the Cost of Online Tax Filing

Online filing of federal taxes. The program checked my work as I went along and sent the results to the IRS via e-file.

As someone who usually does taxes by hand, I decided to try something new this year. I used an online service that allowed for free filing. They also offer paid services, but I did not feel that I needed these with my experience. The program was quick and efficient and found a credit that I would have otherwise missed filing by hand to the tune of about $300. The only downfall was that it continually would ask if I wanted to purchase one of their paid versions. I can't complain too much, since the program worked so well otherwise. We receieved our tax return in about 2 weeks, which was much quicker than any past return. After trying it out for a year, I think this will be the new way for our family to file.

When you are filing online, be sure to have a printer plugged into your computer. We made the mistake of using our laptop which did not have a printer to do the return and then I was unable to print paperwork that I needed. I had to send files to myself in order to print them which was a nuisance. There are lots of online filing services that charge fees or only allow you to file for free if your income is under a particular level. This program allowed us to file for free regardles of income. Make sure to read the fine print before you do all the work of filling out a return only to find a fee at the end!