TurboTax Online Review (and Giveaway!)

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We just finished our taxes this year and once again we use TurboTax online. One thing that I love about using TurboTax online is that I can get our paperwork entered in as it comes in the mail during the short naps our baby girls seems to prefer. We can do a bi, save our work, and come back later with no problems.

Making Taxes Easy

Since we’ve used TurboTax before, when we logged into our account to get our taxes started, the program already had much of our basic information (such as name, address, and jobs)  in. It was a matter of adjusting some details, the biggest one was becoming parents last year.

I’ve found TurboTax extremely easy to use with its interview approach to getting information in for your taxes. It’s a completely guided walk through – the questions were clear and getting the data entered was quick

Getting the Paperwork in Was a Snap

Being self-employed, some may think it took a lot of time to get all the information into the program, but it was a snap with TurboTax. I have some clients that I had last year so importing that data was very easy.

Getting our income and expenses done was straightforward, most of the paperwork came in around the same time:

• W-2s from your job(s)
• 1099-DIV: Dividends
• 1099-INT: Interest Income
• 1099-MISC: Miscellaneous Income

Most of our expected forms have already came in, but I’m still waiting on a couple more 1099s to arrive so we can finish it up. Once we complete our federal, TurboTax can easily transfer our information from the federal tax return to my state’s return.

TurboTax Scours To Find Tax Deductions and Credit You Qualify For

TurboTax really combs through the all the possible deductions and credits for your return including your house, family, cars, charitable donations, medical expenses, college and education, and more.

Tax deductions reduce your taxable income, not the tax burden that you owe. Tax credits lower your tax bill.

TurboTax’s Community – Handy Resource for Your Questions

Turbo Tax did a great job creating and managing the Live Community. It's a wonderful resource that allows you to get the answer you need on many common tax questions. Tax experts are moderators, checking to make sure the answers are correct so you’re given up to date information.

We had to use it a few years ago when we were looking to take the homeowners’ tax credit. It was so easy to find our answer and we were able to go ahead and file properly.

Which Turbo Tax Edition Fits You?

While Home & Business is the best fit for us, it isn’t the only online edition TurboTax has available. Here are some quick descriptions to help you decide on which edition will fit your needs.

• Free Edition: If you have a very simple tax return to file, TurboTax Free Edition is the way to go.
• Deluxe: Many people will find this a suitable option to take care of their tax deductions and credits for families and homeowners.
• Premier: This edition is designed for those who have numerous investments or if you own rental properties.
• Home & Business: Entrepreneurs with either sole proprietor, consultant, contractor or single-owner LLC business will find this edition more than capable of handling their business.
• Business: If you have a corporation, partnership or multi-member LLC, TurboTax can help you optimize your tax return.

We’ve been happy with TurboTax and how easy it is for us to file using their services. If you're looking for an easy online solution for your taxes, please check out TurboTax.

2013 TurboTax Deluxe Giveaway

Now to the best part – Couple Money would like you to get your federal taxes filed for free. I am giving away a code to complete and file your taxes for TurboTax's Premier Edition. Starting today, you can share your plans for your taxes on twitter or Facebook (see below for details and entries).  If you're already a Couple Money subscriber you've already received 5 free entries. It's one of the perks of being in the community.

The contest ends February 22, 2013 (11:59 PM Eastern). I’ll be drawing the winner on February 23, 2012 and will contact him or her.  If chosen, please claim your prize by Thursday February 28, 2013.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: I’m paying for my own tax preparation and the giveaway copy is provided by TurboTax, so if you win, please tweet them a thank you  I’m also a contributing blogger at TurboTax, so please check them out to see if they can help you with your taxes this year.

Photo Credit: 401K and Intuit