This was my first year doing my own taxes since the 90's (when I filled out the 1040 EZ with a pen and calculator). Over the couple decades that my ex and I used accountants - first a family member, then the firm who took care of his business - I followed along, but also put a lot of trust in the professionals to do things right. I knew that the personal returns weren't terribly difficult, but also knew that there were a lot of little things to keep track of.
This year, I decided to see just how difficult it would be to do it all myself. On my brother's recommendation, I chose H&R Block. It really did walk me through all of the little things, and actually prompted me for more than the accountants ever did. In retrospect, I probably would have saved myself a little bit of money each year (accountant fees aside) by doing it all myself from the get-go.
It definitely took quite a bit of time to go through the whole process, but mostly because I was overly thorough. I suspect it'll get quicker as I get more accustomed to everything. I liked the way it allowed me to enter all of my deductions, then automatically determined whether standard or itemized would come out better. When all was said and done, rather than feeling afraid that I had missed something, I actually felt more confident than when I had handed previous returns off to someone else.
All in all, a good experience. I would definitely recommend it.
Easy to load and update. You can load last’s info and let the program walk you through the process of entering the current years information. Then it automatically enters the information into your state program and let the program walk you through the state income tax.
Pros: Easy to prepare, Maximizes refund, Easy to import documents, Fast
I have used the H&R Block software for several years and found it very user friendly and very comprehensive. When I have questions about an item, the answers are easy to find. I heartily recommend it.
Software is simple to use and auto fills data from prior year as required. Software provides reference links and detail explanations for entries. I really appreciate the comparison option which illustrates filing options and tax for each option!
Pros: Easy to prepare, Maximizes refund, Easy to import documents, Fast