Tax Programs

[BTDretire]

Hi all,
  I just got my taxes prepared, the price goes up every year and my accountant
seems to take another "how to increase your Accounting Firm profit" seminar every summer.
 I've learned more and more over the years about how I should have been doing
finances, but seemed to get little info from my accountant, I guess he leaves that to the CPA's.
 This year I paid $550 and it seems one of the profit centers was to save paper and envelopes,
he didn't print my quarterly payment statements or give envelopes addressed with the IRS payment office, but he increased his price $75! I think I have made the decision to get a Tax Program. I got away from doing my own taxes 15 years ago, but I think with the help of a program I would feel comfortable doing them again. Plus, I can refer back to what the accountant did last year.
  We have a pretty simple small business (sole proprietorship) so I need a program that will cover a business.
   Has anyone used a program for their business/personal taxes  they are happy with and what is the name?

[JZinCO]

I used HR Block Premium. I didn't need the more hand-holdy 'Premium & Business' but I probably could have gotten away with Deluxe. I can't recommend their software of free ones like TaxAct or HR Block's competitors but I can say that entering in sole prop information was easy with Premium.

Edit: By can't recommend I mean I haven't used them for schedule C type stuff.

[Spork]

I used HRBlock Deluxe this year and last for personal tax returns.  It's fine.

I have used TurboTax in years past, but they were such dickheads last year, I switched to HRB.  Again: TT was always fine.  I just decided Intuit could go jump in a lake for their crappy marketing strategy.  (They backed off of it.  But they lost me anyway.)

[FerrumB5]

I found TaxAct to be the cheapest - total was $24.99 Fed + State with investment distributions. Without investments it was 14.99. TurboTax wanted 69.99 for the same job w/o investments

[smartmoneymd]

I've noticed that both Costco and Sam's Club have discounted TurboTax CD editions around January every year. Might want to compare for next year if it'll save you a few bucks.

[MustacheAndaHalf]

I've used TaxAct for years, but switched to a competitor to protest their price jump ($22 to $30).  I've realized switching away from TaxAct was a mistake, as I like it much better over HR Block (paid $36 with 20% discount).  Having bought both versions this year, I can compare them...

If you look at the display of tax forms, HR Block forms look low-res compared to near-PDF quality forms with your data filled in.  It's much easier to read, in my opinion, in TaxAct.
HR Block has you enter each stock sale in an interview style, while TaxAct has a "Stock Assistant" that allows spreadsheet style entry.
There isn't much of a price difference between the two, but HR Block has a special refund offer (each $100 of refund can get you $110 gift card).
A couple times in HR Block I was presented with "please fill out form X and enter data here".  But isn't that why I'm buying tax software, instead of doing it myself?

[Spork]

I've used TaxAct for years, but switched to a competitor to protest their price jump ($22 to $30).  I've realized switching away from TaxAct was a mistake, as I like it much better over HR Block (paid $36 with 20% discount).  Having bought both versions this year, I can compare them...

If you look at the display of tax forms, HR Block forms look low-res compared to near-PDF quality forms with your data filled in.  It's much easier to read, in my opinion, in TaxAct.
HR Block has you enter each stock sale in an interview style, while TaxAct has a "Stock Assistant" that allows spreadsheet style entry.
There isn't much of a price difference between the two, but HR Block has a special refund offer (each $100 of refund can get you $110 gift card).
A couple times in HR Block I was presented with "please fill out form X and enter data here".  But isn't that why I'm buying tax software, instead of doing it myself?

Hey... since you have used both.  Does TaxAct import last years data from HRB's previously saved file?  I've been considering trying TaxAct... and having data come with it would sure be a plus.

[2buttons]

I have a CPA as well and am self employed. I also make all my quarterlies online. Much easier and you can print them off or look them up if you need them for anything. I would highly suggest signing up online at EFTPS. 

For me the big advantage on my cpa, is he does not raise rates very often, he keeps up with all the latest changes in tax law, is always looking to save me money, and if anything goes wrong, you have a pro on your side who knows your history. 

But if you are not happy with your CPA, I might suggest shopping around before going to the cookie cutter tax software route, unless of course you see no value in a pro. 

Just trying to lay out the other side of the coin. 

[MustacheAndaHalf]

"Does TaxAct import last years data from HRB's previously saved file?"

Answer seems to be no, for both.  H&R Block does not show TaxAct as a possible import format, and TaxAct does not show H&R Block as a possible input format.

2buttons - TaxAct offers a guarantee (without conditions that I found), and H&R Block offers a guarantee (max $10,000) if they get it wrong.  Their whole job is keeping up with tax law changes, so I don't think that's isolated to a CPA.

There's another alternative: do taxes by hand.  That forces you to see how your money flows into the IRS forms, and have an idea what goes into your taxes.

[2buttons]

I don't know. I would rather have someone who was intimately involved in my taxes for years defending me then some schmuck tax act designates at the 11th hour in the event of an audit.  If the tax laws are straightforward then I would agree, on more complicated stuff such as a business, I would go with the pro. 

Again, just my take, and what I think is best for me. 

[MustacheAndaHalf]

2buttons - A CPA can be the right answer.  Most people who run a business have to decide when it's time to switch from tax software to a CPA or tax attorney.  I've done my taxes by hand (like MMM previously did) for a number of years and it was very illuminating.  I switched to tax software to avoid the mundane forms where the data is mostly already present (copy line 3 to line 4... subtract line 4 from line 5...).  For me personally, I would attend the audit (and hire a tax lawyer if needed) rather than rely on TaxAct's guarantee.

H&R Block users - How are you entering 1099-B data (ex: sales of stock with gain/loss) into H&R Block?

[MDM]

Hey... since you have used both.  Does TaxAct import last years data from HRB's previously saved file?  I've been considering trying TaxAct... and having data come with it would sure be a plus.

TA was able to import much (not all) from pdf files created by TT, so it's not unreasonable to expect TA could read pdf files created by HRB. 

Don't remember exactly what was and wasn't imported (did the TA vs. TT comparison for 2014 taxes and now using TA for 2015).