Have You Started Your Taxes Yet?

OneEyedDiva

SF VIP
Location
New Jersey
I'll start mine tomorrow. I ordered the H & R Block tax program from Amazon last week. I've been using it for about 10 years now and find it easy to use. Turbo Tax, even at Costco is too pricey. My oldest grandson and I split the cost and he comes over here to do his taxes. I get the Deluxe + State, recommended for homeowners and investors; it allows for five returns.

It's been recommended that people file their returns as soon as possible due to the proliferation of tax fraud...people filing taxes in others' names and getting their refunds. Have you started your taxes? Do you use a program or an accountant?
 

I have all the papers together. I did learn that this year will be different, as I have to file a final tax return for Rick...not sure what that means, but I am sure my guy will know.
This will be the last year I will use my tax guy of the last several years, as he and his wife have moved to another state, and they are keeping their NY State Clients as a courtesy. But I will have to email him all my documents.
I have been told that from here on in, I can probably do mine myself as I need to just fill in the forms stating I had zero extra income over my Social Security.
Yeah..right. I will go, next year at least, to have someone help me. Thing is, me and "simple taxes" do not agree. I do not want to make mistakes
 

I'll start mine, tomorrow. Usually, I send in enough completed tax forms to make a book. I started doing my own taxes at eleven, so it's no big deal, and the internet makes getting the right forms very easy, these days.
 
My tax guy told me I don't have to file, because I never make enough to go over my income limit. He also said the IRS seldom goes after seniors. I am very nervous about not filing and will still file for 2019 because I sold a lot of stocks. Next year we'll see. Opinions?
 
My tax guy told me I don't have to file, because I never make enough to go over my income limit. He also said the IRS seldom goes after seniors. I am very nervous about not filing and will still file for 2019 because I sold a lot of stocks. Next year we'll see. Opinions?
You will have to deal with the profits from those stocks you sold.
 
I did a rough calculation at the beginning of the year.

When all of the forms arrive I will bundle them up and send them to the accountant.

I usually don't hear from him until the last minute when he files electronically or applies for an extension.
 
My tax guy told me I don't have to file, because I never make enough to go over my income limit. He also said the IRS seldom goes after seniors. I am very nervous about not filing and will still file for 2019 because I sold a lot of stocks. Next year we'll see. Opinions?
IMO it's a good idea to continue filing so that you have documented evidence of income in the event that you ever need to apply for some form of financial assistance like a reduction of property taxes, government-funded home improvement grants, home energy allowance, subsidized apartments, Medicaid, etc...
 
Is it April 14th yet? If not, then, no I haven't started my taxes. For the past several years I've filled for an extension and do them in the fall,
 
Yup, I did my taxes, via H&R Block, last Monday, and e-filed. I should have my Federal refund in another couple of weeks, and the State refund shortly thereafter. I've used H&R for several years, and had good results...and it only costs about $30 for both Federal and State....a lot cheaper than going to a "tax man", and far less likely to have any errors, so long as I enter the data correctly.
 
I used the same accountant for 12 years, no problems but he was a bit pricey. Then last year, my appointment was a few days before April 15, and I swear he had a mental breakdown right in the office. He cursed me, using the F word multiple times, paced up and down ... charged me $428! I file a Schedule C because I do freelance writing on top of my full-time job, but it's not like I'm a big business. I chalked it up to his being burned out as April 15 approached, but the icing on the cake was when he called me 3 days later with a question, and dropped the F bomb again a few times. That sealed the deal ... I'm never using him again, and will try a new accountant this year. I would do my taxes myself, but knowing my luck I'll screw it up somehow and then get audited. Also, I am very bad at math/numbers, etc.
 
Done & expect return in about 10 days. Fidelity had a $20.00 discount offered if Turbo tax was used. This will be the 8th. year using Turbo tax. Total cost to file & have our return electronically sent to our checking account $20.00. Couldn't be easier.
 
I had an accountant do my taxes for quite a few years. One year I made it a point to give her my paperwork six weeks earlier than 4/15 because the year before I was so late and was in a mile long line at the post office mailing my return just before midnight on 4/15. I swore I would never do that again. Two days before deadline the accountant called me and said they could not find my paperwork and she would file an extension. I got real angry and told her off, she had it for 6 weeks, did she do other's before mine? The next day she said she ''found them'' and to come pick up the return. Amazing how anger gets results! I dumped her a few years later because her fees were going much higher every single year.
 
I have all the papers together. I did learn that this year will be different, as I have to file a final tax return for Rick...not sure what that means, but I am sure my guy will know.
This will be the last year I will use my tax guy of the last several years, as he and his wife have moved to another state, and they are keeping their NY State Clients as a courtesy. But I will have to email him all my documents.
I have been told that from here on in, I can probably do mine myself as I need to just fill in the forms stating I had zero extra income over my Social Security.
Yeah..right. I will go, next year at least, to have someone help me. Thing is, me and "simple taxes" do not agree. I do not want to make mistakes
Have you considered using a tax software program? Takes the guess work out and H & R Tax Cut stands behind it's returns. Maybe for the next tax year since you said you will no longer be using your accountant.
 
".... Have you started your taxes? Do you use a program or an accountant?

I get to 'cheat'. Wife has always done the taxes the 'old fashioned' way, on paper. We've done our own taxes for 40+ years. She did start, in the past few years, to do electronic filing.
Taxes were more complicated in the past, but for us, all we have is income through investments and SS and IRA distributions. With the high standard deduction, we don't have enough of anything to itemize, so it's very simple. Even I could do it but wife likes to do the numbers and update her Excel spreadsheets.
I let her.....:)
 
My tax guy told me I don't have to file, because I never make enough to go over my income limit. He also said the IRS seldom goes after seniors. I am very nervous about not filing and will still file for 2019 because I sold a lot of stocks. Next year we'll see. Opinions?
If your income does not come up to the standard deduction ($12000 for single), you need not file. I would assume you know what your gain/loss of sale of stocks was.
However, the 'warning' is that if you don't file, you are more open to someone filing in your name and not knowing it, meaning opening yourself up to potential fraud.
BTW, I posted kind of tongue-in-cheek and failed to mention that wife is an AARP tax aide (and the warning about filing regardless of low income is given to all clients). She was also an accountant in a former life.
 
If your income does not come up to the standard deduction ($12000 for single), you need not file. I would assume you know what your gain/loss of sale of stocks was.
However, the 'warning' is that if you don't file, you are more open to someone filing in your name and not knowing it, meaning opening yourself up to potential fraud.
BTW, I posted kind of tongue-in-cheek and failed to mention that wife is an AARP tax aide (and the warning about filing regardless of low income is given to all clients). She was also an accountant in a former life.
Yeah, I told him that if I didn't file I would not receive my refund of taxes paid on my RMD withdrawals. He told me to elect not to pay taxes and I did that, so no refund waiting for me. I could save his $60 tax preparation fee, but I still feel nervous about not filing, like I'm doing something illegal even though it's not. I will file this year because of all the stocks I sold, and then maybe ask him to reduce his fee from then on. Never hurts to ask, eh?
 
Because we have rental properties our taxes are more complicated than they used to be. We use a cpa. Hubby keeps track of all the receipts, statements, etc. on the business that we need. He has spread them out on the (seldom used) dining room table right now, sorting things out to send in.

This will be interesting because our income was cut in half last year. I'm not sure how the rentals will affect it.
 
I use H and R also but can not upload State of Il, investment earnings from Vanguard or my W-2's yet. Though on-line chat they say an update is coming out Feb 10th. I hope so.
 

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