"Free" tax filing online

[asterroc]

Here's an update on just how free they are. Turns out you can't send in a state one for free anywhere.

1040NOW.NET - $17.95 state
Online Taxes @ OLT.com - $7.95 state
H&R Block's TaxCut Free File - $29.95 for state
eSmartTax By Liberty Tax Service - $9.95 state
ezTaxReturn.com - $19.95 for State
Free TaxACT - $13.95 for state
CitizenTax - $12.88 state
Tax$imple-Deluxe Version - $7.95 state

Tax$imple and OLT have the same lowest price for printing/efiling state returns. OLT looks prettier and appears to have more guarantees, so I think I'm going w/ them.

Comments

[gemini6ice.livejournal.com]

how can they call it free then ??????

[zandperl.livejournal.com]

Because you can send in the Federal for free, and I found those via the IRS so all they care about with calling it free is federal.

I just completed both federal and state including itemization (which of course turned out to be pointless) via OLC, took me ~1:25 and $8 for state. Turns out that in a couple days I will have to print a receipt from the IRS, sign, and mail it since this's my first time doing it online (IIRC), but that's a minor detail. So yeah, it's worth doing.

[parrot-lady.livejournal.com]

hey I've friended you. Just so you don't think I'm some creepy stalker person I was reading through the f-list tonight and saw a post and said hey, that name is familiar when I saw the comment on hawkstudios post. I take it you also read applegeeks, I had the opportunity to meet them.

I know you from parrot lovers and apparently we have a bit in common. I'd like to have the favor returned, but I understand if you don't friend me.

BTW, have you read roberts rules? I became very familiar with it while I was on the bird club's board.

Amy

[zandperl.livejournal.com]

Howdy, and welcome! I recognized the icon from PL. :-P Sure I'll friend you - I do purges of my friends list occasionally though, b/c I want to be less addicted to LJ, so if I later remove you, no offense intended!

Are you asking about Robert's Rules b/c you saw my icon, or just out of the blue? I admit to not having read the whole thing through, but I've a good idea of the most common motions and such, and I really love "gaming the rules" - it's a lot like playing Magic: The Gathering to me, and I used to love that game (before I realized what blood/money-sucking fiends WotC were).

I first heard of them when I was in my college's Student Senate - I didn't particularly want to be, but I was the president of the Astronomy club and we had to have someone in the Senate to get money. I'm currently active in a union and therefore am continually learning more about them (and how to play them to one's advantage) as I go. It's fun - in the same way that itemizing taxes is. I joke that if I don't go back to grad school for my doctorate in astro, I'll instead go to law school.

[parrot-lady.livejournal.com]

ROFL! I love it!

I'm asking b/c the icon.

I got into nasty interpertation rules of Roberts rules. Eventually people began to hate me for knowing more than the "parlimentarian" of the club. She hated me because I told her she couldn't vote if the president was going to her for advice, and she knew it. So I knocked a vote out of the competition.

What did you do undergrad in, dare I ask? My degree is biochem so from time to time you may see a locked post about me complaining about my lab/work conditions/idiot coworkers.

[zandperl.livejournal.com]

BA: Physics and Math, Astronomy minor
MS: Astronomy

I'm more likely to bitch about my students, or about grading, or sometimes about academia and the administration.