Recommendation for tax program (US) ????

[CBFinet]

Hello everyone.

It's that time of year again when I'm digging through old saved receipts, 1099s, W-2s, etc. I'm wondering if anyone has a recommendation for a good tax program (Turbo tax, H&R block, etc.) that handles a variety of forms that we encounter as professional freelance musicians.

I've got several different W-2s from regional orchestras and teaching work where taxes are taken as well as various 1099s from sideman work and other teaching.

In the past, I've gone to an accountant or to H&R Block and seen a specialist which always ends up costing an arm and a leg. I'm hoping that there may be a program for this that also simplifies the write-offs and deductions that we take as musicians. I'm fairly good about keeping travel records and saving music related receipts.

Any suggestions would be appreciated. I'm sure there are many others that are thinking about this right now as well.
Thanks in advance.

Chris Finet

[CBFinet]

there might as well be... I'll fix that spelling error

[Marcus Johnson]

My wife does ours every year with Turbo Tax..... she swears by it, says it's simple. But then she's got an excellent brain. Mine, not so good.

[wineaux]

Chris,

I used to use TurboTax, but when I started dealing with 1099s and self-employment tax and all that stuff, I went to H&R Block and I've been back ever since with the same guy. It's more expensive than the program but I'm convinced he saves me money in the long run. Plus the fee is deductible.

[fdeck]

TurboTax has worked fine for me. It seems perfectly straightforward.

[Dfinch]

I've used Turbotax for the Web for the last 5 years, including importing some pretty complicated investment stuff straight from the investment company.

It's free to try, you pay when you file.

[CBFinet]

Thanks everyone for the response. It looks like it might be worth getting Turbotax. I was just concerned that I might buy the program only to find that with the 1099s, various deductable expenses, etc. that it wouldn't handle all that information.

Generally I try to make my deductable expenses count up for pretty much all of the 1099 income so that I still get a tax refund back on the income that taxes were taken out of. For those of you using Turbotax, did you still find that the refunds you got back were what they would be had you went to someone?

[Marcus Johnson]

Originally Posted by CBFinet

Thanks everyone for the response. It looks like it might be worth getting Turbotax. I was just concerned that I might buy the program only to find that with the 1099s, various deductable expenses, etc. that it wouldn't handle all that information.

Generally I try to make my deductable expenses count up for pretty much all of the 1099 income so that I still get a tax refund back on the income that taxes were taken out of. For those of you using Turbotax, did you still find that the refunds you got back were what they would be had you went to someone?

Well, that would be hard to answer, unless you did both (TurboTax vs. accountant) for comparison in the same calendar year. But my wife seems to be able to handle all the 1099s and deductions without any problems.

[Sam Sherry]

My advice to long-form filers, ALL the time, is that the money you spend on a CPA is 100% guarantee to come back to you.

I have met very skilled enrolled agents. I have met very intelligent public accountants. CPAs are people who pass the test and keep up to date. Hang with the people who've crossed the line, eh?

[Kam]

I use these guys: http://www.foxtaxservice.com/

I pay around $150 for long form and the small business schedules. I get paranoid about software. I know these guys and most of their clients are working musicians and artists, so they have a good niche going.