I donÂt want to start a fight but I believe that efiling is "the way to go". IMHO, the fewer people that handle my return, the better. When you mail a return to the IRS, the first thing that happens is the information from your return is input into IRSÂs computers. If someone hacks into IRS computers, your information is there along with everyone elseÂs; plus you have exposed yourself to 2 additional potential problems. First, your return is handled by the Post Office. While I would like to believe that everyone in the Post Office is honest, I suspect that there might be a few dishonest folks who would love to get their hands on your return. Second, when you mail your return in and it is input into IRS computers, there is always a chance that the person inputting your information will make a mistake. They might transpose numbers, enter numbers on the wrong lines or even put information on the wrong Form or Schedule. One of the biggest messes I ever had to deal with in my time as a tax preparer was an instance of someone at the IRS putting information on the wrong form. It took well over a year to convince the IRS that they had made the error when entering the return into their computers. I do suspect that more and more forms are being scanned directly into IRSÂs computers so they are working to eliminate the potential for input errors. I worry about identity theft, but believe that efiling is better than mailing a return to the IRS. Efile your return, have your refund direct deposited in your bank account and you will have your refund in 8 to 15 days. Works for me.

Personally I'd say use the (or an) accountant for one more year because you've bought and sold houses. Tax software is great (I've used it for years), but accountants are paid to find deductions that the software programs may well not be able to flush out. Luckily my tax situation is very simple, so I don't need to worry about that. In the next couple of years, though, I'm going to start exercising stock options at my company. Then things are going to get complex.

I went with State Farm when I started working at an auto dealership service/body shop. ALL the mechanics, service writers, and managers were with State Farm, different agents, but all State Farm. I asked why (since I just bought a car and needed insurance) and they said State Farm was the best if you were ever in an accident. They came out to inspect the fastest and didn't cheap out on the repairs. I recently was in an accident (other person's fault) and the other insurance agency was a total PITA to deal with. Actually I never even spoke to the other agency because they were NEVER available. My State Farm insurance agent called when he got the accident report to make sure I was OK and if I had any problems. I told him that I couldn't take my car to get repaired because I couldn't ever speak to the other agent. He was horrified, said get your car to whatever shop you want, get a rental, and don't worry about a thing. I did, and the check was waiting at the body shop when I picked up my car. The rental went longer than anticipated due to a part that came in late, and State Farm made sure that got paid for too, even though the other insurance agency's paperwork specifically said they would not pay for additional rental days due to lack of parts. I've been with them for 20 years, added my husband's car, home, and life insurance. Heck if they had health insurance I'd get that too!

I use Turbo Tax and it is fast enough for my purposes, but then, I alway buy a copy and install it on my computer. I never connect to the internet when I'm inputting tax data and fiddling with different scenarios. Also, I file by mail thus avoiding the electronic filing charge and any hacker that may be snooping my data stream. For backup records, I keep a paper copy and all the work sheets and the computer files. After I've filed, I will archive Turbo Tax and all its files and remove it from the computer. The main hassle I have is that the state code is not on the CD and must be downloaded from the web site. This takes forever over a dial-up connection. For those who have a high speed connection, this is not a concern.