I’m seriously thinking of using it…but is it safe and secure? You are online, typing in SS numbers, financial data , addresses, etc. can’t some hacker break in and steal you info? What is TT’s liability if this happened?
I use TurboTax PC (then file via E-file)…
I don’t know anything about the ‘online version’…
That said… I can do a credit search with your name and come back with a lot of the things you will be inputting anyway…
The E-file data is sent with 128-bit encryption… which you COULD sniff off… but then you would have to break it… easier to use public information for the same effect
There are two main aspects of concern (and a million secondary ones):
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The communication. If Intuit has done things right, then everything is sent back and forth securely using a simple encryption scheme. Notice the “If”. Programs are routinely flawed and there is no way to ensure things are done right. Also, the current SSL encryption schemes are not considered “long term” safe. I.e., someone can capture your bytes as they travel along the Net and in some X number of years, decode them. X might be as short as 1 year, but who knows?
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Intuit will have copies of your data lying all over the place. No doubt they make lots of claims about security and such but it’s all PR. The programs are no doubt flawed, employees make mistakes or deliberately copy things, and you have no protection against anyone in the future getting their hands on it. What if you’re a big contributer to political party X and someone at Intuit who supports party Y browsing thru the files (which of course they aren’t supposed to be able to do, Ha!) sees your name. Now your tax records belong to the enemy.
Every day there are examples of people’s personal info being stolen and those are just the reported cases. Figure a 100 to 1 ratio on unreported cases. There’s a big scandal concerning debit cards with stolen PIN numbers going on right now.
I see no benefit from doing something like this online. Buy the program for $15 and file on paper.
I have to agree. I’m not paranoid about internet fraud in general, but when it comes to sensitive data, this is the Mother Lode.
I downloaded the TurboTax program. Costs a bit more, but the peace of mind is worth it, in my opinion. (By the way, I really liked the program-- easy to use and fast.)
I’ve used it for the past 6 years. No one has stolen my identity.
The arguments being applied to the Intuit people already apply to the employees of Visa, Mastercard, your bank, the IRS, the mail carrier who handles a package addressed to the IRS, etc.
The first part is utter and complete nonsense. Anecdote’s of non-events prove nothing.
Note that you don’t have to have credit cards or bank accounts.
As to the IRS and the USPS*, you have to use them. Intuit is an unneeded option. So opt out.
*Note that the no one at the USPS is collecting millions of tax records on computers. Think in terms of scale. One rogue USPS employee stealing a few tax documents is one thing. An Intuit rogue employee stealing hundreds of thousands of documents is another level of worry. Ditto with accidental leaks of information.
I started filing, then was hit by worry. so, i called the TT helpline-and was connected with a gentelman in INDIA! he assured me 9most profusely) that the on-line system was safe and secure.
Well, not for me-I’m going to use it at home, and file via USPS. no sense tempting fate.
I’m curious; was your decision not to use Turbotax Online affected by the fact that the customer service person was in India? If so, why?
The “outsourcing to India” thing doesn’t bother me…it is just that your personal data is being transmitted to who knows where 9maybe India)? I don’t know if India has any laws about identity theft, but i’m not anxious to find out. Recently the BOSTONGLOBE (inadvertently0 wrapped its newspapers in papers containing names and credit card numbers of its subscribers. they were oput on the street, for anybody to steal. Again, i just won’t risk it.
---- DISCLAIMER: THIS IS A REPLY TO A 2006 THREAD!!! OMG !11!!! ------
But I see no reason why the discussion couldn’t be extended.
Back in 2001, Turbo Tax had a security glitch affecting the financial institution passwords of 150,000 customers. TurboTax Security Glitch May Force 150,000 Investors to Alter Passwords
I am unaware that they suffered any financial penalty for this breach. I am unaware of their incentive to provide rock solid security today: after all the fiasco didn’t hurt them in 2001. More nonsense at the wiki article: Answers - The Most Trusted Place for Answering Life's Questions
Secondly, desktop Turbo Tax offers the option of a direct download from the individual’s financial institution. Of course you need to enter your password directly into the program. Does anybody know whether TT HQ stores such a password? We’ve established that there is little reason to extend to this company a high degree of trust. And there are real risks incurred if the bad guys get hold of your banking or brokerage password and login ID.
The program offers the possibility of import via a .txf file. But to my knowledge, most financial institutions don’t provide that. Or am I mistaken?
Security conscious users could enter in all data by hand. No problem, no worries. They could also change to a temporary password at their financial institution, then change it back after they download the data to Turbo Tax. Ideally, TT could encourage the option of doing all this via directly downloadable .txf or .csv files. But it appears that they have decided not to.
I’ve used TurboTax online for years. I always input all financial institution information by hand, but otherwise I’m unconcerned with identity theft from using their program. No one would want my identity anyway.
I was wondering why the tone of this thread was so paranoid and then I realized it was from 7 years ago. I would bet nearly everyone who posted here back then has since done their taxes online.
Given that Turbo Tax had a security glitch, releasing online banking/brokerage passwords of 150,000 customers, I wouldn’t call it paranoia.
…but that may well be the case, so your point is taken.
Apropos nothing, what’s the value of an identity package on the black market? Oh about 25 US cents – less if you buy in bulk. That would include your first name, last name, middle name, email address, email password, physical address, phone number, date of birth, Social Security number, drivers license number, bank name, bank account number, bank routing number, employer’s name, and the number of years at your current job.
Hot off the paranoid press
Some efilers find that there tax return doesn’t go through because someone has already filed on their behalf in the hopes of lifting their refund check from the IRS. Web blog: http://hackedbyturbotax.com/my-identity-theft/
Advice for someone in those shoes: Someone Stole My Social Security Number To File Taxes. Help! - The Money Coach
Reuters article: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/17/usa-tax-fraud-idUSL1N0B7IYW20130217
Note that the attack vector involves somebody else efiling (possibly via TT online): the pertinent ID data wasn’t necessarily leaked by TT itself. Which is a little different than the OP.
My question remains: how secure is it to enter your login or password of your brokerage or banking account directly into Turbo Tax? And if the answer is “Not very”, why isn’t there more discussion of this?
That first link seems very eager to blame TurboTax Online, when, as you point out, there’s little to no evidence that they themselves are the source of the “leak.” Did I miss any evidence on the part of that blogger to show that they had anything to do with it, save being the software he used to file online?
The third also seems to have little to do with online filing, despite the 80% mention and being the method of sending stuff in. Hell, it opens with the murder of a mail carrier.
I’m trying to be clear about this, because I used this software last year, and was planning to use it again this year. Would all of y’all (NOT in 2006, please) discourage me from doing so?
Nice post, Leaper. Judging from the Reuters article, it seems that efile permits crooks to file the returns of victims early and capture a refund check from the IRS. Turbo Tax isn’t exactly taking the lead in fighting this problem, but nor do they seem more culpable than any other firm that processes online returns. I’ll opine that it’s likely that the vic in the 1st link had his identity hacked into via another method.
Visitors to the wiki site learn that over the years Intuit (owner of Quicken and Turbo Tax) has yanked the chains of its customers pretty much for the entirety of its existence. It’s part of their corporate DNA. Then again, H&R Block has a dubious business model as well (hint: their practitioners rely on selling you things you don’t need if they want to make a decent living. Filing the return itself is a loss-leader.)
Everyone must their own decisions. Frankly I think we’re in the realm of manageable but unnecessarily high risks. So, no I’m not going to try to dissuade Leaper of anything. Just don’t fool yourself in believing that you will be ok because you are working with a reputable firm. I know of no reputable firms in this biz, AFAIK IMHO (though I must say I admittedly know nothing about TaxAct or whatever #3 is called).
Policywise, there needs to be a top-down security audit of this process. More jack-booted IRS regulators, please.
The thing is, I don’t feel comfortable doing the paper return by myself, but the $200+ I was spending on an accountant seems more and more like a waste of money.
What do all of you do?
I use Turbotax on CD and file electronically but if you’re nervous about data theft, you can file on paper after using Turbotax to do the return on your computer. The program does need to connect to the Internet, but only to receive updates.
Questions about using the Turbo Tax program: can you do more than one return and does it do state returns?
Yes, to both questions. My brother does his own taxes, our parents’, his wife’s parents’, etc., using the same installation of Turbotax. And yes, it does state returns.