My tax refund is WHAT??

[Pixilated]

I'm a student so am used to getting a hefty tax refund.

I thought I'd use this year's refund to catch up on some bills, get a few months ahead on the rent before summer hits and I go job-searching, etc.

Yeah, that $75 is gonna go really far ...

Oh, wait, no, it's not -- I owe the company that did my refund $92.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Any chance the company missed some stuff?

Preparers can make errors or be careless like anybody else. Just look here.

[Kheldarson]

I'd almost ask what company you used. I just filed mine, and it only cost 60 for federal and state filing.

And some other companies are offering to look over filed tax returns for free to see if they can get you extra money (course, you pay if you refile with them), so you might do that...

[Pixilated]

Irving, that's certainly possible. From what I know at this point, I think at least part of the problem is that the Newspaper From Hell that I worked for last year didn't withhold any taxes. My income from them wasn't enough to make me owe anything (at least, not so far as I know!) but that means there wasn't any taxes to be returned to me. I've emailed my brother; perhaps he will be willing to take my stuff to whoever does his taxes and have them take a second look at it. Problem there is that he lives in a different province so I'm not sure whether his tax person would want to deal with out-of-province tax forms.

Kheldarson, I pay federal and provincial tax and I went to The Big Green Tax People. I'd used them back in Niagara and never had any complaints about them. I can't say the same about this office; the first time I walked in, I swear the woman I was talking to barely knew what she was doing ... she seemed to be picking her way very carefully through every step. Also, this time there were two pieces of documentation missing -- yet both HAD to have been there last time, because the figures had been entered into the computer!

[Kheldarson]

You might double check the figures with an online software then (either one of the many free ones, or the big green or blue guys. you can start both for free; no pay until it's time to file. which is great.)

Kabe and I actually had to play that last year. WV required us to file separately since I hadn't lived in the state a whole year...never mind we were filing jointly on everything else.

And I'll just leave it there, because my rant on how taxes are done in this state is more for Fratching

[FormerCallingCardRep]

And I'll just leave it there, because my rant on how taxes are done in this state is more for Fratching

Amen. I have said that for years

[PepperElf]

This year we purchased software so we could do it ourselves. IIRC it was about 44 bucks or so, plus a mail in rebate.

Only downside was that I had to use his login on the computer because the "one free state download" went there. *meh*

Maybe next time I'll have both of us do it on the dog's account. Yes my dog has a computer account… and it's the admin account.

[Seshat]

Note to self: next time I create an admin account, name it for the cat.



Does the IRS* produce tax software? The ATO (Australian Tax Office) does, and it's a free online download.


* Is that right? United States equivalent of our ATO. Central tax office for the country.

[auntiem]

The IRS has a free file program with certain conditions (like you have to have made under a certain amount and I haven't used it yet so I don't know if you can do anything but a simple 1040). http://www.freefile.irs.gov/
If there is a VITA program in the area - usually posted at schools and unemployment offices - those are also free and the volunteers are professional CPAs and students (the students get forms checked before filing) - that is how I did it last year and it worked really well.

[KhirasHY]

It could be worse...I somehow owe almost $600 for state this year, while only getting a $116 federal refund

Had it double checked...the numbers are right, I guess I just get to be poor in April...

[PepperElf]

Note to self: next time I create an admin account, name it for the cat.

Hehe. I do that cos it's harder for any software to auto-install when I'm on my account. When I install software I have to use the admin password to authenticate it. Although there's a couple of programs that won't install correctly unless I'm actually using the admin account. The tax software we used this year is a good example - the updates wouldn't install on the other accounts for example.

And re: IRS - not exactly. The two brands I saw in the store were H&R Block & Quicken. Both were programmed with the latest tax laws however. It's the tax laws that the IRS (federal & state levels) are in charge of. The software itself is just based on those laws.

The one we bought had software for 5 federal tax statements & one state download. There were other versions out there though, some with federal only*, some with extra goodies etc.

And yes, "IRS" is correct.


* cos some states here don't have income tax (the state below mine for example).

[bhskittykatt]

Hehe. I do that cos it's harder for any software to auto-install when I'm on my account. When I install software I have to use the admin password to authenticate it.

I do the same thing.

I...I just do my taxes the old fashioned way. Well, not the old old fashioned way...I do type up the forms. But I don't qualify for free-file, and I'm too cheap to pay for software. My finances aren't so complicated that I need to go to a tax pro, but complicated enough that I can't do free-file, so I just go do it all myself.

If you were expecting a bigger refund, I'd go over the numbers yourself. Also maybe check out those places that offer second-looks at your returns. If all else fails, double-check your withholding and make sure your employer hasn't screwed it up. HR mistakes happen. Your paystub should show your exemptions as well as any additional withholding.

[Rosakala]

And re: IRS - not exactly. The two brands I saw in the store were H&R Block & Quicken. Both were programmed with the latest tax laws however. It's the tax laws that the IRS (federal & state levels) are in charge of. The software itself is just based on those laws.

FYI The IRS has zilch to do with state taxes. Its strictly federal level only. Each state is responsible for handling its own taxes.

Also the IRS does not provide any filing software. There is a free file program but all online links will lead you to a third party. Even the VITA sites don't use IRS specific software.

[Pixilated]

*snip*

If you were expecting a bigger refund, I'd go over the numbers yourself. Also maybe check out those places that offer second-looks at your returns.
*snip*

With my math skills ... going over the numbers myself might not be such a good idea ...

However, a fellow student recommended I try a place that she and her husband went to last year. I'm planning to do that, but just to clarify, I will still have to pay The Big Green Tax Calculating Machine, right?

Spilled peppermint oil all over myself in compounding lab today. The cats won't come within five feet of me.

[Jetfire]

I've used ufile for years now, and never had any issue with them. And their online/cloud version is pretty cheap (and they track what I filed the previous year for those fields). This year it looks like I'm getting abotu 100 to 150 back, less 15$ to buy the software.