We found a CPA who works at H&R Block during tax season. She hasn't "found" us money, but did help minimize what we owed, and went back to prior years to fix tax returns (that H&R Block screwed up before). If we didn't have her, we'd use TT at home. This year we should finally have an uncomplicated filing...probably going to do TT.

Anonymous wrote:Well, I'll break from the pack and say that after trying both, I decided I like HR Block better. For either, I prefer getting the CD-Rom, then filing online.

Are there even CD-Roms any more. LOL.

Former TurboTax employee here. As I recall, if you are paying for the Deluxe or Premium versions online, it's the same price to buy the software. The difference is that with the software (known as desktop version) you can switch to "forms mode" and see how the information you entered looks on the form. It can be helpful in certain circumstances. With the online versions, you only get to see the tax forms after you pay. A minor point but that is why some people prefer the desktop versions. If you just have income and take the standard deduction, then the free online software is sufficient.

Anonymous wrote:I've done turbo tax when buying and selling a home the same year. It will ask you if you have done so, and you have more questions to answer, but as long as you have all your paperwork from both mortage companies, property tax info, it should be fairly easy. If you didn't pay points for your new mortgage it should be even easier.

Read the back of the box and see if you meet the checks for whatever level of tax software you get. you may need "deluxe" or "premium" version or whatever but it's only like $10 more.

Why not just use the online service? That's what I've done for years. It saves all of your contact information from one year to the next and doing taxes is a breeze. Why buy new software every year?

Well, I'll break from the pack and say that after trying both, I decided I like HR Block better. For either, I prefer getting the CD-Rom, then filing online.

I've done turbo tax when buying and selling a home the same year. It will ask you if you have done so, and you have more questions to answer, but as long as you have all your paperwork from both mortage companies, property tax info, it should be fairly easy. If you didn't pay points for your new mortgage it should be even easier.

Read the back of the box and see if you meet the checks for whatever level of tax software you get. you may need "deluxe" or "premium" version or whatever but it's only like $10 more.

Anyone know if it is easy to use turbo tax if you've sold and bought a home in the previous year? I am willing to give it a go - but wondered if anyone had experience with it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:turbo tax! sure beats the $400 we were paying our accountant....who made an error and DID NOT catch a $16K error (not in our favor). The IRS caught up to us and we owed that plus penalties. No issues with owing it but huge issues with the penalties. Accountant should have waived his fee IMHO.

Anyhow, have been using TT since then. No fuss no muss. mind you, we have uncomplicated taxes. A home, 2 kids, 2 incomes. pretty cut and dry....

Yikes! How in the world did your accountant mess up $16,000 on uncomplicated taxes? And did your accountant pay the penalties since it was his fault?

Prob wasn't the CPA's fault. They're not mind readers. PP prob didn't provide all information to CPA and so something ended up being omitted in the filings based on the info he/ she'd received. For a $16K error if they had any legit action to take against the CPA, they would have.

Anonymous wrote:turbo tax! sure beats the $400 we were paying our accountant....who made an error and DID NOT catch a $16K error (not in our favor). The IRS caught up to us and we owed that plus penalties. No issues with owing it but huge issues with the penalties. Accountant should have waived his fee IMHO.

Anyhow, have been using TT since then. No fuss no muss. mind you, we have uncomplicated taxes. A home, 2 kids, 2 incomes. pretty cut and dry....

Yikes! How in the world did your accountant mess up $16,000 on uncomplicated taxes? And did your accountant pay the penalties since it was his fault?

turbo tax! sure beats the $400 we were paying our accountant....who made an error and DID NOT catch a $16K error (not in our favor). The IRS caught up to us and we owed that plus penalties. No issues with owing it but huge issues with the penalties. Accountant should have waived his fee IMHO.

Anyhow, have been using TT since then. No fuss no muss. mind you, we have uncomplicated taxes. A home, 2 kids, 2 incomes. pretty cut and dry....

Anonymous wrote:Have been happily using first MacinTax and then TurboTax for about 19 years now. I find it much easier to do this myself than to deal with the HR Block folks. And, frankly, while some of the HR Block folks are okay, some are not the brightest bulbs in the box and I don't really trust that they know what they are doing anymore than I do. Finally, I have known two people who got shafted by HR Block screwing up their taxes and I don't need the hassle.

+1

Word on the street is that a lot of tax lawyers just use TurboTax for their personal taxes. I agree it is less likely to make a mistake than the HR block guys, not that I have anything against them. Unless your affairs are particularly complex I would go with the software.

Turbo Tax online the past couple years has been great. I prefer it to HR Block online.

Have been happily using first MacinTax and then TurboTax for about 19 years now. I find it much easier to do this myself than to deal with the HR Block folks. And, frankly, while some of the HR Block folks are okay, some are not the brightest bulbs in the box and I don't really trust that they know what they are doing anymore than I do. Finally, I have known two people who got shafted by HR Block screwing up their taxes and I don't need the hassle.

no but i prefer turbo tax

Any true stories of found money?