When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.

I've used TaxACT | Free Tax Preparation Software, File Taxes Online, Free E-filing for the last few years with great results. There is a free version and a paid version that save previous years information to be downloaded on next years return. My 2 cents.

Turbo Tax home and business edition.

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You're a daisy if you do.
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84 Euro 240D 4spd. 220.5k sold
04 Honda Element AWD
1985 F150 XLT 4x4, 351W with 270k miles, hay hauler
1997 Suzuki Sidekick 4x4
1993 Toyota 4wd Pickup 226K and counting

It depends on how complex your taxes. If you get into the Schedule D very deeply, or something else out of the ordinary, you do need one of the commercial packages. If all you do is a 1040 long form and maybe a Schedule A, a lead pencil and a calculator will knock it out easily.

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2001 SLK 320 six speed manual
2014 Porsche Cayenne six speed manual

Annoy a Liberal, Read the Constitution

I'm not storing personal income/expense/SS #/bank account data in the f**king "cloud." No way, no how. Too much opportunity for abuse, ID theft, and data mining. I'll either do the taxes manually, or use a package that's safely running on my computer.

If you wouldn't e-mail your SSN and bank statements to random people, you shouldn't be putting that data online either.

TT worked well for us over the years, especially last year when we had to file two state returns and the federal; had moving expenses; set up a dedicated home office for my wife who went from employee to independent contractor for her company.

Words of a wise man!

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2001 SLK 320 six speed manual
2014 Porsche Cayenne six speed manual

Annoy a Liberal, Read the Constitution

My mom has sworn by Turbo Tax for years; hers isn't the most complex return but she does have special income and deductions.

It stores the info from previous years on your PC (as you know, Ms. Fowler) so it can just access that for the subsequent years. She keeps trying to convince me to use it, but my return isn't complex enough to require it (when I had a small business I would have...) That said, were I inclined to use a computer-based system, based on her experience I'd use Turbo Tax.

If you use quickbooks for a business, it can also sweep that information in, which is really handy for completing those pesky schedules.

Re: spdrun's comment, that is a very valid concern. This was in the news just this morning:
Key Internet operator VeriSign hit by hackers

I can't imagine that Tax Act's website is more secure than Verisign, but rather that no one has sought to attack it.

Thanks all.
My taxes aren't too involved, but I do use schedule A.
I agree about not storing personal data on line---doesn't seem like the wisest idea to me.

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1982 300SD " Wotan" ..On the road as of Jan 8, 2007 with Historic Tags

I'd never use an online tax service. The thought of it gives me the willies.

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You're a daisy if you do.
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84 Euro 240D 4spd. 220.5k sold
04 Honda Element AWD
1985 F150 XLT 4x4, 351W with 270k miles, hay hauler
1997 Suzuki Sidekick 4x4
1993 Toyota 4wd Pickup 226K and counting

Agree as well...all that personal info on the internet??? I don't care how robust their firewall is!

I've used Turbo Tax for years without a problem. I like the guidance tools.

My taxes aren't that complicated save for a couple of years of having to manage IRAs and other distributions.

No state taxes in TX, so far simpler too.

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2009 ML350 (106K) - Family vehicle
2001 CLK430 Cabriolet (80K) - Wife's car
2005 BMW 645CI (138K) - My daily driver
2016 Mustang (32K) - Daughter's car

I'm sure Turbo Tax will get most of you guys home ok. It's a pretty good product for a reasonably intelligent person to navigate through and come out the other end ok.

I was at a tax lecture two years ago, and the instructor( a woman from Ohio)said Turbo Tax prepared returns were the most audited.
Don't know where she got that info from. Maybe from someone within the IRS. I do know they frown of computer prepared returns with crossouts and hand written corrections. That'll almost guarantee a look-see.

The IRS' free file program works pretty good for basic returns.I think the AGI limit is up to 57,000 or so for free returns. No data storage though. If your return is pretty basic, free file can save you the cost of the software. What does a fed & state TT package run these days?

Neither am I. I have used TaxAct for years. Federal Edition is Free (that's all I need- Florida has no state income tax)

You can download the program to your harddrive. Do your thing. Print. Mail it in. No security issues. No cloud.

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80 300SD (129k mi) 82 240D stick (193k mi)77 240D auto - stick to be (153k mi) 85 380SL (145k mi) 89 BMW 535i 82 Diesel Rabbit Pickup (374k mi) 91 Jetta IDI Diesel (155k mi) 81 VW Rabbit Convertible Diesel 70 Triumph Spitfire Mk III (63kmi)66 Triumph TR4a IRS (90k mi)67 Ford F-100 (??)

I've used the TaxCut packages from H&R Block since the mid-90s...no problems, everything is stored on the 'puter in it's own little TC folder...nice and neat. Over the years, the price has gone up a bit, but for the time it saves to do the taxes, it beats trying to do the crap longhand, or looking for someone else that enjoys poking sharp, pointy things into occular objects. With the exception a fews years back, I've managed a decent amount of cash return on what I've sent in...always a nice little "something" in the springtime. And last year, my refunds came amazingly fast...3 days for the State refund and the Fed refund was back in one week.

I ain't biotching about that at all...

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M. G. Burg
'10 - Dakota SXT - Daily Ride / ≈ 172.5K
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..'77 - 280E - 123.033.12 / > 128.20 K
...'67 - El Camino - 283ci / > 207.00 K
....'75 - Yamaha - 650XS / < 21.00 K
.....'87 - G20 Sportvan / > 206.00 K
......'85 - 4WINNS 160 I.O. / 140hp
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