Tax Help?

[Weird Harold]

I live in the the good ole us of a. I just got my W two. how soon can I file?

I like the idea of doing the whole tax in a box thing, but you see I have questions, lots of questions such as, Oops didn't file last year, never filed an extension.. and hot damn,I'm in trouble. but I wanna rectify it and file this year.

You really should go to H&R Block or other reputable Tax preparation service. They can answer your questions, determine if your SO can be claimed as a dependent, and handle filing the late return. (and determine if your SO needs to file a return as well.)

You can file any time between Jan 2 and midnight Apr 15th. You can go to IRS.GOV and download the formas and instructions in PDF format or follow their links to figure out whether you can file online or over the phone.

However, except for last year's late return, I think you're over-stressing -- especially if all of your income is listed on your W2. I let my daughters check my return before mailing for many years, and now let my granddaughters check my arithmetic, so seventh grade math and reading skills really are sufficient to prepare a tax return (most tax returns, anyway.)

The first ten pages or so of the instruction booklets (or PDF files) for forms 1040 and 1040a are charts and checklists to determine if you need to file and which form or electronic media you should use. (sounds like lots of jargon, but they resort to large print and on most of the checklists the first item ends with "if you answered no, go to next checklist" -- so ten pages is like four questions that apply to most people)

Turbo Tax is great program if you have to file a form 1040, but an unnecessary expense if you can use 1040A, 1040EZ, Teletax or online filing.

 

[cloudy]

TaxAct is free online for EZ filers. I've used them for the last three years, and never had a problem, and get my refund quicker than most.

(got mine electronically deposited this morning, as a matter of fact)

 

[DG Hear]

Nice to talk to you also.

Hey DG! Good to see you.

Great advice! Be careful that you find someone with integrity that knows what they are talking about though. You want to talk to someone who has been doing taxes for at least two years.

Ms. Read, he's absolutely right about the quick money. Those are loans offered at a huge interest rate.

Angel, You sound like you actually do taxes for people. Do you?

I have a degree in Business Administration and Accounting. I took the H & R tax course a few years back to learn all the up dates. They owe me a certificate for passing their course. I never received it because I didn't want to work for them. Nine out of about 15 people passed their course and I was the only one that didn't want a job.

Talk at you later. Angelicminx, the name conjures up all sorts of visions. Angel and Minx, quite a combination.

 

[DesertPirate]

I have used Turbo Tax since 94 and have loved it. I have to do the long form every year and TT makes it easy. Bet angeliminx knows what a K-1 is. My only complaint is that Intuit has not ported TT to Linux yet. I just cringe at doing taxes on something as unsecure as Winblows.

 

[angelicminx]

Angel, You sound like you actually do taxes for people. Do you?

I have a degree in Business Administration and Accounting. I took the H & R tax course a few years back to learn all the up dates. They owe me a certificate for passing their course. I never received it because I didn't want to work for them. Nine out of about 15 people passed their course and I was the only one that didn't want a job.

Talk at you later. Angelicminx, the name conjures up all sorts of visions. Angel and Minx, quite a combination.

Yes, I work for Jackson Hewitt. I passed the rigorous IRS required test given over the summer with a 97% (One of the few in my area to pass). I've been working at Jackson Hewitt for the last 3 years, and I've done taxes for the last 18 years for various people. At this moment in time, I have a 100% accuracy rate. My specialty is self-employment and itemized deductions. My weakness is IRAs or other retirement accounts, but not weak to the point I can't do them. I've handled S-Corp taxes, Net Operating Loss and other 'complicated' cases that are usually passed on to Jackson Hewitt Corporate. The regional manager has been trying to get me to take over supervision of an office since my very first month of employment. My newest manager has heard, and passed along, things that have been said about me at the corporate level. (They had a hard time believing I did a NOL return and an S-Corp return, error free, the first time I handled one.) I've been able to increase several taxpayer's refunds by thousands of dollars. I found an error on a prior year return that a client did herself that got her another 6k back from the IRS.

I do not have a degree, unless you count the paralegal degree I received through PCDI (Home study course). I love what I do, I'm passionate about it, and I'm damned good at it.

Thanks, DG. The name was supposed to bring up those kinds of visions.

I hope that ^^^ didn't sound bad, lol. (Tooting my own horn.)

 

[angelicminx]

I have used Turbo Tax since 94 and have loved it. I have to do the long form every year and TT makes it easy. Bet angeliminx knows what a K-1 is. My only complaint is that Intuit has not ported TT to Linux yet. I just cringe at doing taxes on something as unsecure as Winblows.

You betcha You have a K-1?


I've run my own taxes through some of the software out there. For most returns, they are very accurate. For mine last year, however, they missed one very important deduction that made a 3000.00 difference in my return. The loss of a vehicle used for business purposes.

Oh, and I hate H&R Block. Not because they are competition. Because I filed with them one year, after I had done my own and was unsure of it's accuracy (I was right ), and found them to be rude, inconsiderate boors. I hope all offices aren't like that, but around here that seems to be the case more often than not.

 

[only_more_so]

I live in the the good ole us of a. I just got my W two. how soon can I file?

I like the idea of doing the whole tax in a box thing, but you see I have questions, lots of questions such as, Oops didn't file last year, never filed an extension.. and hot damn,I'm in trouble. but I wanna rectify it and file this year. I have all the paper work from last year's but... god Im so nervous! I feel like the gov't is watching me.

Ahh... I remember my first time filing taxes... I actually skipped the first year I should have filed because I didn't make enough money to pay taxes. Of course, it was later that I learned they had taken money out for taxes so I could have gotten money instead of paying it.

Anyway, the first thing to figure out is how simple you tax situation is. If you don't own a home, don't have dependents, don't have huge investments, then chances are you can use the 1040EZ form. They say it takes like 8 hours, but it only took me 45 minutes my first time (when I basically only had a w-2 to worry about). If that is really all your tax info, then you don't even need to buy a box, just follow the directions.

The other thing, which I'm surprised hasn't come up, is state taxes. I don't know which state you're in, but different states have different difficulties. I loved living in Texas because there were none. I hate Massachusetts because they have a very pain in the ass version. California was really long with all sorts of random ass exemptions. If you live in a pain in the ass state, then you might go the box route.

Do you have a savings account? You're bank will be sending you a notice on how much interest you accrued, you'll need that form.

Are you now, or have you ever been a communist? Oops, sorry, wrong govt. speech. But seriously, it isn't something to worry about. It really only becomes complicated when you have money in a lot of different places, investments, mortgages, stocks, lottery winnings, etc.

BTW, who loves the line on the form about money made illegally? You actually can claim that on tax form to avoid suffering the same fate as Al Capone.

 

[angelicminx]

...

BTW, who loves the line on the form about money made illegally? You actually can claim that on tax form to avoid suffering the same fate as Al Capone.

ROFLMFAO! I love that line. I keep wanting to write 'money laundering' or 'murder for hire', lol.

 

[elsol]

I've done by myself, with a program, by an accountant, and by HR&Block.

I go with having someone else do it... kinda like cleaning my house, if I can afford a maid service, I get them.

 

[Boxlicker101]

I always do my own taxesl. It doesn't cost anything, and I can cheat on them, something an EA would not allow.

 

[Oblimo]

Still being negotiated. At this moment it looks like everyone will get somewhere between 500 and 1600.

And when you get it, for the love of Pete, spend it at a local small business! Let's see how long we can keep that money in the US economy.

 

[Boxlicker101]

And when you get it, for the love of Pete, spend it at a local small business! Let's see how long we can keep that money in the US economy.

I think most people will do much like I do - Apply it to pay down a debt, especially a credit card. That's assuming I get one. There is something about not sending them to those who are receiving Social Security. Since most of my income - and it is mostly taxable, as is most of Social Security - is from a pension.

 

[Oblimo]

I think most people will do much like I do - Apply it to pay down a debt, especially a credit card.

Agreed. Heck, that's what I plan to do with it (if I get it), and that's exactly where it will do the economy the least good.

 

[Oblimo]

I love what I do, I'm passionate about it, and I'm damned good at it.

Yee gad, a passionate financial planner. Heaven help us.

Saaaay: Can you figure out a way I can deduct the loss of income from my decision to not sublet my apartment this year?

 

[Boxlicker101]

Agreed. Heck, that's what I plan to do with it (if I get it), and that's exactly where it will do the economy the least good.

Maybe so, but that's where it will do me the Most good. The politicos want me to buy a new refrigerator, or take a vacation or do something else I wouldn't do with the windfall. Too bad for them.

 

[angelicminx]

Yee gad, a passionate financial planner. Heaven help us.

Saaaay: Can you figure out a way I can deduct the loss of income from my decision to not sublet my apartment this year?

Hmm... let me look into that.

 

[angelicminx]

Maybe so, but that's where it will do me the Most good. The politicos want me to buy a new refrigerator, or take a vacation or do something else I wouldn't do with the windfall. Too bad for them.

Too bad we won't have it before March. I'd spend it going to Chicago.