File Taxes today. Unusually enough, I am Pissed

[whitehall]

Everybody hates taxes but for some reason people are encouraged to vote for administrations who promise higher taxes.

 

[BackAgain]

I filed my taxes today, using TurboTax. Not surprising, since I hav been filing with them for many years, going back to when you bought the edition at a retail store, you wanted based on your filing situation. Since retirement, all kids out of college, I have gone to the TurbTax "Free Edition", and doing fine with it, not expecting to pay or have much refund either. Every year it offers assistance, and I decline and stay on the free version, possibly paying a simple $10 or so filing fee. NOT POSSIBLE THIS YEAR. TURBOTAX FREE IS A Lie. So, I am pissed, and actually getting back several hundred for the first time since the twins got out of college, mostly paying thousands/year since that time. This due to taking a retirement account disbursement, more than needed and grossly overestimating what we wanted to send the IRS when we too the disbursement.

Everything was going smoothly, entering data, turning down paid services, until Mortgage Interests deduction came up. Haven't had a mortgage since I was in mid-50s, but do keep a HELOC open. No problem, I had a 1098 form, as I maintain a Home Equity Line of Credit at an extremely low (miniscule) interest rate, and a balance owed of "zero", just in case I have a need to write a truly large check, for whatever reason, such as ability to simply write a check for a new car, instead of doing dealer finance, as the HELOC is below interest rate of what any dealer advertises these days. So I made the mistake of saying I had the 1098, when Turbo was looking for additional deductions, making me fill out the worksheet. OK, for everything but loan originating interest rate and form number(they wanted), not on the 1098 form. It is probably in one of the filing cabinets, but the amount of dollars on the 1098 not worth worrying about. When asking for the form number, 1098 was not sufficient. The review process said the question had to be answered. I tried deleting all info on the worksheet, to skip the deduction. I tried to go back and skip the deduction, altogether, but could not get to the original page where I admitted I had a 1098. NOGO, until I finally found a misshapen trash can symbol and tried that. OK. Out of it. Peace at last! Eh.., NO.

So, review process running and now trying to me sell upgrades again, only this time no Free Option listed, only the $69.00 addition and an offer for TurboTax MAX. Nope. Don't want it. So I went back, restarting review. Clean review again, ready for filing, but back at the sales authorization screen showing the $69.00 or Max (that I didn't even look at the price). OK. I figured, give up. You're getting some back for the first time since the Bush years, hit the button and get it over with, and agreed to the basic $69.00, thinking that was it. It wasn't. It seems Turbo has an agreement with a third party bank on rebate checks or direct deposits (checks or deposits I have gotten from the IRS since I was 16 years old, or had to send, when owing more, that usually being the case). You can just click OK or you can click "more information, read agreement", then I find out, I am having to pay $40.00 to some third party bank and there is no way forward without going back and agreeing. No way around the page, I am stuck and I am pissed! Hell, in for a penny in for a pound, I click agree and it finishes the filing with the usual ID and pin number IDs. Fine, I am looking for the page that always say "Congratulations, you have filed. Nope. It says, you have finished, and filing is pending. Hmmm. I check email for the usual email from Turbo Tax saying "Congratulations, You have filed and the next step is waiting for IRS to accept, then waiting for IRS to process. Nope. Email simply show emails from TurboTax, saying my TurboTax account has been accessed and updated. There is not even an email from Turbo, saying my filing is pending. I would tell you the percentage of my small tax refund Turbo is getting, but it would be galling and embarrassing.

This is bullshit! I may have filed with TurboTax since the 1990s, but I will not be using TurboTax, next year! If this sounds like the rant of a 69 year old man, that does not understand, fine. But, I can get an 1040 Form or a 1040EZ from the IRS, and it ain't rocket science. The inconvenience and irritation of TuboTax, is a convenience, I do not need, just out of habit.

Pay your taxes and enjoy it!

 

[Grumblenuts]

Tax Act is no better if that's any consolation. Same problems. I would just use the IRS thing, but retirement income gets complicated. I always get through it all with lots of cursing and some unexpected costs at the end. Fell for that bank BS last time. They finally ended up sending us our refund check via snail mail for free since our bank doesn't play their games. This time I just paid the IRS our due balance directly. Sailed through until.. nope. Got a letter from the IRS saying the transfer didn't go. Checked with my bank and sure enough it didn't. Paid it again.. sailed through. Nope. Now the IRS sends both my wife and I a letter saying they screwed it up and we each still owe them the entire balance. Four hours on the phone later, some woman from the IRS finally affirms that they received my payment and so can just ignore those latest bills. What a cuntry! Thanks Trump! Thanks Biden! You both suck!

 

[Cellblock2429]

I filed my taxes today, using TurboTax. Not surprising, since I hav been filing with them for many years, going back to when you bought the edition at a retail store, you wanted based on your filing situation. Since retirement, all kids out of college, I have gone to the TurbTax "Free Edition", and doing fine with it, not expecting to pay or have much refund either. Every year it offers assistance, and I decline and stay on the free version, possibly paying a simple $10 or so filing fee. NOT POSSIBLE THIS YEAR. TURBOTAX FREE IS A Lie. So, I am pissed, and actually getting back several hundred for the first time since the twins got out of college, mostly paying thousands/year since that time. This due to taking a retirement account disbursement, more than needed and grossly overestimating what we wanted to send the IRS when we too the disbursement.

Everything was going smoothly, entering data, turning down paid services, until Mortgage Interests deduction came up. Haven't had a mortgage since I was in mid-50s, but do keep a HELOC open. No problem, I had a 1098 form, as I maintain a Home Equity Line of Credit at an extremely low (miniscule) interest rate, and a balance owed of "zero", just in case I have a need to write a truly large check, for whatever reason, such as ability to simply write a check for a new car, instead of doing dealer finance, as the HELOC is below interest rate of what any dealer advertises these days. So I made the mistake of saying I had the 1098, when Turbo was looking for additional deductions, making me fill out the worksheet. OK, for everything but loan originating interest rate and form number(they wanted), not on the 1098 form. It is probably in one of the filing cabinets, but the amount of dollars on the 1098 not worth worrying about. When asking for the form number, 1098 was not sufficient. The review process said the question had to be answered. I tried deleting all info on the worksheet, to skip the deduction. I tried to go back and skip the deduction, altogether, but could not get to the original page where I admitted I had a 1098. NOGO, until I finally found a misshapen trash can symbol and tried that. OK. Out of it. Peace at last! Eh.., NO.

So, review process running and now trying to me sell upgrades again, only this time no Free Option listed, only the $69.00 addition and an offer for TurboTax MAX. Nope. Don't want it. So I went back, restarting review. Clean review again, ready for filing, but back at the sales authorization screen showing the $69.00 or Max (that I didn't even look at the price). OK. I figured, give up. You're getting some back for the first time since the Bush years, hit the button and get it over with, and agreed to the basic $69.00, thinking that was it. It wasn't. It seems Turbo has an agreement with a third party bank on rebate checks or direct deposits (checks or deposits I have gotten from the IRS since I was 16 years old, or had to send, when owing more, that usually being the case). You can just click OK or you can click "more information, read agreement", then I find out, I am having to pay $40.00 to some third party bank and there is no way forward without going back and agreeing. No way around the page, I am stuck and I am pissed! Hell, in for a penny in for a pound, I click agree and it finishes the filing with the usual ID and pin number IDs. Fine, I am looking for the page that always say "Congratulations, you have filed. Nope. It says, you have finished, and filing is pending. Hmmm. I check email for the usual email from Turbo Tax saying "Congratulations, You have filed and the next step is waiting for IRS to accept, then waiting for IRS to process. Nope. Email simply show emails from TurboTax, saying my TurboTax account has been accessed and updated. There is not even an email from Turbo, saying my filing is pending. I would tell you the percentage of my small tax refund Turbo is getting, but it would be galling and embarrassing.

This is bullshit! I may have filed with TurboTax since the 1990s, but I will not be using TurboTax, next year! If this sounds like the rant of a 69 year old man, that does not understand, fine. But, I can get an 1040 Form or a 1040EZ from the IRS, and it ain't rocket science. The inconvenience and irritation of TuboTax, is a convenience, I do not need, just out of habit.

/----/

 

[Harpy Eagle]

Ever since we spent 2.5 years and 5k fighting the IRS when they claimed we did not file taxes for 3 years going back to 2013 we have been paying someone to do our taxes for us so they will have to help us with the IRS if we ever have this problem again. Ours are not even all that complicated other than we both get paid in a different state than we live in, but having the added line of defense against the IRS is worth the money of paying someone to do them for us.

 

[Batcat]

"If you have the means never do yourself what you can pay others to do."

A former US Senator from Virginia once told me that.....Of course back then I was doing a lot of stuff myself 'cause I was poor but his words stuck with me.

Very smart comment. The only problem is you have to have the means.

 

[Moonglow]

I got a disbursement check from the Intuit Turbo Tax class action lawsuit from years ago when they lied about rates and I have never used them since

 

[Lisa558]

/----/
View attachment 932384

Don’t mock him. It WAS confusing this year.

I’ve been doing my taxes with Turbo for around 8 years, and this time was the only time it didn’t go like clockwork. It should NOT take an additional 45 minutes - AFTER completing your taxes and seeing what your refund or payment due is - to actually submit it.

I also wonder if Turbo makes it appear more complex than it is. I, for example, had a 40-page return!! What the h? My taxes are really simple: income from SS, the RMD from an inherited IRA, some dividends, and capital gains. My deductions are also very simple: mortgage, property tax, charitable contributions. Ta-da. and done.

After that is finished, why can’t I just give Turbo my bank account if refund or credit card if owing - click same as last year - select and pay for the program - same as last year - sign and hit submit? It was very convoluted this year, so much so that I didn’t even know if the process was completed and my return submitted!

 

[Lisa558]

UPDATE:
Received emails from TurboTax that both Fed and state returns accepted by IRS and state government. Came in this morning.

What was missing this year was the auto-email that was immediately sent upon submission, acknowledging the submission.

 

[my2¢]

I've looked into free tax software in years past but my income level was always a disqualifier and so would fall back to purchasing TurboTax.

This year I went online and first checked into the government's IRS Direct File. While it was available in Arizona, as it was new, they were limiting the number of returns being filed at one time and put me on a list for notification of when it would become available. Screw that.

Next, I spotted FreeTax USA. It was upfront in stating that while federal filing was free, my Arizona tax was available at a cost of less than $20. I figured it was worth a try. Glad I did. I ended up paying $16 and some change for the state edition. I'd recommend them with caveat that with the wife and I being retired, our tax documents are limited to 1099R, 1099-Div, 1099-Int, 1099-B, SSA-1099.

 

[Lisa558]

I've looked into free tax software in years past but my income level was always a disqualifier and so would fall back to purchasing TurboTax.

This year I went online and first checked into the government's IRS Direct File. While it was available in Arizona, as it was new, they were limiting the number of returns being filed at one time and put me on a list for notification of when it would become available. Screw that.

Next, I spotted FreeTax USA. It was upfront in stating that while federal filing was free, my Arizona tax was available at a cost of less than $20. I figured it was worth a try. Glad I did. I ended up paying $16 and some change for the state edition. I'd recommend them with caveat that with the wife and I being retired, our tax documents are limited to 1099R, 1099-Div, 1099-Int, 1099-B, SSA-1099.

Thanks…that might work for next year. Q: how do these free programs make money if the Fed return is free? They’re not counting on the small state tax payments, are they?

 

[my2¢]

Thanks…that might work for next year. Q: how do these free programs make money if the Fed return is free? They’re not counting on the small state tax payments, are they?

Here is their website: FreeTaxUSA

 

[Frankeneinstein]

I filed my taxes today, using TurboTax. Not surprising, since I hav been filing with them for many years, going back to when you bought the edition at a retail store, you wanted based on your filing situation. Since retirement, all kids out of college, I have gone to the TurbTax "Free Edition", and doing fine with it, not expecting to pay or have much refund either. Every year it offers assistance, and I decline and stay on the free version, possibly paying a simple $10 or so filing fee. NOT POSSIBLE THIS YEAR. TURBOTAX FREE IS A Lie. So, I am pissed, and actually getting back several hundred for the first time since the twins got out of college, mostly paying thousands/year since that time. This due to taking a retirement account disbursement, more than needed and grossly overestimating what we wanted to send the IRS when we too the disbursement.

Everything was going smoothly, entering data, turning down paid services, until Mortgage Interests deduction came up. Haven't had a mortgage since I was in mid-50s, but do keep a HELOC open. No problem, I had a 1098 form, as I maintain a Home Equity Line of Credit at an extremely low (miniscule) interest rate, and a balance owed of "zero", just in case I have a need to write a truly large check, for whatever reason, such as ability to simply write a check for a new car, instead of doing dealer finance, as the HELOC is below interest rate of what any dealer advertises these days. So I made the mistake of saying I had the 1098, when Turbo was looking for additional deductions, making me fill out the worksheet. OK, for everything but loan originating interest rate and form number(they wanted), not on the 1098 form. It is probably in one of the filing cabinets, but the amount of dollars on the 1098 not worth worrying about. When asking for the form number, 1098 was not sufficient. The review process said the question had to be answered. I tried deleting all info on the worksheet, to skip the deduction. I tried to go back and skip the deduction, altogether, but could not get to the original page where I admitted I had a 1098. NOGO, until I finally found a misshapen trash can symbol and tried that. OK. Out of it. Peace at last! Eh.., NO.

So, review process running and now trying to me sell upgrades again, only this time no Free Option listed, only the $69.00 addition and an offer for TurboTax MAX. Nope. Don't want it. So I went back, restarting review. Clean review again, ready for filing, but back at the sales authorization screen showing the $69.00 or Max (that I didn't even look at the price). OK. I figured, give up. You're getting some back for the first time since the Bush years, hit the button and get it over with, and agreed to the basic $69.00, thinking that was it. It wasn't. It seems Turbo has an agreement with a third party bank on rebate checks or direct deposits (checks or deposits I have gotten from the IRS since I was 16 years old, or had to send, when owing more, that usually being the case). You can just click OK or you can click "more information, read agreement", then I find out, I am having to pay $40.00 to some third party bank and there is no way forward without going back and agreeing. No way around the page, I am stuck and I am pissed! Hell, in for a penny in for a pound, I click agree and it finishes the filing with the usual ID and pin number IDs. Fine, I am looking for the page that always say "Congratulations, you have filed. Nope. It says, you have finished, and filing is pending. Hmmm. I check email for the usual email from Turbo Tax saying "Congratulations, You have filed and the next step is waiting for IRS to accept, then waiting for IRS to process. Nope. Email simply show emails from TurboTax, saying my TurboTax account has been accessed and updated. There is not even an email from Turbo, saying my filing is pending. I would tell you the percentage of my small tax refund Turbo is getting, but it would be galling and embarrassing.

This is bullshit! I may have filed with TurboTax since the 1990s, but I will not be using TurboTax, next year! If this sounds like the rant of a 69 year old man, that does not understand, fine. But, I can get an 1040 Form or a 1040EZ from the IRS, and it ain't rocket science. The inconvenience and irritation of TuboTax, is a convenience, I do not need, just out of habit.

geez 6, a post on taxes, mortgages, and interest rates? it seems never ending...maybe throw in a few paragraphs on how yams came to be cultivated just to spice it up a bit...lol...jus ribbin ya bro.

 

[Redheaded Stranger]

taxation is theft