Do you prepare your own income tax returns or pay a professional to do it?

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   xstaticposted 12 years ago

   Do you prepare your own income tax returns or pay a professional to do it?
   
   I jsut went through the ordeal. We tried Turbo Tax this year, and the fee was only $65.00, as opposed to $300 to 400 for a non-CPA and who knows how much for one of those.

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   Joanne M Olivieriposted 12 years ago

   Mine are very simple so I use Turbo Tax.  When I start making "the big bucks" on hubpages, I'll have to hire a pro

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      xstaticposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Well, let's hope that happens soon!

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   billybucposted 12 years ago

   I do my own. Too stubborn to pay someone else.  Besides, it's like a math problem and I actually enjoy the mental  challenge.

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      Old Poolmanposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Have you ever thought about how silly it is to have to pay someone to decide how much money we must pay in taxes?  Some would call this insanity.  Perhaps our tax codes are too complicated?

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      xstaticposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Never did like math, but the computer program helped.

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   Old Poolmanposted 12 years ago

   I owned a small business and the tax laws are far beyond my capability because they change every darn year.  I sold the business so last year will be the last time I have to file all those extra forms that go with owning a business.  Next year, I will most likely be able to just do it myself.

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      xstaticposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Sounds great to me!

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   Theater girlposted 12 years ago

   I am math challenged, so I go the turbo tax route!

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      xstaticposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I liked it too!

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   duffsmomposted 12 years ago

   We use a pro, we had some complex issues when my husband was still working for the church, and we just kept using the same person.  It runs about $125 but we've been very happy. (well as happy as you can be doing taxes!)

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   Deb Welchposted 12 years ago

   I've done my own taxes mostly all of my working years - I have had help from a family member, a friend or to call the 800# or go on-line for more explanation.  State Taxes are the more tricky and without fail every year I get angry and cuss something vicious.  I wonder if in the future - everyone will have to file on-line and no more paper forms mailed in?

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      xstaticposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Good question! I finished and filed ours on the Turbo Tax in about four hours, could have been faster but I kept saving and exiting.

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   Ghost32posted 12 years ago

   I've used the same CPA for every filing year from 1992 forward.  Prior to that, I did all my own except for one year (when I was in my early twenties).  We used H&R Block that time, I found errors in their work, and that was the end of that.  The last year I did my own (1991) was fairly complex, since my soon-to-be-ex and I had a small business with a large income and two different states of residence, plus a few other quirks.  For that one I used Turbo Tax, but had to explain to my lady's accountant (we were filing as Married Filing Separately that year) why I'd done what I'd done.  My spouse couldn't follow my reasoning, but the accountant could.
   
   In 1992, after a 3 year search for a good one, I was fortunate enough to make contact with a South Dakota CPA who's handled the paperwork ever since.  And this year (2012 income), was I ever glad...because I'd have never in a million years gotten it right.  Our $$ situation is not THAT complex, but we get some royalties from mineral rights in North Dakota, and the number of forms for this and forms for that...daunting to the max.  The filing copy for our records drawer was something like 3/8"  thick.

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   aviannoviceposted 12 years ago

   I like Turbotax on line, versus the yearly one that you can buy.  When my taxes were complicated a few years back, it worked out very well, at a very affordable price.  If audited, they will even go to bat for you.  They even ask questions on line, to make certain that you are doing the right thing.  I have been using it ever since, and plan on it again this year.  I have even less time to deal with my own this year.

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      xstaticposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Right Deb, the price is right and it was fairly easy.

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