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.
