Simple returns

[taxea]

Simple Returns

Hey Chief

Love your quote...says it all...

Have you ever thought of printing bumperstickers for us pros?
taxea

[Armando Beaujolais]

"Tax Software is No Substitute for Tax Knowledge."

How many have clients who buy a program and try to do their own taxes, then end up dumping their pile of printouts on your desk, year after year?

It seems that consumer tax programs are every bit as destructive as double-entry bookkeeping programs are to people who don't know how to use them. The problem is that they can just keep hitting buttons and fiddling around with stuff until it looks like it worked.

[JON]

"Turbo Tax Advertising"

I heard the turbo tax AD over the weekend. More people use "turbo" than have their returns prepared at H & R Bloc. I think that is fine and encouraging. If that number goes down anymore, I think even Congress will see the problems with the system. I have heard all the quotes over bad returns being filed, but I think there will alwasy be "bad" returns being filed, even with paid preparers. I have clients who I have told you could prepare this yourself. They seem to think there is some comfort factor in having me do it... I hope more and more can prepare their returns. That would be a sign DC is finally getting smart. What are the chances of that...

[DaveO]

I second the advantage of safekeeping of prior year returns as a good reason to go to a professional.

I have seen some new clients over the summer who had "simple" returns they did themselves. The result has been some high cost amended returns and some representation work. In one case I amended two years for the parents and one year for the child. The client still had over $1000 left after paying for the prep work.

I also noticed that a young person will use the "free file" software on the net for the Federal return but will balk at paying for the state return and simply doesn't file it.

I say Turbo Tax is one of my top sources of referrals.

[Matt Sova]

Lawsuit

H&R is suing Intuit over that ad.

[Guest]

I haven't heard the "turbo tax" ad, but my husband said it's been on the radio all day. Last weekend when I was shopping at Walmart several times over the intercom was an ad to get your taxes prepared by H & R B, shop while you wait, and cash your refund check at any register. Are HRB and Wal-mart partnering up?

[BP.]

W

Don't know about this year, but last year it was JH who set up camp at the local W.

[lsmith]

Simple Returns

Reading through these posts, I was scratching my head trying to recall the post from last year, which is very appropriate, "Tax software is no substitute for tax knowledge." As I was searching this aging memory bank of mine, I came across two posts using this. I believe the first came from the one who posted it last year. Thanks for reminding me. Very appropriate.

[ecb34691]

JH has had a nationwide agreement with WM for years and before that Montgomery Wards, just like HRB has with Sears. If JH doesn't go into a local WM, HRB has 2nd choice.

[veritas]

Sometime ago I was speaking to an individual who I knew from church. Somehow it came up that she had in the past had a proffesional prepare her return since they had a rental and it was more "complicated'. She then explained that she now does her own return using Turbotax since it was "simple" now. She also said she prepared her adult daughter's return who lived with her. Her daughter has a child of her own also livig with my friend from church. Now I know how much her daughter earns which is very little. Possibly enough that my friend could not claim her. However she told me her daughter claimed the child on the daughter's return "so she could get Earned income credit". How much do you think that Turbotax program has cost my friend so far?

[veritas]

How about this

"Doing your own income tax return is a lot like a do-it-yourself mugging."