As long as you're not giving any of your money to a tax preparation company, it's all good. But resist the urge to pay for anything. Don't pay for the state version. Don't pay for one allowing for itemized deductions. Don't pay for anything. Hell, don't pay for Intuit's other products like QuickBooks either if you can help it. Paying means putting money into Intuit's pocket, which it can then turn around and use to lobby to make your taxes more complicated. A boycott might seem a bit paradoxical: If the case for automatic filing is that it's easier than doing your own taxes, isn't TurboTax also easier than doing your own taxes?
And, sure, it is. But it costs money, and you should get that convenience for free. In the meantime, doing your own taxes is a hassle, but not so huge of a hassle to not be worth it as a way to punish Intuit and push for a better system.
Moreover, that better system will help people who aren't even filing taxes now, by making more of them aware of refundable credits. Even if a boycott isn't in your own immediate self-interest, it's worth doing to help them.
Yes, it was a bit annoying. But even though I itemize my deductions it only took a couple of hours, not much longer than TurboTax would. It's absolutely worth it. If you have yet to file, don't pay TurboTax a cent.
If enough of us get on board, we might finally get to enjoy the return-free world we deserve. Our mission has never been more vital than it is in this moment: to empower through understanding. Financial contributions from our readers are a critical part of supporting our resource-intensive work and help us keep our journalism free for all. Please consider making a contribution to Vox today to help us keep our work free for all. Cookie banner We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from.
By choosing I Accept , you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. Why I'm boycotting TurboTax this year. Reddit Pocket Flipboard Email. Just say no. Why the government should just do your taxes for you. Delivered Fridays. Thanks for signing up! Check your inbox for a welcome email. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Annual tax season is inevitable, when you must decide whether you want to take the do-it-yourself route or hire somebody to prepare your tax return for you.
You can use one of several tax preparation online apps and software programs if you choose to prepare and file your own taxes. The program you choose can depend on your personal financial situation and how much you want to spend.
You can use this edition to add dependent info too. A free state return is included. Among its features are an import of Uber driver tax information and full support for common tax situations faced by self-employed individuals. And you can import your old returns if you did your taxes with another software provider in previous years.
TurboTax is thriving, not just due to its aggressive ad campaigns but also because Intuit, prior to acquiring TurboTax, had established itself as a do-it-yourself financial solutions company with QuickBooks, the popular accounting software.
TurboTax also contains convenient features for QuickBooks users. A state return and e-filing come free with this package as well. TurboTax is the only one of these programs that lets you seamlessly import from the accounting program QuickBooks. It searches more than sources of tax deductions and credits, and covers education tax credits, along with simple expenses. It also covers rental property and related tax implications.
With the Premier edition, TurboTax searches for more than deductions and credits, and covers stocks, bonds, cryptocurrencies, and more. You can automatically import your investment data from any of the over participating financial institutions. This edition is equipped to handle over 1, trade transactions, which should cover the most robust investment portfolios, and can support more than 2, cryptocurrency transactions in a single upload.
Finally, it offers personalized guidance to determine which type of investor you are and properly review your return. This package lets users import data directly from QuickBooks, a significant advantage. You might have asset depreciation and Schedule C income as a small business owner, which would make the Self-Employed edition a necessity.
TurboTax is generally pricier than everything else out there, but even though confident filers may not need all the bells and whistles that most TurboTax online products offer, many people will find the experience and the availability of human help worth the extra cost. Quick facts. Live, on-screen support option offers human help at extra cost. Some of the most expensive software on the market. The list price of its software routinely is on the high end of the spectrum, especially when adding the cost of a state return.
And if you want access to human help, it costs even more. TurboTax offers a free version for simple tax returns only; it lets you file a Form and this year can handle unemployment income reported on a G. This is essentially the free version but with on-demand video access to a tax pro for help, advice and a final review.
This version lets you itemize and claim several other tax deductions and tax credits. And if you have business income but no expenses, this might work for you, too. This is the Deluxe version with added capability for reporting investments and rental income Schedules D and E, and K-1s. Gets you everything in the Premier version, plus it can handle both business income and expenses on a Schedule C.
It also works for the home office deduction, and offers extra deduction help and special Square, Uber and Lyft features for freelancers, independent contractors and side-hustlers. One note about prices: Providers frequently change them. A banner running along the side keeps track of where you stand in the process and flags areas you still need to complete. Embedded links throughout the process offer tips, explainers and other resources.
And help buttons can connect you to the searchable knowledge base, on-screen help and more. Auto-import certain tax documents: You can automatically import W-2 information from your employer if it's partnered with TurboTax, but you can also take a picture of your W-2 and upload it to transfer the data to your return.
You can import certain s, and the Self-Employed version also lets you upload NECs from clients via photo, as well as import income and expenses from Square, Uber and Lyft. Platform mobility: Like many other providers, TurboTax lets you access and work on your return across devices: on your computer via the website or on your phone or tablet via an app.
General guidance: Searchable knowledge base, forums and video tutorials are helpful for research on the fly.
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