Filing a federal and state tax return is easier today than it ever has been. Not too long ago, preparing your own returns meant going to the library, the post office or another public building and picking up paper forms and instructions. Today, online tax preparation has advanced to a point where we can even prepare and file our tax return on our smart phones and electronic devices.
So, the question is, “Can I do my taxes by myself?” For most tax-filers, the answer is, “Yes!” If you have the ambition, time, willingness to learn and some patience, doing taxes on your own has several advantages.
Cost savings
One of the biggest advantages of preparing your own tax return is the cost. On average, it will cost over 200 dollars to have your individual return prepared at a CPA firm if you don’t itemize your deductions. Add another 100 dollars if you’re itemizing, and add much more for business, rental, or capital gains income and deductions. With our software the federal return is always $0, regardless of how complex it is or how many forms are in your return.
Timing
Another advantage of filing on your own is that you control when your return is filed. If you go to a paid preparer, you must deal with their workload and organizational skills. Your tax return will be in line with all their other clients, and they’ll complete it when it’s your turn. With our product, you can get a jump start as early as November the year before the return needs to be filed, allowing you to do a little tax planning. This is particularly helpful for tax filers planning retirement contributions and distributions. As soon as the IRS opens for e-file we’re ready to help you file your return and get that refund as soon as possible.
Complexity of returns
Apart from a few rare circumstances, our software can handle returns that have simple to complex income and deduction situations. Regardless of whether you’re just starting out in life, you’re into retirement, or you have businesses, rentals, and investments, we’ve got you covered. Since it’s free to start a return, start your return with us. We have plenty of support options to help you all along the way.
Customer support and tax pros
Doing taxes on your own doesn’t mean you can’t get help. If you run into issues and have questions, we have the best customer support in the industry. Our skilled customer service representatives are knowledgeable, fast, and always friendly and helpful. You have access to customer service through speedy email-type service without any charge. For reasonable low fees, we have a pair of premium support options:
- Deluxe Support – Allows you to access customer support agents in real time with Live Chat.
- Pro Support – Allows you access to tax professional customer support agents (CPAs, and enrolled agents) with Live Chat or via scheduled phone calls to answer tax questions and tailored guidance on handling unique tax situations on your return.
Our goal is to help you feel comfortable so that you can prepare an accurate return on your own.
Learning a new skill
Tax preparation can be scary, but it doesn’t need to be with all the tax support available. True, taxes can get confusing, but we can help regardless of where you’re at. Then if your return gets more complex, you can add additional support. You’ll learn as you go. For many self-preparers, the satisfaction of doing taxes on your own is worth it.
Can you do it? YES, you can! Every year, millions of people are discovering how easy it is to prepare their own tax return. Just follow our steps in our “Tips for Preparing Your Taxes Easily” article and start an account at FreeTaxUSA today.
