Taxes done

[tigertoy]

Taxes:

• Computed in spreadsheet - CHECK


• Copied onto paper forms (checking numbers copied into spreadsheet) - CHECK


• Labels affixed - CHECK


• Photocopied (Yay for printer that is also a copier) - CHECK


• Envelopes stuffed, addressed, and stamped - CHECK


• Envelopes mailed - pending (not making a special trip out of the house tonight)

Perhaps some year I will e-file.  I plan on e-filing either (a) when they start charging a service charge for paper filing, or (b) when I believe that I can do it myself, through my current web browser, without having to buy or install software, pay fees, or suffer undue gaggage.

Perhaps some year I will actually be together enough to do this in February.

Comments

[msminlr.livejournal.com]

TaxCut has an online version that doesn't require software on your computer, though it does charge fees. Our Federal refund came back in about 2 weeks this year; the state in 3 weeks (we still have to mail a signature card to the State before they'll process the e-filing).

So you might consider adding: (c)when I'm getting enough back that it's worth getting it back FAST.

[tigertoy.livejournal.com]

If getting my refund quickly were enough to motivate me, I would have my taxes done in mid-February every year.

[spiritdancer]

Well, if you wanted to, and earned less than $54,000, then you can go thru the IRS website to find a provider (start at http://www.irs.gov/efile/article/0,,id=118986,00.html)

Like Margaret said, it helps if you have an incentive to do it (like a big return you'd like to get back fast)

[sukaycirquegirl.livejournal.com]

One of the nice perks of working for Intuit is that I get TurboTax for free. The turn-around on my refund this year was 7 business days for state and 10 business days for federal - which surprised even me.

Before I worked for Intuit, I did everything by hand and was, in fact, quite the skeptic regarding tax-preparation software. Once I used it for the first time, I found that I was quite impressed by how much easier everything was and by how many little things I had not been aware of.

In the spirit of full disclosure - I work for the QuickBooks and Quicken side of the house, not the Tax side. This doesn't really make me any less biased though. :)

[tigertoy.livejournal.com]

A few years ago I coded a spreadsheet for the parts of the tax forms that actually apply to me. They don't change much from year to year, and entering the numbers after I've gotten all the pieces of paper together only takes a few minutes to fill it in. So it's only the mechanics of copying the numbers onto the final forms that software could save me.