Smart Spending

By abk

January 19, 2009 4:57 PM | Link to this

heck no. That is too detail for me. That sounds like the dewey decimal system for taxes.

By ssidawg

January 19, 2009 8:52 PM | Link to this

Tax preparation is one thing you don’t want to skimp on. You get what you pay for.

By fed up

January 19, 2009 9:52 PM | Link to this

We use an accountant for personal and my husband’s business. I have done our personal taxes in the past until my husband opened up the business. No way would I take that on. It’s sad that filing our income taxes has come to this, I think the tax code is over 17K pages. Eliminate it and go with the fair tax, that’s the way.

By kbond

January 21, 2009 1:03 PM | Link to this

If you have no more than the everyday 1040-A form to fill out and no extraordinary medical or other type expenses using the on-line packages are great. I get a coupon each year in the mail and they will save them for you. You can even upgrade and get audit insurance with them.

By Kitty

January 22, 2009 9:06 AM | Link to this

I wish mine was that cheap. I fill out one of those forms, have everything added and clipped together in groups. My bill last year was $335.00 plus a phone call( earlier in the year ) of 10 minutes for $150. So my total was $485.00 last year. I almost cried in his office. I decided then I could no longer afford him. I am now looking some where else. At $150 for 10 minutes that is $900. an hour I need to change after 5 years. Does any one know how H & R block does and what they charge?

By john doe

January 22, 2009 9:18 AM | Link to this

Accountants are total ripoffs! Use turbo tax and save yourself a lot of money. Turbo tax will ask all of the necessary questions and it’s very easy to take advantage of every deduction you are eligible for. Turbo tax costs less than 100 bucks and includes all of the forms and submits your forms for you.

By gpkbsin

January 22, 2009 9:35 AM | Link to this

I’ve always filled my taxes myself. I used turbotax before. But in last 2-3 years, I’ve used taxcut. Both are the same when it comes to filing normal 1040A with Schedule A, B and D. Taxcut is just cheaper than Turbotax. we used an accountant when we had to file taxes for 3 states and had just bought our new house. He charged us 150 dollars and didn’t do anything special to save taxes. I reviewed what he had filed and found couple of things that I could have changed to save more money. I have not used an accountant since. I would rather pay 50 dollars for taxcut and know what is going on instead of an accountant charging me 150.

By Amanda

January 22, 2009 9:49 AM | Link to this

A box is only as good as, well, a box! I started doing my own taxes several years ago when a Box product assumed because I didn’t already have an IRA it wasn’t applicable to my tax situation that year. Wrong! By doing my own research, I found out that I could set up an IRA until April 15 that year and doing so helped me qualify for the Saver’s Credit which had the effect of the federal coffers paying for half of the amount I put in that IRA I set up. I went from owing $300 with the Box to getting a $500 refund and a new $1000 IRA balance in my name. I decided right then I had a passion for helping people divert precious income from government coffers to their own wallets using tax knowledge and training that few want to research on their own. I may cost someone $200 - $250 but they are definitely saving much more than that – and making their bottom lines better in the process. I am worth it.

By Doug

January 22, 2009 10:26 AM | Link to this

I’ve used TurboTax for the last eight years and never had any problems. The It’s Deductible segment helps you maximize the benefit from charitable donations and it checks for errors and audit flags. Why pay an accountant, when you have such an easy self-help option available?

By Michael B

January 22, 2009 11:01 AM | Link to this

Why not pay a few hundred bucks for H&R Block’s tax preparer’s course offered in the fall and learn how to do your own taxes. Isn’t that a novel idea? This way, you can prepare them by hand, or use a box software and at least you will understand what it is doing, or not doing. You can even earn some extra money doing other folk’s taxes as well. “Give a man a fish and he’ll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he’ll eat for a lifetime.”

By Former H&R Blocker

January 22, 2009 11:30 AM | Link to this

Last year, I paid $330 to H&R Block because it was especially complicated — I’m writing off stock I had in a now-bankrupt company. THIS YEAR, I’ll try to just put the numbers in the forms that he used last year (updated, of course) and save a bundle. It took H&R Block about 90 minutes do my taxes last year. I can’t afford $330 again this year. I hope I’m doing the right thing!!!!!

By Always Late

January 22, 2009 11:58 AM | Link to this

Had a pro do my taxes several years ago and continue to use the same approach each year since then, keeping up with all new revisions myself. I prepare my own Corp 1120S which is due a month earlier than 1040, but always take an extension so I can get all my figures reconciled on spreadsheets. I track all income and expenditures, and occasionally take my already submitted returns in for post review. Yes, I have made mistakes, but they have worked out both ways. Besides, I’m not high income and don’t have a lot to lose. I also started out much more simply doing my own tax returns over 50 years ago and worked myself deeper and deeper into the complexities.

By Simple Solution

January 22, 2009 4:41 PM | Link to this

I am an accountant and I’m not a ripoff. If you have complex deductions then you should pay. If your deductions are simple do them on your own!!! Simple solution

By a.dekkers

January 22, 2009 5:17 PM | Link to this

i have been using taxact.com now for several years, its the best tax program u can find, for $16.95 e-filing federal and state. I love it.

By Karen

January 22, 2009 6:51 PM | Link to this

I worked for the largest tax preparation company for 13 years. Two years ago, I went out on my own so that I could provide my clients with an affordable professional service. My rates are usually at least half of what this company would charge them. I know I am not alone at doing this. You can find many affordable knowledgeable preparers if you ask around, like you would when asking friends and neighbors for a reputable garage or service provider, or repairman. I would advise shopping around and interviewing any potential Tax Preparers on how they were educated in learning Tax Codes, how long they have been preparing taxes, as well as fees for various forms and/or time charges. Also ask them how they stay current, as in Continuing Education. I also taught tax courses for this company, and often had CPA’s taking the basic class to learn how to prepare taxes. If you are not comfortable with preparing your own taxes, shop wisely, and you can find a preparer with the skills and knowledge necessary to have them completed properly and not feel like you need to take out a loan to pay for the service.

By P H D

January 22, 2009 8:00 PM | Link to this

TurboTax does a superb job with even complicated individual taxes. I trust them more than the overpaid, rude, nonproductive, condescending feather merchants who work for the IRS.

It is more than a shame that a person of average intelligence does not feel qualified to fill out his own tax report. What’s worse is that the IRS will not help an individual. They simply tell you to take your question to an accountant. As citizens of this country, we should demand that Congress simplify the income tax code.

We should all boycott the IRS/Tax Collectors and just refuse to pay our income taxes until the code is changed so that a high school graduate can complete the form in less than one hour. Anything worse than that should be unconstitutional.

By dittohead

January 23, 2009 7:50 AM | Link to this

By tina

January 25, 2009 12:13 PM | Link to this

TURBO TAX, TURBO TAX, TURBO TAX, TURBO TAX. They literally hold your hand and walk you through the whole process. Go to Wachovia.com and use it from their website for a 30% discount. been doing it for years.

By tina

January 25, 2009 12:29 PM | Link to this

I used the free turbo tax on www.freeturbotax.com. I hope this is legit, it was recommended by one of my co-workers who used it last year. I just use the basic 1040 form

By Brenda

January 25, 2009 5:20 PM | Link to this

I use turbotax.com. I enjoyed being able to prepare and e-file both federal and state for less than $30. Next year, I might try my brother’s guy. He will use work mileage and cell phone minutes to get you the ultimate tax refund!

By woodie

January 26, 2009 6:16 AM | Link to this

There was a time when taxes were too complicated for the common taxpayer to figure out. But that time has long past. Basically, if you can read, then you can do your taxes. Tax preparers boast that there are secrets they hold that will save you tons of money. That’s mostly malarky. Besides, people getting creative with your tax return will more than likely get you in trouble. As far as TurboTax is concerned, I’ve used this program and it is more complicated than the forms themselves. In fact, the last time I used it I had to ditch it because it had a mind of it’s own and wouldn’t process my form correctly.

By D Right One

January 26, 2009 9:37 AM | Link to this

I’ve used Taxact for several years after using an accountant and H&R Block. If you’re just an individual even with complex paperwork, the box software will walk you right through everything. It even suggests tips for next year to save you more. If you have a substantial business, I would use a CPA for better insurance against mistakes

By Mother Irish

January 26, 2009 12:45 PM | Link to this

If income taxes each year are not a promotion for the Fair Tax I don’t know what is. Why should the tax code be so difficult that I have to hire someone to prepare my taxes? Why can I not just pay a national sales tax based on what I spend, not on what I earn and save. The current system is totally counterproductive to every one except politicians who use taxes to buy votes and bounce us around - all the time.

Fair Tax — BRING IT ON!

By WHY PAY?

January 29, 2009 4:57 PM | Link to this

AARP will file your taxes for free

By Schmoe

January 29, 2009 5:04 PM | Link to this

So, the overall sentiment is that use box software if your family doesn’t own a business, other wise a CPA is needed?

By Jodi

February 2, 2009 4:22 PM | Link to this

I’ve paid $150 - 250 in the past using tax people and H&R Block…but this year I am trying the FREEEEEEE way.

United Way has a place that will do your taxes for free and efile too - just dial 211 or 404-614-1000.

By Andrew

February 2, 2009 4:53 PM | Link to this

“They literally hold your hand and walk you through the whole process.”

No, they dont.

By Christi

February 3, 2009 10:26 AM | Link to this

TaxCut is a consumer-facing version of the same software that H&R Block accountants use. To me, using H&R makes about as much sense as hiring a personal assistant to type my emails. I can do that myself, thank you very much.

By leslie l. grant

February 8, 2009 10:49 AM | Link to this

high didle didle the cat in the fidle.