

#TURBOTAX 2017 STATE AND FEDERAL AMAZON PLUS#
However, if you own a home you want to deduct, have investment income or wish to itemize your return, the Plus Edition is better suited for you.
#TURBOTAX 2017 STATE AND FEDERAL AMAZON FREE#
If you need to file with Form 1040EZ/A you can take advantage of their Free Edition, which includes a free state return. That being said, due to the depth of the questions, you are unlikely to go wrong in terms of TaxAct having everything you need for filing while maximizing your deductions. Probably a good thing though since no one wants to pay more taxes than they have too! TaxAct is pretty thorough in making sure you don’t miss out on any potential savings or refunds so the list of questions are just short of asking for your blood type (just kidding) but you may want to grab that coffee and buckle down. Any state returns filed using Plus and Premium are an additional $25.

For more complicated tax returns, TaxAct’s Plus Edition is available for $15, and their Premium Edition is only $30. With free federal & state tax filing available to those with simple returns, there really aren’t many options cheaper for the thrifty tax filer. However, even I found TaxAct to be fairly cheap. As you’d expect, things get expensive in a hurry when having to use a system where each state can cost around 20 dollars or more per filing. #1 Turbo Tax Alternative: TaxActĪs someone who has moved around from state to state, I sometimes find filing taxes to be a bit expensive, with incomes being prone to both federal taxation and multiple state filing systems. But how would you know if you filed and no one made you aware of such risks? For this reason, programs that check for audit prone files may be of great use. Robust Auditing Corrections: Do you have foreign accounts? Multiple properties? Did you not report all previous income? Then you may be at risk for auditing.

Therefore, finding programs that have real customer service behind the screen can be essential to avoid tax errors and associated frustrations. Especially if that something is as complex as taxes. Support: When doing something for yourself the first time, a little support can be handy. Also, those officially endorsed by the IRS are great program choices. However, those companies that ensure you are not held liable for miscalculations by paying for any principle and interest on back charges based off these errors is a great sign you are doing business with the right groups. Does this mean they are qualified to do so, and that you are safe from errors if you choose them? Not always. This can certainly make the process less of a headache and lead to quicker, more accurate returns.Īccuracy Checks/ Assurance: Let’s face it, anyone with coding experience can make an app, program or website to file taxes on. Some key features to account for are the following:ĭata Import: Some tax programs allow for easy input of your data, whether through retrieval tools, or taking a picture of your W-2. Like with deductions, when it comes to features, more is better for your taxes. However, some may also need the Business Owner and Rental Property deductions. The most common of these are the Charity, Itemized, and Student deductions. Therefore, look out for what programs offer deductions specifically for you. Naturally, if you want the biggest return, you’ll want as many deductions as possible provided for you to enter. What should I look for in a Tax Program?īefore starting our list, let’s take a look at some of the factors that are required of any good tax preparation program. Here, we take a look at some of the best alternatives to Turbotax. Well, in that case there’s great news: there are plenty of alternative programs to test out before settling in on one you like, and more importantly, one that will reduce your chances of being audited while getting the biggest return possible. You may have heard about Intuit’s fantastic Turbotax system, but not quite found it to your liking. Or, you could try your own hand at filing this year. You could go out and hire someone to do your taxes for you, packet of sensitive documents in hand. Deductions, net income, gross income, returns and state and federal tax calculations.
