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Monday, February 10th
When tax season comes, as it does every.single.year, many people find themselves wondering how they should prepare their returns. Sound familiar? Especially if you're filing them for the first time - maybe you never had income before, or Mom and Dad always took care of it in the past - it can be confusing to figure out where to start. But, there's no need to worry: there are plenty of options for preparing your taxes that won't break the bank or leave you overly stressed out.
To begin, here's a bit of friendly information: paying an accountant or professional tax preparer is both costly and probably unnecessary, unless your finances are more complicated than the average taxpayer's. If your income is fairly straightforward, you don't have millions of dollars in investments, and you don't own property around the world, chances are good that you can file your own taxes online with an affordable, easy-to-use tax prep program. That's good news, considering that even the simplest tax returns can cost $100 or more if you have them prepared professionally!
So, now that you know you don't have to hunt for a financial professional near you, which tax prep software should you use? Here are several things to keep in mind as you consider your options:
At this point, your list of remaining options will likely be like choosing between Coke and Pepsi or iPhone vs. Android: personal preference, family tradition or habit more than anything else. You can rest easy knowing that you've chosen a tax preparation platform that will give you the guidance you need to file your taxes accurately and inexpensively.
(P.S. Keep track of what you spend for your tax prep software program. You can enter it on your next tax return as an expense!)
Select any 2 Tax Preparation Services to compare them head to head