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ndrosenI filed my tax returns, federal and Virginia, on March 30, and used TurboTax, which is pretty well necessary these days, since it’s hard to get paper forms and instructions; also, my finances are more complicated than they were twenty years ago.
However, I don’t much like the way TurboTax has lobbied to keep the IRS from providing its own tax return software to most filers. I also didn’t like having to provide various information before TurboTax would let me itemize deductions, instead of letting me just itemize on my say-so instead of taking the standard deduction. Finally, I didn’t like the way TurboTax tried get me to pay for the tax software out of my refund, for a stiff fee, instead of charging it to a credit card, and I like the way TurboTax tried to get me to accept an early tax refund directly from TurboTax, again at considerable expense, instead of waiting for my return to be processed, and for a refund to be deposited to my account by the IRS (and the Virginia Department of Taxation). These strike me as sleazy business practices.
However, I don’t much like the way TurboTax has lobbied to keep the IRS from providing its own tax return software to most filers. I also didn’t like having to provide various information before TurboTax would let me itemize deductions, instead of letting me just itemize on my say-so instead of taking the standard deduction. Finally, I didn’t like the way TurboTax tried get me to pay for the tax software out of my refund, for a stiff fee, instead of charging it to a credit card, and I like the way TurboTax tried to get me to accept an early tax refund directly from TurboTax, again at considerable expense, instead of waiting for my return to be processed, and for a refund to be deposited to my account by the IRS (and the Virginia Department of Taxation). These strike me as sleazy business practices.
no subject
Date: 2026-04-06 12:39 pm (UTC)Several rounds of "tax reform" have been labeled "the accountants, lawyers, and tax-preparers relief act."
My taxes are so complicated that I HAVE to use an accountant: US, state, Canadian, provincial, personal, corporate (I just incorporated). I had a truly superb one, but he got too sick to work. Also, his firm was bought by a bigger one, which was bought by a bigger one, which was bought by a bigger one. Each time, the costs went up and the efficiency went down. Now I'm using an on-line firm. Much cheaper, but harder to have an actual conversation with your accountant (you have to email them to set it up), but they get the job done.