Turbo Tax is easy. Just fill in the blanks. Go to the IRS website for links

TurboTax (and TaxCut, its competition) will ask you various questions, in English, which identify your sources of income and your deductions and credits. Typically you can click on something you don't understand to see more explanation or the IRS rules (usually not the same thing :-) ). Unless you need some truly obscure form (and maybe even then), TurboTax (and TaxCut) have IRS forms built into the program and will bring them in as you need them.

It's really rather painless, if you have to pay income taxes.

chery 2: Have you tried Turbo Tax yet? Why haven't I used it previously? That is the question I now ask myself since doing taxes this way for 2004. It was great!

For over 25yrs I simply gave all the info to my accountant
which always took me a lot of time & felt "I could do this". Anyway, now that I'm just working part-time(self-employed) & enjoy keeping books I found it fun. Also, saved about $300.00 in accounting fees.

Let us know what you decided to do.

Sharlee

Sharlee, I chickened out. Have an appt. w/ accountant Wednesday, who will take his $300 pound of flesh. Why did I wimp out? Because of the investments we made via our financial advisor w/ inheritance from my mother. The statements started pouring in this month, and I couldn't understand them. Financial advisor has been legitimately unavailable [back surgery], but once he can explain what the statements are saying, I definitely want to try TurboTax next year.
Last year, the CDs my mother left to her three children were NOT considered by IRS to be part of the estate, and we all got burned. I know for a fact that she was not aware of this inheritance tax law. She would switch banks if one provided 1/4% more interest than the rest, and she told me the money we inherited would not cost us anything until we did something with it. She was totally money savvy; I still can't believe the CD tax got past her.
So, in addition to paying Uncle Sam $3000, along with penalties for not paying estimated tax quarterly, H&R Block charged us $300. I don't mind so much paying this new accountant, but I'm going to ask him to do the short form as well as the itemized forms, just so I can see he's doing his job -- and so I can see HOW he's doing it.
Thanks for asking. Will let you know how it goes.
chery-va

I just filed with Turbo Tax through the IRS site. It's free if you link from there. (There are also other e-file providers to choose from.)

I had already figured out my taxes, but I wanted to e-file. The Turbo Tax program agreed with what I came up with, so I am hoping that we are correct!

You can download TaxACT and it is FREE.
I used it this year after getting several great recommendations.
I put all our numbers in it as it asked me.
And it worked out my return to print.
I could efile for about seven dollars.

Wife didn't trust it this time so we went to HRBlock.
They did our return and came out with the same numbers.
I watched as the guy entered our info.
Looked like the same program to me.

Next year wife said we could use TaxACT for free
and do it ourselves.

Pooh Bear

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.taxact.com/

Yes with Turbo tax you can safe some $$..if You need any more details about this software lest have a look here:

Turbo Tax Software

If you simply want blank forms, you can get those for free from the IRS website IRS dot gov. When I do my taxes (calculations) I use Free Tax USA. Not free but costs a reasonable #15.95.

IÂve held off using Turbo Tax because I heard you still have to mail in paper tax forms to the IRS anyway. Is this still true?

I just got my 2007 tax statement from Met Life. I'll hold onto it for filing taxes next year!

I've used Turbo Tax for years. Previous to that I did it manually. Before that my ex husband paid someone to do it. You can do it. If I can you, you most assuredly can.

IÂve held off using Turbo Tax because I heard you still have to mail in paper tax forms to the IRS anyway. Is this still true?

That used to be true, but not last year. I've used Turbo Tax for nearly 10 years now. Last year I did not have to mail in a paper form. They let me sign the form "electronically".

Up until two years ago, I filed my taxes for free from H&R Block's link on the IRS website. I loved it and could never understand why people would pay to have their taxes done instead of doing it themselves.

For the past two years, someone in my husband's family does our taxes, so we have them done for free. I tried to do them myself the first year, but it was more complicated than in past years. However, I may file myself this year, depending on how we decide to file. I know we'll have to get tax advice because of some circumstances (newlyweds, among other things.

I've not tried Turbo Tax, but have been using TaxAct for years, you can efile both your state and federal with it. Its very simple to use, walks you through the whole process with plenty of help if needed. Each year it will incorporate your needed information from the previous year.
I will always use taxact as long as its available.

Gemfire