This year I switched from having my accountant do the taxes to doing them myself. The reason for the switch is that our taxes got simpler...I'm an employee, not self-employed and other complications have disappeared. Granted we still rent out a part of our house and have a home office for my wife's business but that should be pretty simple, right?

I got my taxes almost completely done using Turbotax but then realized that my accountant has been depreciating parts of our house and various improvements at all sorts of different rates and schedules and hasn't provided me with the schedules. Guess what...getting your former accountant to supply data the week before tax day to a guy who just laid her off is pretty much an impossibility. I got so close but then had to file an extension. Darn! At least it's 95% done. Anybody else filing an extension?

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"In science it often happens that scientists say, 'You know that's a really good argument; my position is mistaken,' and then they would actually change their minds and you never hear that old view from them again. They really do it. It doesn't happen as often as it should, because scientists are human and change is sometimes painful. But it happens every day. I cannot recall the last time something like that happened in politics or religion." (1987) -- Carl Sagan

You don't get copies of the forms and worksheets from her for every year? The calculations should be on them.

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C(-)ris
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.....doing taxes....can be taxing.....

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I reject your reality and substitute my own!

Extended here.
It is complicated as to why, but necessary.

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Roswell, GA (Atlanta suburb)

Every year I bow to the procrastination temptress and file an extension before April 15 and get to put it off another six months. Yeah, baby!

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Had to deal with 5 different submissions, 3 are done, two have extensions.

One of the three had 5 different state filings, too.

I decided to do my own this year, saving me thousands of $$.

I figure it's also job security if I decide I want to quit current crap...

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sekker
I decided to do my own this year, saving me thousands of $$.

Im a little confused by this -- you saved thousands cause your old tax guy effed them up so bad -- or -- you saved thousands cause he charged you thousands to do them?

My guy charges us $350 -- even with me being self employed...

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Edited 999 time(s). Last edit at 12:08PM by jdc.

Just finished TurboTax Paid $1,534 to CA, Fed Refund of $6



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/14/2020 11:52PM by Carm.

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jdc

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sekker
I decided to do my own this year, saving me thousands of $$.

Im a little confused by this -- you saved thousands cause your old tax guy effed them up so bad -- or -- you saved thousands cause he charged you thousands to do them?

My guy charges us $350 -- even with me being self employed...

Both. Charged me thousands and screwed them up, costing me both $$ and time.

I deal with it all in February - as soon as the forms come in. It's an hour or two to sort the various paperwork that's accumulated over the course of the year and enter it into TurboTax.

What's the big deal?

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Embarassing myself on the Internet since 1978.

I am... over-extended

Yes, my accountant filed for an extension. The bean counter doing my K1 for my now defunct company has not yet gotten it done.

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raz
I deal with it all in February - as soon as the forms come in. It's an hour or two to sort the various paperwork that's accumulated over the course of the year and enter it into TurboTax.

What's the big deal?

I spent over 2 hours alone 'correcting' what in the end were programming errors in Turbotax for filing my personal return. Was frustrating to say the least.

This is not just the mess that is the US tax code. This is just Turbotax not transferring data from one field properly (that they required me to input) to the right place on an IRS form. Would have been far easier for me to just directly correct the resulting IRS form, but TurboTax Deluxe on the Mac did not let me do that.

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raz
I deal with it all in February - as soon as the forms come in. It's an hour or two to sort the various paperwork that's accumulated over the course of the year and enter it into TurboTax.

What's the big deal?

Well, some of us itemize, and are self-employed, and have rental property, and have depreciable assets, etc. It's not just a case of "waiting until the forms come in".

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"In science it often happens that scientists say, 'You know that's a really good argument; my position is mistaken,' and then they would actually change their minds and you never hear that old view from them again. They really do it. It doesn't happen as often as it should, because scientists are human and change is sometimes painful. But it happens every day. I cannot recall the last time something like that happened in politics or religion." (1987) -- Carl Sagan

Last year was the first time I had to file an extension. I thought I had made errors but it turns out the "tax cuts" just cut me badly.

For this year, I've been putting it off and putting it off, mainly because I know I'm going to owe $$$. I guess I'll get it all done this afternoon or file an extension.

I damn near filed for an extension yesterday, but I then knuckled down and spent 2 hours getting the tax forms filled out and e-filed.

There's got to be a better way than what we have to deal with now.

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Mr. Lahey: A lot of people, don’t know how to drink. They drink against the grain of the liquor. And when you drink against the grain of the liquor? You lose.

Randy: What the @#$%& are you talking about?

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Rick-o
I damn near filed for an extension yesterday, but I then knuckled down and spent 2 hours getting the tax forms filled out and e-filed.

There's got to be a better way than what we have to deal with now.

Agreed, that’s two hours of your life you’ll never get back in order to file your annual income tax obligation return.

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Saint Cloud, Minnesota, where the weather is wonderful even when it isn't.

Most people shouldn't even have to spend any time filling out tax paperwork of any kind, including online.

The IRS and the states should simply send taxpayers a link they can go to and review all their tax data, and click "accept" if all is cool.

If they disagree, then the taxpayer can fill out tax paperwork.

For most people who work for someone else, this is how it should be. The government already has all of my data before I file. Why should this work have to be duplicated?

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freeradical
Most people shouldn't even have to spend any time filling out tax paperwork of any kind, including online.

The IRS and the states should simply send taxpayers a link they can go to and review all their tax data, and click "accept" if all is cool.

If they disagree, then the taxpayer can fill out tax paperwork.

For most people who work for someone else, this is how it should be. The government already has all of my data before I file. Why should this work have to be duplicated?

For most other western countries this is how it works. You don't need to file a tax return. But guess what...financial services industries (i.e. tax accountants, tax software companies and the like) have fought hard against attempts by the IRS to put an end to our archaic system by lobbying (i.e. legalized bribery) congress. What a corrupt mess.

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"In science it often happens that scientists say, 'You know that's a really good argument; my position is mistaken,' and then they would actually change their minds and you never hear that old view from them again. They really do it. It doesn't happen as often as it should, because scientists are human and change is sometimes painful. But it happens every day. I cannot recall the last time something like that happened in politics or religion." (1987) -- Carl Sagan

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davester

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freeradical
Most people shouldn't even have to spend any time filling out tax paperwork of any kind, including online.

The IRS and the states should simply send taxpayers a link they can go to and review all their tax data, and click "accept" if all is cool.

If they disagree, then the taxpayer can fill out tax paperwork.

For most people who work for someone else, this is how it should be. The government already has all of my data before I file. Why should this work have to be duplicated?

For most other western countries this is how it works. You don't need to file a tax return. But guess what...financial services industries (i.e. tax accountants, tax software companies and the like) have fought hard against attempts by the IRS to put an end to our archaic system by lobbying (i.e. legalized bribery) congress. What a corrupt mess.

Vox has been following this for years. [www.vox.com]

Been filing extensions every year since I incorporated in 2005. This is the first year I actually got my personal taxes done on time since then.

I used a CPA the first year I created my S Corp and reversed engineered what he's done ever since. I'm sure I've left some money on the table here and there but a CPA would have to find several thousand in extra expenses each year to justify their fees, and that's not going to happen unless they flat out lie.

Admittedly, my corp taxes aren't that complicated since I'm the only employee and I freelance so there's no inventory.

Just finished mine; state taxes went down a little Turbotax fees went up.

I got the Extension form filled out online BUT, for the life of me, could NOT see HOW to send it in electronically. This morning, I drove ~ 40 miles to the IRS "local office" (Johnson City, TN) which, according to the IRS website, WAS open, only to find the doors locked and, whatever employees that might have been inside, would NOT come to the door (business hours clearly posted on the door also showed that said office SHOULD HAVE BEEN OPEN FOR BUSINESS). The IRS website was virtually worthless too. After hold times well over an hour, I was FINALLY able to speak with two humans who basically said they did NOT handle the questions I had (and referred me back to the useless IRS website). I finally was able to find a form that allowed me to electronically pay an "estimated" tax due and, I hope that will cover and save me from penalties (I guesstimated high and should now have a credit balance). The "tax guy" I've used in the past has a recording telling his clients that his office is CLOSED until next week! Once I get this mess straightened out, I'll dump him and find a CPA who hopefully treats clients better. I started all this yesterday and just about an hour ago gave up and now have my fingers crossed that my estimated tax I authorized will keep me from getting reamed by penalties and interest. There's GOT to be a better way to do this.

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sekker

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raz
I deal with it all in February - as soon as the forms come in. It's an hour or two to sort the various paperwork that's accumulated over the course of the year and enter it into TurboTax.

What's the big deal?

I spent over 2 hours alone 'correcting' what in the end were programming errors in Turbotax for filing my personal return. Was frustrating to say the least.

This is not just the mess that is the US tax code. This is just Turbotax not transferring data from one field properly (that they required me to input) to the right place on an IRS form. Would have been far easier for me to just directly correct the resulting IRS form, but TurboTax Deluxe on the Mac did not let me do that.

And that’s why I’ve used H&R Block Deluxe for the last five years. Kicked TurboTax to the curb when the Mac version started getting weird.

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richorlin