Tax Filing Software and Tax Filing Websites

There are many resources and advantages this year for those filing their tax returns. While many tax software programs are available, I have found some that can make your tax year easier and cheaper to file. You do not have to be a rocket scientist to do your own taxes online or to use the available software such as H&R Block's TaxCut.

My favorite tax software is H&R Block's TaxCut. It is very simple to use. Once you have used it, the following year you can import your tax information. It saves a lot of time from having to type in your address, marital status, filing status, all your children's social security numbers and the like. Shopping around, I found the TaxCut Basic program at my local superstore for only $13.95. But, you can also use H&R Block's TaxCut program without leaving your home! You can file online for $14.95 and up or download the TaxCut program for $19.95 and up using their website at www.taxcut.com. The only fallback is if you live in a state that requires state filing. If you do, add an additional $29.95.

If you are in the military, you should have received notice that H&R Block's TaxCut Basic Online is free for active duty, reservist, and National Guard service members and their families. This free service is provided by the Department of Defense. Additional information can be obtained at http://www.militaryonesource.com. You must have a military OneSource account and be logged in to use this service. You can import your tax information if you used an H&R Block office, TaxCut Online, or TaxCut desktop software last year, making it easier to prepare your 2007 taxes using TaxCut Basic Online. I filed using this free resource. It used information from my prior year's tax return and continued with a very simple interview process. It was very quick and I was finished in about 10 minutes. It also allowed me to e-file so that my return would be processed within 8-15 days. After completing my return questionnaire, H&R Block immediately had additional information waiting in my email and has kept me "in the loop" with my return status. I felt very comfortable using this online service.

For those who have an adjusted gross income of $54,000 or less and are 50 years old or under, you can use H&R Block's TaxCut Free File to file your federal taxes for free. It allows you to do your federal e-file for free as well. Using this method, if you have to file state taxes, it is an additional $29.95. Preparing your return and e-filing with TaxCut Free File, you can receive your refund in as little as 7-10 days. There was also a disclaimer that said that the following states (in abbreviation) do not support part-year/non-resident forms: WI, OR, KY, AL, LA, UT, OK, ME, AR, ID, VT, DC, MT, DE, ND, HI, TN, and NH.

With the many available offers on the internet for tax filing, H&R Block offers the most options for all at a reasonable price or for free. Why give away a good percentage of your tax return refund to a tax preparer when you can save by doing it yourself? It is simple enough for anyone to use. If you have a checking account, make sure you choose direct deposit as you will not have to wait additional time for a paper check to come in the mail. You can also choose to have your tax return deposited into more than one account. Many get caught up in the tax preparation fees and then the "check cashing" fees, but if you do it yourself, you can hang onto what is yours.