s/o Turbo Tax online version, or CD?

[Anonymous]

This is our first year doing taxes ourselves again after 10 years of paying someone else to do it.
Should I buy Turbo Tax software for the computer, or do it online? Can I switch back and forth one year to the next? What do you prefer and why?

[Anonymous]

You can buy the same thing online. I love it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can buy the same thing online. I love it.

But the OP of another thread makes it sound like you can't switch back and forth between Turbo Tax online and the desktop version. If that's the case, I want to be sure to start with the method I prefer. Not sure I understand the difference! I guess it is safer stored in the ether of the internet?

[Anonymous]

Turbo Tax online has been a dream come true the last few years I've used it.

[Anonymous]

Personally I feel better having all my information stored on my own hard drive so I get the desktop version, but that might be paranoid.

[Anonymous]

I was just about to write what PP did..rather keep all that info on my own computer even though it is definitely more $$.

[Anonymous]

Yes, you can switch back and forth. I did last year. The benefit of the desktop (cd) version is that you can switch to "forms mode" and see how what you entered flows through to the actual 1040.

[Anonymous]

I prefer desktop. You get a saved file on your hard drive, which you can easily back up. In my case, I make a copy and use the copy to run some scenarios if our income were to change.

Also you have the program around, so if you need to file an amended return later, you can easily do so.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thank you all! I'm sorry I didn't check back til now, but I love the input. I am still torn, but glad to hear you can move from one to the other. I am also paranoid enough I'd rather not have all our information stored online somewhere, but at the same time I think it might be more secure there than with me, in terms of not getting misplaced. So I have to choose what is more likely.. that it gets hacked, or that I forget where I put the backup after my computer crashes.

[Anonymous]

I prefer the stuff to be on my hard drive. It's much easier to do year after year.

[Anonymous]

Either tha Washington Post or the NY Times today had an article on the software. They found it easier to do the CD one - the forms filled in the best and all the information carried from year to year. I'm also paranoid enough that I'd rather have it on my computer. I did my taxes last night in an hour with the CD version of TT.

[Anonymous]

I go the other way. I prefer to have my information in the cloud. Going from year to year has been seamless. I think the old Washington Post technology editor used the online version with a fake Social Security number, printed it out, changed the number and mailed in the forms to the IRS.