Yeah 3 of my relatives told me that HR Block had short them a few hundred bucks, after another preparer did thier papers again and found out they should have recieved more, but HR Block said, "no well we sent your tax return already" i dont know if this is entierly true but I have been warned not to go to HR Block, and I dont know anything about tax filing, the only reason i wanted to go to a professional is because I am in college, i have a newborn, and well i dont know how to file my that form that colleges give you that list your scholarship and grants that may be tax deductible. Please tell me whats a good service that is not expensive.
2007-01-04 02:02:08 · 9 answers · asked by emo_rox12 1 in Business & Finance ➔ Taxes ➔ United States
so do you think if i got the turbo tax basic edition online it would be okay, i mean its only 14.95 http://turbotax.intuit.com/microsite/chooser.jhtml?priorityCode=3468340484
would this help me very much or would it be best to just let me mother do my return?
2007-01-04 02:19:17 · update #1
ahh that free filing sounds interesting, i wonder if they file here at my campus aswell.
2007-01-04 02:22:14 · update #2
Make sure that you get the full benefit of your refund by staying far away from H & R Block or one of those other commercial places. The IRS has a program called VITA that does free tax preparation for households earning $40,000 or less. They can make sure that you get all your eligible credits, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit, the Child Tax Credit, the Dependent Care Credit, etc.
This is an absolutely FREE service. They can e-file and do direct deposit so that you can get your return back in 7-10 days. There is no need to get a refund anticipation loan, which is really nothing more than a high interest loan where you would be paying to borrow your own money. You have worked hard for your money and you should be able to keep it! To find a VITA free tax site near you, call the IRS at: 1-800-829-1040.
I work with the VITA sites in Nashville and know that it can make a huge difference for working families. www.unitedwaynashville.org/nwba.
2007-01-05 15:08:18 · answer #1 · answered by rachkw81 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
If you have a basic tax situation, W-2, 1099's, a house you should be able to use turbo tax and a copy of Publication 17 from the IRS and do a great job preparing your own return.
If your situation is more complicated, self-employed, partnership investments etc. you would be better off using a good CPA rather than one of the tax prep services.
You could also use a CPA this year and then do your own return until either your situation changes drastically or there is a significant change in the law.
2007-01-04 04:10:11 · answer #2 · answered by waggy_33 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They probably charged about $40 to $50 for each state return, and since you had 2 state returns that explains about 1/3 of the fee. If you decided to have their fees take out of the refund instead of paying upfront, there was probably a bank fee of about $50, so that leaves about $150 in fees for the actual federal tax return. That sounds reasonable if you had itemized deductions or any other situation that prevented you from using the simple 1040-EZ form. They didn't rip you off in the sense that you would have paid about that much at Liberty, Jackson Hewitt, or any other national chain store-front type tax office. You certainly could have saved money with a discount tax prep office, doing it yourself on turbotax, or hiring some bookkeeper who does tax returns on the side, but you get what you pay for. You got someone to do all the hard work for you who will still be there on April 20th if you get a letter from the IRS. You won't get that by paying $100 to someone working out of their garage or with a $40 software program.
2016-03-29 07:17:25 · answer #3 · answered by Megan 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I wouldn't go to HR Block or any other well-known heavily advertised tax preparation agency. If you must go, don't do any of their "special offers" that allow you to recieve money faster. There are always very hefty fees involved and it's really a waste.
I've been through several tax seasons and I've taken diff routes. I've done Jackson Hewitt (charged me too much)
family friends that are accountants (still charged too much) and Turbo Tax software myself.
I found that I like TurboTax software. I am totally numerically challenged, trust me if it was hard to figure out my brain would have just shut down!
Your situation sounds kind of complicated but they take you through baby steps and walk you through the whole thing deductions for a child, school etc... I recommend at least going to their website to find out more info. Cause I'm not getting paid to endorse this product!!!..LOL good luck....
www.turbotax.com
2007-01-04 02:28:02 · answer #4 · answered by curiousgene 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
You can try TurboTax (software) because it's relatively easy, and also if you learn how to do your taxes now, it will save you lots of money in the long-run. HR Block is pretty expensive.
As for the scholarship and grants, they're normally not tax deductible. It's usually tuition that's tax-deductible. Some scholarships are taxable. You can visit the IRS.gov website to research this. You can also claim certain deductions/ credits for your child, such as if he/she is in daycare (and you get an automatic deduction (or exemption) for providing for your child).
You can also research your local CPAs, and find some reviews. In larger cities, you can visit www.yelp.com and there are lots of reviews about different things.
Good luck!
2007-01-04 02:14:13 · answer #5 · answered by bubblegirl 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Some experienced preparers at H&R Block are good - it depends upon their years of experience. Ask for one with more than 5 years. Same thing at Jackson Hewitt. Or find an Enrolled Agent near you with this link. They give more personal service and are cheaper than a CPA.
http://www.naea.org/MemberPortal/Resources/ForTaxpayers/
2007-01-04 02:15:07 · answer #6 · answered by spicertax 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It really depends on what the definition of "ripped off" is.
I have seen clients upset that the IRS kept part of their refund to offset another debt (ie. prior years taxes, child support, etc.) yet, no matter how much you explain it to them, they always blame the preparer.
There are some very very intelligent people that work for Block.....and some major idiots. Ask for one of the smart ones...... :-)
2007-01-04 03:10:18 · answer #7 · answered by Wayne Z 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think that you may be mistaken regarding HRB but if you are in college, try this link,http://www.irs.gov/efile/article/0,,id=118986,00.html you may be able to file for free.
2007-01-04 02:17:22 · answer #8 · answered by cramburger 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
TurboTax is great. It guides you through the whole process.
2007-01-04 02:11:39 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋