When Can I Start My Efile?

It’s a new year and the start of the ever dreaded “tax season.” I know some of you eager beavers want to get a jump on your taxes right away. But guess what? Not quite that time yet.

While some companies, such as H&R Block, are starting to efile taxes as early as January 4th…most of us are going to have to wait until at least January 11th before the IRS will start accepting independent efiling (those of us who aren’t a tax company that is). This doesn’t effect most of us since you do need to have all of your paperwork (W2’s and the like) in order before you can file. And seeing as companies aren’t liable to dispense these records until the end of January, most of us will just have to cool our heels for a couple of weeks before we can start.

Don’t fall into the trap of paying a company like H&R Block to do your taxes just because you want to get your taxes efiled a couple of days early. If you are a penny pincher like me, just wait a few extra days and it will save you a bunch of extra money.

Best Free eFile Tax Programs

Now that you’re ready to begin your taxes, the next step is to choose an eFile program. Many are free for Federal returns, and charge a fee for state filing. We recommend the following tax software:

• TurboTax – Free Federal and $29.95 State
• H&R Block At Home – Free Federal and $29.95 State

Both TurboTax and H&R Block at Home offer great solutions no matter the complexity of your tax returns. For basic filers with limited deductions, the free versions of these programs will be acceptable. But if you run a small business, have a lot of investments, or a lot of deductions, you will want to upgrade to a more comprehensive package.

Tags: efile, efile 2009, h&r block, independent filing, january 11, january 4, w2

TaxCut From H&R Block

Get TaxCut from H&R Block

TaxCut from H&R Block receives our SILVER Award. Whether you are filing simple tax returns using a 1040EZ, or have complicated deductions, TaxCut can take the stress out of tax season. In the event of an audit, the Worry-Free Audit support provides you with an IRS-licensed Enrolled Agent with audit representation expertise to help you through the process.
TaxCut provides all the features of TurboTax, but lacks the year-to-year deduction comparisons.

Intuitive Navigation:

TaxCut ranks the highest among tax software for it ease-of-use and navigation. If you need to update information or have made a mistake, TaxCut makes it easy to navigate back to make changes. The intuitive navigation is easy, even for novice computer users.

Novice-Friendly:

With TaxCut, you don’t need any tax preparation experience. All the math is done for you – the daunting task of filing taxes is simplified. You just answer simple questions and the software does the rest. TaxCut automatically checks your returns for errors or omissions and includes an extensive help section as well as access to H&R Block professionals if you have more questions.

Ease of Installation/Setup:

Getting started with TaxCut was simple. The two-part registration process took slightly longer than the other programs reviewed, but it was easy and we ran into no problems.

Feature Set:

TaxCut is high compatible with other products. You can easily import data from TaxCut, TurboTax, Microsoft Money, H&R Block Deduction Pro, Its Deductible and Quicken. TaxCut provides up-to-date information on tax law changes, and helps you to maximize your deductions.  The service offers features for future planning including Retirement Saving Enhancer and other Tax Planning reports.
You can check the status of your return and receive your deduction via direct deposit quickly.

Help/Documentation/Search:

Audio and video assistance helps you to understand recent tax law changes and other tax concepts. Each step of the process includes easy to understand information and relevant questions are located on the screen at all times to help you find the answers you need..

Summary:
TaxCut is easy to use and is loaded with helpful features. The interface is simple and the help section extensive. TaxCut from H&R Block receives our SILVER award.

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Tags: 1040, h&r block, Software Reviews, taxcut