Do you do your own income tax return

I've used Tax Act for years and filed electronically. We always had a simple return. I'm assuming nothing will change this year just because hubby died in October.
 

I also use TaxAct, the downloaded desktop version. I can compare to the previous year. Also, I can estimate taxes on retirement withdrawals by entering the amount on the previous year’s return to see the increase in taxes.
 
I knew a guy who took vacation time during tax season to work for H&R Block. He had a real struggle, knowing people are all people but wondering how the clients could be so "challenged" on the very fundamentals of personal accounting. Being unable to balance one's checkbook is not a joke. There are cavemen among us.

This can only get tougher in the future for this growing population segment. Illiteracy and innumeracy are on the increase just when society is becoming even more demanding of those skills.
 
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Here in the UK many people don't have to file a tax return as tax is paid automatically as it is earned (PAYE - pay as you earn). You simply receive an assessment at financial year end which you can accept or dispute. In some cases you may get a rebate or if you've underpaid, this can be paid or added to the following year's account.

Self employed people,high earners and those with multiple sources of income might have to submit a tax return. Those with complex tax issues will probably pay an accountant.
 
We use an accounting firm. We're subject to the Alternative Minimum Tax, which means our taxes have to be calculated both ways, plus CA has its own taxes we must file. Our tax returns run 75-80+ pages, since we usually have loss carryforwards on our portfolio.

Fortunately, our CFP firm manages our portfolio in a tax-efficient manner, which makes the CPA's job easier. Most of our current distributions aren't taxable, although unfortunately that will change when Spouse has to start taking his RMDs in 2025. Ugh!
 
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I've kept going to the tax place since I used to itemize when I owned that house. It's getting a little pricey but I keep going. Plus with Covered California, that gets settled with my taxes if I owe them. I've talked to Covered California and they said they don't care if I make up what I owe at the end of the year
 
E-Filed ours today. Already got an acceptance email from the IRS. When gamboling, winning is always nice but not having taxes taken out does have a negative impact. We don't itemize or have any expenses that would help if we itemized. We use the standard deduction & on top of the taxes we have taken out of the pensions & MRD's we set aside $2500.00 just in case. This year winning bit into that just in case. Should have set aside more we still owed $542.00.

Not really a problem since we planned to have enough to enjoy our retirement.
 
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I have always prepared my own tax returns since I was 16 after having my father show me the ropes 50 plus years ago. After he passed away in 1976 I started handling my mothers taxes for the next 40 years plus. I have always enjoyed doing taxes for some strange reason. It truly is an easy task to do. I truly loathe spending money on something that I am perfectly capable of doing.
 
I am one of the 'few' the IRS 'love'. I do mine using the paper forms and by myself. The result is that mine are always audited, I believe. What makes me think they are is that for the next few months every year the IRS and I are pen pals. Occasionally being such I've found that the IRS must be the sorts that have trouble just doing their checkbook correctly each month. They make mistakes, too. Thus they don't get away with any finger wagging at me. I have called them on it in the past. Because of all the correspondence each year, I am secure in the knowledge that my government 'loves' me and knows I am here.
 
Always from the very beginning of my regular job in Revenue Taxation's offices. It was a requirement. If they found out you were using H&RBlock you were given a speech and a half.

I'd been one of the lucky ones as immediately after my Father passed away in 74, Mother sat me down in April and the first one I helped her and learnt was the last income tax return for a deceased person.

A few years later, I got to learn about Income Tax Returns for a pensioner, plus my own from age 18.
 
Colleen said:
That's who I'm using this year instead of Tax Act. Last year I paid $45 for state!
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I just finished my taxes on line with Free Tax. The state tax fee changed a little this year. Last year it was $14.99. It still is, but they added $1.20 tax. So the total cost is $16.19. Which ofcourse is still not bad.
 
My taxes are always simple to do and I use FreeTaxUSA ... which is well uh, free
All my income is exempt from state tax ... military retirement pension and social security ... no need to file state

My bank says my 2023 Federal tax rebate direct deposit hits tonight !!!
Always helps this time of year with home and vehicle insurance coming due
 
dilettante said:
I knew a guy who took vacation time during tax season to work for H&R Block. He had a real struggle, knowing people are all people but wondering how the clients could be so "challenged" on the very fundamentals of personal accounting. Being unable to balance one's checkbook is not a joke. There are cavemen among us.

This can only get tougher in the future for this growing population segment. Illiteracy and innumeracy are on the increase just when society is becoming even more demanding of those skills.
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But that's why there's H&R Block.

Doing young people's taxes is a pretty good side gig. I used to charge from $25 to $250, depending on what forms they needed to file.
 
Well I checked my account this morning, and my federal tax refund was there. It took 8 days to come back. The fastest so far was 5 days some years ago. Filed them on a Monday and got it back on a Friday. This time I filed them online on a Monday, and got it back the following Tuesday.
 

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