2010 Tax Software Deals

By Sun

With the 2011 tax season in full swing, many of us will begin to prepare to file their 2010 taxes. If you don’t plan to heir an account to do your returns, a tax preparation software is all you need to get the job done without much pain and receive your refund back faster(if you are expecting one and using e-filing which is free in most cases). However, before you head to the store to buy a software, whether it’s TurboTax or H&R Block, you may want to check to see whether you are eligible to file your taxes for free. Basically, if you have a simple tax situation, for example, if you have no mortgage, no investment gains/losses,  and no donations, then you can pretty much file your Federal returns for free and there are many options to do so. Here’s a quick summary of where you can file 2010 federal income taxes for free:

  • IRS Free File: For those taxpayers with 2010 Adjusted Gross Income of $58,000 or less.
  • TurboTax Online Free Edition: For taxpayers with simple federal taxes regardless of income level. Free e-file included.
  • H&R Block At Home Free: For those use 1040EZ. You can use the free service either online or in person at one of H&R Block offices.
  • TaxAct Free Edition: Available for everyone, regardless their income or age. It can handles both simple and complex tax returns. Free e-file included.
  • CompleteTax Basic: For taxpayers who have simple taxes, including child/dependent care expenses and education expenses, such as student loan interest, tuition payment, education credits and tuition or fee deductions. Free e-file included.

If  you do have to buy a tax software, you need to shop around to find the best deal. While you can always get it from the makers, Intuit and H&R Block, directly, you are likely to get one from a retailer at a better price because there are so many retailers out there carrying one or both of them.  Following is a list of sites where you can buy both TurboTax and H&R Block At Home. I plan to keep it updated as new deals or promotions come up.

H&R Block

Intuit

Amazon.com

Amazon.com tax center has all the 2010 tax software you need to file your taxes, from both Intuit TurboTax and H&R Block At Home (formerly TaxCut). Current deals are:

Staples.com

Buy.com

BestBuy.com

Costco

In addition to these retailers, you can also get the software at a discount from institutions which you have a business relationship with. For example, I have a brokerage account with Scottrade and it’s offering 30% off if I get TurboTax through Capital One. Bank of America also has a better offer at 30% discount for its customers. It’s always a good idea to check which one has the best deal before making the purchase.

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This post was written by Sun You can find out more about Sun and his activities on Facebook , or follow him on Twitter .

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