I decided to get my mom's tax return done yesterday, now that I have all her documents. The past several years I have been using TaxAct. I logged in to start her 2020 return and when I tried to input her retirement income, it said I needed to upgrade to Premium, which would be $120 to file her federal and state returns! I don't think so. I know I can at least get $20 off TurboTax from my payroll company discounts, so switched over to try them. Gosh, super easy - and all free!
I know her 2020 income is below the $75,000 stimulus threshold, but she didn't get the first 2 stimulus checks, because they went off her 2019 tax return, which was too high. But, I was thinking maybe if I get her tax return submitted now she might get the $1400 coming.
About the first thing they had me do is drop in the pdf file I had of her 2019 tax return. It quickly took all her info from that, so no need for me to enter anything. For her 1099-R form, they are already set up with her investment company, so I just had to enter her account number and the Document ID from her 2 1099 forms. Presto, the info from it was there in seconds. Then I input her social security income info and some interest received info. Done. With only taking half her required min. distribution from her retirement account in 2020, due to Covid laws, her income really dropped, also making it low enough that none of her social security income was taxed for 2020.
Then it asked me if she received the first 2 stimulus payments and I answered no, so then $1800 was added as a credit/refund. So, now I'm sure at some point she'll also get this $1400. Not that she needs any of it, for goodness sake, but hey, whatever. So, in about 15 minutes total I was done and filed with both her federal and state returns, for free. I will be doing my return now through Turbo Tax too. I know I will have to pay for the service, as I have self employment income, but I can use the $20 discount towards the cost. I know I will owe, as always, so I'm not in any hurry for them to get my money before April 15th.
This is the first year that she also isn't remembering about needing to do the return. Long time readers of my blog may recall that I have been doing her tax returns since my dad died, about 12 years ago, and the first several years I did them at her house/from her computer and while she understood the tax returns, she didn't know how to use a computer much but she wanted to, LOL. Having her "help" would take me hours instead of minutes to do her returns. Then gradually I started doing them from my computer, quickly, even though the last few years she was saying "oh, I'm sure you could show me how to do them" (but by then I knew she wouldn't remember how the next year). Well, this year she didn't even really seem to know that the documents she got in the mail were for doing her tax return. She hasn't mentioned her tax return at all this year.
One more to do checked off my list.
Just an FYI, freetaxusa.com lets you file for free federally even with self employment income. All of my income is self employment and I've used it the past few years. No charges, all goes well. Not sure if state is free as I live somewhere there's no state taxes.
ReplyDeletethanks for the info! I will definitely check that out. I'm all about free :)
DeleteThat is wonderful that your mom's are taken care of. And shows how much has changed in such a short time, that she is not even asking you about them. That's ok though, she is thinking of other things (and tbh I would like to not need to remember them either!)
ReplyDeleteit will be interesting to see if she asks me about them at all this year. Yes, I'd say now that they are back to activities most days and more eating in the dining room, she is thinking of those things
DeleteThose tax softwares also baffle me. Over here, there are no State taxes. We only have just what is the equivalent of what you call Federal. The necessary forms are available online at the government tax portal for free. There also tutorials and videos to look up how things are done. If you are working for a company, a bank, or a Government Agency, taxes are automatically deducted by the payroll people and filed on your behalf. If you are a business owner or if you have additional income or rental property income, you just login to the above portal and it is very easy. You can upload necessary paperwork, you can enter your deductions and etc. I do not get why you need a software you have to purchase each year. With all those taxes you're paying a tax portal should not be a big deal to make available to the citizens.
ReplyDeleteThey do offer free programs for "basic" tax returns, but not state returns and not if you are more complicated like self employed or a business. The companies I work for pay thousands each year to have a CPA do their returns. To use an online service like Turbo Tax is about $60
DeleteUuggghh, I still have to do my son's taxes. It's not that they're difficult and goodness knows he earns a pittance but as I'm not American I don't really understand the forms and it takes me forever!
ReplyDeleteI need to figure out how to do my Canadian (US citizen) sister's for her. That's next on my to do list
DeleteOur's are complex enough we use an accountant. My kids do their own, older daughter helped younger. Since we couldn't claim her, we wondered if she might get the stimulus. We'll see.
ReplyDelete