Filing taxes - which software do you use?

Longtime TurboTax user here, wondering if it's time to change. The new "must click eight times to advance the damn screen" is really aggravating. It makes me feel like dumbing it down makes it so much harder.

I'm a single filer, one W2 and a bunch of little 1099s. Don't currently itemize. Should be simple, but with TT I have to use the $40 version.

Users of H&R block and TaxACT, what are your thoughts on those?

 

I use H@R Block and one dislike one feature. I can never figure out how the depreciation works on a rental property, which does not affect you. The other thing about H@R Block is that your taxes become more complex you can upgrade and start sending them to an advisor to check.

 

I'm in the same situation as you, @KJIM and I've used Turbo Tax for years, even though I'm annoyed I need the $40 version. I used to be able to get a big discount by going through a link from State Farm (my insurance co) but they stopped offering that last year or the year before. For my state taxes, I'm able to use some free fill-in-the-blank online forms through my state's website. I'm interested to hear what others have to say about H&R, etc.

 

Yep, I used the State Farm discount, too. $20 was worth it, but $40 is steep, especially when you have to click click click click click.

So far, though, I'm not sold on either of the others. I set up accounts with TA and HR. TA seems a bit complicated (asks for numbers on the 1099s that I can't find) so I focused on the HR, which, with exactly the same stuff entered as TT, says I owe $120 more than TT says.

 

I forget exactly why, but I think because I have a Health Savings Account they automatically bump me up to the Deluxe Edition. Sucks to pay this when I'll probably already owe $800 or so to the IRS. Vanguard (my 401(k) place) used to offer me a discount, but no more.

May try the pen and paper route this year. I'm certainly in no hurry to pay hundreds anyway.

 

Software? Never!

 

Good luck itemizing this year. Federal cutoff to itemize deductions doubled with passage of new tax bill. Went from $12k to $24k.
And charitable contributions and memberships are no longer tax deductible.

To the original question: Turbo tax faithful.

 

I've used TaxAct for years and have been very satisfied.

 

Changes go into effect next year. Edit you meant this year and I thought the thread was about preparing taxes now for last year. No biggie.

 

TurboTax.

I made the mistake last year of using a totally free tax preparation service from Credit Karma. They made a clerical error on my state return that I have spent many hours unsuccessfully trying to to resolve. They plunged me into the corrupt, liberal hell of the California Franchise Tax Board.

 

As you've described it, you have a very straight forward return. If you feel comfortable filling it out on your own, you can do it electronically through the IRS site:

Free File: Do Your Federal Taxes for Free | Internal Revenue Service

You can always give it a shot and switch to a commercial product if it's too complicated.