# Tax preparation heros!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tax-preparation-heros/101924>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [April 5, 2002, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tax-preparation-heros/101924 "2002-04-05T04:11:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Marley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Marley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2002, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tax-preparation-heros/101924/1 "2002-04-05T04:11:24Z")

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I’ve finally finished my taxes ([haikus](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&postid=1952185#post1952185) notwithstanding,) and for once I have nothing but praise for Intuit.

My income last year was… well, let’s just say my income was somewhat limited. Intuit offers the [Quicken Tax Freedom Project](http://www.quicken.com/freedom/), which will allow you to prepare and file your taxes for free if your adjusted gross income was $25,000 or less. As it happens, I qualify. Thank you #1 to Intuit for this offer.

Using TurboTax for the Web, I prepared my taxes in early February. Not only did I get the refund I expected, but TurboTax found several additional deductions I hadn’t considered (and paid preparers in the past have missed these deductions, as well.) My refund was much larger than expected. Thank you #2 to Intuit…

The day after I filed electronically, a revised 1099 arrived in the mail. Here was additional income I completely forgot about. I weeped, I tore my hair, I gnashed my teeth… and I put the paperwork aside, because I couldn’t face doing my taxes again. I did take the time to call the IRS, spend several hours on hold, and discover I needed to file a 1040X.

Tonight I prepared for battle. I gathered my paperwork and some caffeine, and sat down in front of the computer. I didn’t expect TurboTax to bail me out of this one, but I started there anyway.

Very helpful (!) help files guided me through restarting my taxes and preparing a 1040X. (All that time on hold with the IRS was unnecessary.) I walked through the screens which sorted out the confusing information on my “Consolidated 1099”, recalculated my refund (since my refund was too large, I now owe $4,) and printed all the necessary forms.

Intuit’s fee for using the incredibly helpful TurboTax for the Web to correct my taxes: nothing.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Intuit.

(Comments to Datek for screwing up my 1099 self-edited to appear in the Pit someday.)

Now on to my state taxes…