All posts in: Tax Preparation Software

Should you file your taxes on your smartphone?

Computers & Internet
By Tara Tuckwiller on March 26, 2013 in

TurboTax SnapTax mobile app

Yes, you really can file your taxes on your smartphone. But should you?

TurboTax's SnapTax 2012 (*Est. $25 to e-file (free download)) promises to do your taxes in 10 minutes. Snap a photo of your W-2, answer a few simple questions -- you're done. H&R Block 1040EZ for Smartphone (Free download and e-file) works the same way.

"But how good are they?" asks Salvador Rodriguez at the L.A. Times. "Can users file their federal taxes with just a few taps on 4-inch screens?"

Let's take a look: Read more

5 apps to help you out with your taxes

Computers & Internet
By Isabel Eva Bohrer on January 29, 2013 in

tax forms

Now that New Years is behind us, chances are you're thinking about your taxes. Tax software has made our lives easier of course, but you can also use apps to file your taxes, check on your tax refund and even calculate sales tax on the go. You won't need to hunch over your computer and can do your taxes wherever you are. Read more

Do your taxes on your iPad

Computers & Internet
By Tara Tuckwiller on March 19, 2012 in

Doing taxes on an iPad

You can do just about anything with your iPad these days: Add a joystick and play Pac-Man, create paintings with a virtual paintbrush -- and now, you can do your taxes. This year, TurboTax, H&R Block At Home and TaxACT all offer tax software that let you finger-tap your way through your tax return on your iPad. Read more

Prepare your taxes for free

Computers & Internet
By Tara Tuckwiller on February 25, 2011 in

Tax form

TurboTax and other tax software programs can really help you untangle your taxes, as we found in our latest report on tax preparation software. But before you plunk down $50 or more for this year's software, experts suggest giving the free version a try. Every major tax software company -- including TurboTax, H&R Block At Home and TaxACT -- offers a free version. You'll find the freebies on the companies' websites. Just like the pricey stuff, free tax software will ask you a series of questions to guide you through your tax return, automatically slotting your numbers into their proper forms, and then you can simply click to e-file. But what are the downsides to using the free versions of popular tax preparation programs, and are they for everyone?

Read more

Tax preparation software: Make your filing less taxing

Computers & Internet
By Carl Laron on February 23, 2010 in

Tax Preparation Software
Experts say that most people now use tax preparation software to do their taxes. It's pretty easy to understand why: the best packages are accurate, easy to use and inexpensive compared to using a professional tax preparer. Our just updated report on tax preparation software identifies which programs are best overall, and which ones are good choices if you have either a very complex or very simple return. We also look at tax preparation programs that are absolutely free to find which ones do the best job, and who should consider using them. Read more

Which financial records to keep, which to toss

Computers & Internet
By Christine Frietchen on February 19, 2010 in

Mountain of receipts

For many of us, filling out tax forms isn't really that painful. Instead, it's going through the piles of credit card receipts, pay stubs, old utility bills and medical statements that's the real pain in the you-know-what. If you're like me, you start the year off well enough -- making separate envelopes for each expense type or receipt. But by March, I'm pretty much just stuffing everything into the same shoe box. By the time I'm ready to get my tax stuff together, it takes me a weekend to dump out my stuff and sort out what I need. So, resolving to do better this year, I'm starting by coming up with a definitive list of which financial records to keep -- and how long to keep them -- along with what can go straight to the shredder.

Read more

Ignore the siren call of refund-anticipation loans

Computers & Internet
By Christine Frietchen on January 26, 2010 in

Tax Return

It's officially tax season, and thus as good a time as any to talk about the evils of refund anticipation loans, known in industry-speak as RALs. Refund anticipation loans are offered by all of the big tax-prep services; companies will loan you the amount of your refund in exchange for a load of fees and extra charges. The advantage, say the companies, is that you get your refund faster -- anywhere from one day to two weeks. But unless you have an immediate and unavoidable emergency, every credible financial expert will tell you to skip these loans and just eFile  your tax return, selecting to receive your refund by direct deposit. You'll then have your refund within two week's of your return's acceptance.

Read more

Back to top