# What tax software is better than TurboTax now? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 9, 2020, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tax-software-is-better-than-turbotax-now/847698 "2020-02-09T23:11:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2020, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tax-software-is-better-than-turbotax-now/847698/21 "2020-02-15T19:33:53Z")
> [@erysichthon](#): > > I was a loyal TaxAct user for many years, until I had an experience similar to yours. On my state return, TA should have copied the contents of one box into another box, but it didn’t. I didn’t figure out the error until after I had filed, and had to file an amended return to get my money back. That, plus the upselling and escalating prices, soured me on TaxAct. Back when I used to use Turbo Tax, they had a section asking about HSA disbursements, so I copied the number from my 1099-HSA. I had no idea, in a totally separate, unrelated section, there was a question about how much of your disbursements was spent on medical care. I’m lucky I caught that one, otherwise I would have paid tax on all that money, as well as a penalty. It seems to me that the page that asks about HSA disbursements could include a simple checkbox that says “Check here all or part of this money was not spent on qualified medical expenses” or something to the effect. But, that’s just another reason why it’s not a terrible idea to do it on two different programs. It doesn’t take that much longer and it’s good for finding mistakes. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2020, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tax-software-is-better-than-turbotax-now/847698/22 "2020-02-15T21:19:42Z")
For any Canadian who happens on this thread, I recommend StudioTax. Very good and totally free, although I usually send them 25 bucks for four returns. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2020, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tax-software-is-better-than-turbotax-now/847698/23 "2020-02-16T13:35:20Z")
Another Canadian one: I’ve been using UFile for the last few years and never had a problem. It even handles business and professional income. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2020, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tax-software-is-better-than-turbotax-now/847698/24 "2020-02-16T17:40:06Z")
I’m convinced they’re all the same for the average person. So, I use the H&R Block because it already have some of the information saved. I’m sure I’ll need the ‘deluxe’ version because of…something. I’ve already accepted that I’ll be raped for the cost and plus whatever they charge for state. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2020, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tax-software-is-better-than-turbotax-now/847698/25 "2020-02-16T19:13:42Z")
I just paid too much to use Turbotax this year. Already filed, not going back. Which other software/online sites can import my 2019 taxes next year when I file for 2020? I want a cheaper and equally good option. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2020, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tax-software-is-better-than-turbotax-now/847698/26 "2020-02-17T07:32:53Z")
What do you need to import? Cost basis is pretty important, the rest not so much, it’s trivial to input EINs ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2020, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tax-software-is-better-than-turbotax-now/847698/27 "2020-02-17T17:33:10Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > What do you need to import? Cost basis is pretty important, the rest not so much, it’s trivial to input EINs I agree that I could re-type everything again. I was hoping it would import all my data, places of employment, kid, SSN, really all the basics. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2020, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tax-software-is-better-than-turbotax-now/847698/28 "2020-02-17T17:43:58Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > I agree that I could re-type everything again. I was hoping it would import all my data, places of employment, kid, SSN, really all the basics. And that’s why I stick with H&R block online, it saves all that crap. I hate filing taxes so at least it makes it easier. And yeah, I’m an adult with a fairly basic tax situation like I bet a lot of us are ---
**Author:** ![OttoDaFe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ottodafe/32/356_2.png) [@OttoDaFe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OttoDaFe)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2020, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tax-software-is-better-than-turbotax-now/847698/29 "2020-02-17T18:26:39Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > I just paid too much to use Turbotax this year. Already filed, not going back. > > Which other software/online sites can import my 2019 taxes next year when I file for 2020? I want a cheaper and equally good option. Did you use the TurboTax standalone program rather than the website? If you did, and you saved the results as a TurboTax file (I believe the extension is “.tax{yyyy}”), the H&RB program can import it. I’m not sure about the H&RB website, and I can’t vouch for how much the program can import, but it should be enough to get you started. I don’t have the world’s most complex tax return — SS and pension income, and the mandatory IRA distributions — but the Basic version suits me fine; I get it for less than $20. [This site](https://www.topfinancialtools.com/hr-block-tax-software-comparison-chart-fullpage/) (not H&R Block) compares the versions. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2020, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tax-software-is-better-than-turbotax-now/847698/30 "2020-02-17T18:43:04Z")
> [@erysichthon](#): > > I was a loyal TaxAct user for many years, until I had an experience similar to yours. On my state return, TA should have copied the contents of one box into another box, but it didn’t. I didn’t figure out the error until after I had filed, and had to file an amended return to get my money back. That, plus the upselling and escalating prices, soured me on TaxAct. I have to concur that this year’s TaxAct experience was less than ideal. I was very careful and my returns are fairly simple, but I did not feel confident until I double-checked everything manually. I also don’t like the constant upsell attempts, but I supposed that was the price I paid for the “free” service. Anyway, next year I guess I’ll be in the market for one of these other solutions that folks have recommended. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2020, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tax-software-is-better-than-turbotax-now/847698/31 "2020-02-17T19:23:33Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > I have to concur that this year’s TaxAct experience was less than ideal. I was very careful and my returns are fairly simple, but I did not feel confident until I double-checked everything manually. I also don’t like the constant upsell attempts, but I supposed that was the price I paid for the “free” service. > > Anyway, next year I guess I’ll be in the market for one of these other solutions that folks have recommended. When I just did mine on TA, I also did it on TT. Got _almost_ the same numbers. It took me about 20 minutes to pick through everything and find the mistake. I can’t blame their website/software for the one, but it’s still why I advocate doing it in two places, especially if you have a lot to enter. For me, I had about 50 lines of stock trades to enter. That works out to about 1 trade a week but makes for 300 or so entries. That’s where I made the mistake. TT could import directly from Etrade, Tax Act can’t. In the end, I ended up using the free option from Turbo Tax, which meant I had to start all over, but I saved $70, so it was worth it. ---
**Author:** ![aktep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f0a364/32.png) [@aktep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aktep)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2020, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tax-software-is-better-than-turbotax-now/847698/32 "2020-02-18T20:19:01Z")
> [@Limmin](#): > > I’ve used TaxAct for my free filing the last 3 years now. The first 2 years were great, but this most recent filing they somehow failed to ask basic questions about the 3 tax forms I had in my possession. I had to go back through their process multiple times until I got it all right and got the correct amount returned. > > For instance, they somehow assumed that my son, who is a 100% dependent, did not qualify me for the EIC / Additional Child Tax credit. Why? Because on the form it said he lived with me 0 months out of 12. Did they ask me to fill this out? No, they did not. Best I can tell, they just stuck in the default value of 0 after copying the previous year’s data to this year. This is a critically bad issue for any software claiming to find you the best tax return. > > Similarly, I could not get them to ask me for my 1098-T form (listing scholarships and grants). I had to go back and try this about 5 or 6 times until I finally got to the form. > > I might switch to a different software next year. I’ve used TaxAct for many years now, too (at one time, they were the cheapest option if you needed a Schedule C), and I had this same problem this year. After going through the Q&A, it reported I owed a fairly hefty sum. It was only in the “check for errors” step that it bothered to ask how long my kids lived with me during the year. In past years, I’m pretty sure it confirmed this during the step where it imported dependent info from last year’s return. Other than that, though, it’s been perfectly serviceable. But it would be possible to make a fairly expensive mistake and skip the “check for errors” step if you didn’t know something seemed amiss. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2020, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tax-software-is-better-than-turbotax-now/847698/33 "2020-02-18T20:55:36Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > I agree that I could re-type everything again. I was hoping it would import all my data, places of employment, kid, SSN, really all the basics. I’ve used TurboTax in the past and tried FreeTaxUsa this year. I imported in the PDF I saved from TT last year, and it did a decent job with the data you’re talking about. There were some gaps, like it populated all the dependent info except birth dates, but overall it wasn’t really more work to switch. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tax-software-is-better-than-turbotax-now/847698.md?page=1)