Hmmm... TurboTax online says i get a $249 return... but HR Block online says I get $563

[gopunk]

i really have no idea why....

i got to the end of the turbotax thing which was supposed to be free, but then it said i need to pay 20 bucks. i think this is because you have to be over 25 if you don't have children (or so their website says). so i go to HR Block, which i used last year, and enter in the exact same information.... and i get about 200 bucks more??



what should i do?


and btw, why does HR Block want to know the value of my Roth IRA? i thought the only relevant part for taxes is my contributions?

 

[Angrymarshmello]

Go with H&R Block (obviously)

 

[Sundog]

Originally posted by: gopunk
i really have no idea why....

i got to the end of the turbotax thing which was supposed to be free, but then it said i need to pay 20 bucks. i think this is because you have to be over 25 if you don't have children (or so their website says). so i go to HR Block, which i used last year, and enter in the exact same information.... and i get about 200 bucks more??



what should i do?

Use H&R Block

 

[gopunk]

ok so i shouldn't be concerned about some kind of error? what if i get audited? i make less than 10k, do they even bother with people like me?

actually i did one thing different....

for turbotax, i entered in my 1099 information (stocks) by hand because they said that i couldn't import from ameritrade. for hr block, i first imported it from ameritrade to GainsKeeper.com (free trial ), then imported the 1099 from Gainskeeper.com to HR block. do you think maybe gainskeeper "optimized" some thing? i only used gainskeeper because i realized that figuring out wash sales by hand was a PITA...

 

[Sundog]

Originally posted by: gopunk
ok so i shouldn't be concerned about some kind of error? what if i get audited? i make less than 10k, do they even bother with people like me?

Yes they do, if you are really worried go to H&R block in person....don't they certify your return of something like that (guarantee)?

I mean the fee they will charge is well woth that extra dough-ray-me!

 

[SaltBoy]

Originally posted by: gopunk
ok so i shouldn't be concerned about some kind of error? what if i get audited? i make less than 10k, do they even bother with people like me?

Don't worry. Be happy!

Seriously, you'll be okay with H&R Block. If you get audited, blame me. I will then leave the country.

 

[bozo1]

If there is an error, the IRS will just send you a bill for the correct amount.

 

[Dari]

Try this link if you don't want to be charged. Intuit Taxfreedom.

 

[gopunk]

Originally posted by: Dari
Try this link if you don't want to be charged. Intuit Taxfreedom.

that's the one that gave me the 249

 

[tk149]

The IRS does audits based on:

1. Certain "flags" that look suspicious on tax returns, AND
2. A Completely Random basis. I think about 4% of all tax returns are audited at random. That's what my tax-law professor told us. He used to write policy for the IRS.

 

[Sundog]

Originally posted by: tk149
The IRS does audits based on:

1. Certain "flags" that look suspicious on tax returns, AND
2. A Completely Random basis. I think about 4% of all tax returns are audited at random. That's what my tax-law professor told us. He used to write policy for the IRS.

Except the IRS is really hurting as far as staffing goes. I think they heavily rely of their red flags.

 

[spanky]

go with h&r. last year, i was faced with a similar "dilema". are u sure u filled out everything exactly the same? for me... it was either $700 with taxcut, or $500 with turbotax online. i forget the exact amounts. turns out i filled out one thing differently... i htink it was something about whether i was a dependent or not. i forget.

 

[bozo1]

You are right about audits but for simple calculation errors, they just send you a bill. They catch all of those.

 

[gopunk]

Originally posted by: spankyOO7
go with h&r. last year, i was faced with a similar "dilema". are u sure u filled out everything exactly the same? for me... it was either $700 with taxcut, or $500 with turbotax online. i forget the exact amounts. turns out i filled out one thing differently... i htink it was something about whether i was a dependent or not. i forget.

sonuva.......

damn, now it's down to 264

 

[numark]

Originally posted by: tk149
The IRS does audits based on:

1. Certain "flags" that look suspicious on tax returns, AND
2. A Completely Random basis. I think about 4% of all tax returns are audited at random. That's what my tax-law professor told us. He used to write policy for the IRS.

A large majority of that 4% random auditing is done to small corporations besides. The IRS is more likely to audit them because it's an easier job to go through their books and smaller corporations can be milked for more money for little mistakes that their cheap-o accountant tends to make.