# How are you doing your taxes? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 8, 2015, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-you-doing-your-taxes/714491 "2015-03-08T01:56:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2015, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-you-doing-your-taxes/714491/21 "2015-03-08T22:08:22Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Oooo! Do you have to be an AARP member or just over 50 for that? It’s for low to moderate income groups of any age and is free. It’s also for people over 60, regardless of income. There’s a website. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2015, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-you-doing-your-taxes/714491/22 "2015-03-08T22:12:36Z")
H&R Block Free File. I have no state tax. I think it’s a little more user friendly than TaxAct, and it doesn’t require taking a shower afterwards like TurboTax. In previous years I just did it for the SO and gave mine to my dad because that’s what he does for a living and he offered. But this year my situation was a bit more difficult (not hard or confusing: super easy but time consuming). As for why people pay: there are some situations where a CPA or EA is worth the cost, and many people find taxes frightening and are willing to pay. I don’t personally think so but it’s like how some people clam up when faced with math or programming even though it’s a learned skill. AARP is mentioned above, and filing through these is free if income \<$60,000 and some have age restrictions (e.g. Block is 53, which seems specific but arbitrary, anyone know why?). ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2015, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-you-doing-your-taxes/714491/23 "2015-03-09T00:34:02Z")
I went to H&R Block once and they came up with the exact same thing I did on my own downloading the forms. ---
**Author:** ![LibrarySpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f9ae1b/32.png) [@LibrarySpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LibrarySpy)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2015, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-you-doing-your-taxes/714491/24 "2015-03-09T16:32:12Z")
H&R Block online, Best of Both ($85?). This year I had two W-2s, an IRA disbursement, dividends, education credits, Obamacare credits, and all the stuff from my small business–Schedule C and E, lots of 1099s going back and forth. So I do them online, and then someone looks at my mistakes. It works. And it helps that all of my taxes are there from 2010 onward, and autofill, and archive, since I just got a letter from a state demanding I pay 2010 taxes. I DID NOT LIVE THERE, STATE. So I could easily print off proof and mail it in. ---
**Author:** ![Snnipe\_70E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@Snnipe\_70E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snnipe_70E)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2015, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-you-doing-your-taxes/714491/25 "2015-03-09T17:10:30Z")
My CPA does mine. I own income property. ---
**Author:** ![txtumbleweed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/278dde/32.png) [@txtumbleweed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/txtumbleweed)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2015, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-you-doing-your-taxes/714491/26 "2015-03-09T20:01:58Z")
I used TaxAct the past few years and have found it to be pretty straightforward. Be aware that if you want any real in-depth help or explanations from their software you will likely have to buy an upgrade. And it seems like they offer the blasted upgrade almost every time you click something. On the plus side, they seem to have all of the federal forms and worksheets loaded (including the Premium Tax Credit 8962) so that you can file anything you need from an individual return to a small business or partnership. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-you-doing-your-taxes/714491/27 "2015-03-10T03:10:21Z")
I had mine done through VITA. > **[Free Tax Return Preparation for Qualifying Taxpayers | Internal Revenue Service](https://www.irs.gov/individuals/free-tax-return-preparation-for-qualifying-taxpayers)** > > The IRS's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) programs offer free basic tax return preparation to qualified individuals. > > The VITA program has operated for over 50 years. VITA sites offer free tax help to... ---
**Author:** ![Marion\_Wormer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d07c76/32.png) [@Marion\_Wormer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marion_Wormer)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-you-doing-your-taxes/714491/28 "2015-03-10T04:07:14Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > I use an honest-to-god human accountant. Worth every penny between the W-2’s, the 1099’s, and that court award from small claims. My taxes are complicated. I tried doing it myself once, never again. ---
**Author:** ![DrumBum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e79b87/32.png) [@DrumBum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrumBum)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-you-doing-your-taxes/714491/29 "2015-03-10T11:28:42Z")
Our state and federal taxes are done by a very helpful lady from KPMG in California. She sorts out all the forms necessary for an expat in Angola on USD payroll. Add to this our investments and other property that generates income, and everything is usually complete by October. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-you-doing-your-taxes/714491/30 "2015-03-10T14:40:10Z")
I have used H&R Block’s TaxCut software since before it was owned by H&R Block. Our taxes are not particularly difficult - mortgage deduction, child care credit and now tuition credit are really the only things to deal with over and above the W-2s – but the software makes doing the taxes about a 30 minute job, so it is worth it to me. I just import the info from last year, enter the numbers from the W-2s and 1099s, answer a number of questions (most of which are defaulted), and both federal and state are done. ---
**Author:** ![eenerms](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cdc98d/32.png) [@eenerms](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eenerms)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-you-doing-your-taxes/714491/31 "2015-03-10T14:46:06Z")
Our taxes are so complicated , use Jackson Hewett.paid for the insurance. Which was a good thing, the preparer forgot to file. We get a bill from the IRS for 16k :eek:had to prove where we got the money on a CD we cashed in. Did that and it was reduced to 500. JH is paying all the interest and penalties, which is over half. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-you-doing-your-taxes/714491/32 "2015-03-10T15:16:18Z")
TurboTax. Intuit isn’t my favorite company but it still works pretty well. You get 5 free federal e-files so my sister and I split the ~$70 cost of the software. It will also import last year’s return to save you a lot of typing. And the e-files work well. They want $20 to e-file to my state, so I just print out the ~3 pages and mail them, TurboTax even gives you the address to send the return to. ---
**Author:** ![Ms\_Boods](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5e9695/32.png) [@Ms\_Boods](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms_Boods)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-you-doing-your-taxes/714491/33 "2015-03-10T21:25:32Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > That seems insane. Why on earth do you do this? It’s the law, which just got more complicated and worse last year – US expects its ex-pats to file an exemption form every year. If I decided never to go back to the US, I’d say, fuck’em, but I do have to go back there once a year or so for the time being. I can’t have any joint accounts or property with my British-born husband, or all of that would have to be listed, as well – my CPA has to list all of my UK income and assets, because if my wages were to rise above a certain threshold here, the US would demand I pay taxes on them to Uncle Sam (in addition of course to the taxes already scooped out by the HMR & C. They will chase anyone down who was born there about income – just ask Boris Johnson. Also, dunno how accurate this is, but it’s my understanding that if I can’t demonstrate that I have employer-based healthcare or whatever (I have NHS), I would be slapped with some hellacious fines which again I’d be faced with on coming into the country. The $450 is the fee I pay the CPA, who has a solid background in both US and UK tax law. I pay $0 in US taxes because he files the exemption. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-you-doing-your-taxes/714491/34 "2015-03-11T03:45:01Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > H&R Block Free File. I have no state tax. Same here. My taxes are of the EZ variety so it is very quick and free. ---
**Author:** ![Grim\_Render](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a87d85/32.png) [@Grim\_Render](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grim_Render)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2015, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-you-doing-your-taxes/714491/35 "2015-03-12T12:03:55Z")
Normally by text on my phone. This year I’ve added some income sources, so I’ll probably go to the website and do it there. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-you-doing-your-taxes/714491.md?page=1)