online tax prep: is it cheap and safe? - where can i buy a document camera

Tax tools online-
Many people offer free advice. -
You can easily apply for a return this year.
More good news: The IRS will give you an extra two days until April 17.
However, be careful: people who file tax returns online should pay attention to two precautions: first, the price you submit for the online tax return plan may be higher than the price on the advertisement.
Second, after you file, be sure to take precautions to protect yourself from identity theft.
All major online taxes
Help providers, including household TurboTax and H & R Block, offer comparable services at comparable advertising prices.
Each website offers the option to purchase the tax software and then download it (
So you can print the returned file);
Or use the website to return the goods completely online.
For example, for basic federal returns, the turbine tax is quoted at $29.
Download $95,19.
95 to file online.
If you choose the latter option, most websites will not charge you until the end of the archiving process after you enter the data and complete the return.
But between the beginning and the end, additional fees can be added.
For example, some websites try to update-
More services and features for you-
Audit protection or fraud protection, for example--
They charge you extra if you are not clear about the checkout.
Paying state taxes will also make you pay more. -
Sometimes more-
It is easy to ignore a fact on some websites.
The promotion price of state tax is $36. 95 --
$7 more than the federal government's return.
More complex returns-
For example, deductions involving itemized deductions or personal business--
Higher fees may be incurred. (
We should point out that although the state declaration form is not included, the turbine tax can be used free of charge by the 1040EZ declarant. )Sneaky? Not at all.
Anyone who has read the site carefully at the beginning understands that he or she may end up paying a higher price than the promotion.
Nevertheless, if you submit documents online, you will not be informed of the total cost until you complete all the work and enter all the data, which makes you a hostage to the process. Into the new, flat-
TaxSlayer and OnePriceTaxes airlines.
As the name implies, a single fixed fee for a single tax, regardless of whether the return of the applicant is simple or complex.
Total cost of disclosure-
In front, there is no hidden fee.
There is no additional charge for the state tax.
The federal or state return price is $9. 95.
Federal and state joint returns will cost $14 in total. 95.
Two North Carolina entrepreneurs, Robbie Edwards and Jason Carr
A price tax was set up five years ago.
"The two giants have spent a lot of money on marketing," Edwards said of TurboTax and H & R Block . ".
They collected a lot of money for those big companies.
But we provide the same service and the IRS does the same test.
He says their target customer is the price.
Sensitive, the difference between $15 and $100 means a lot to WHO
Maybe a young man who just graduated from college.
Todd Earhart, 49, did not use the Turbo Tax until last year. A self-
He has been using some form of tax software since 1996.
Turbine taxes are getting more expensive, he said.
"The cost of breaking the transaction is the submission of the state declaration form.
The cost of the federal return seems reasonable.
But when you get back to your state, the price seems to have doubled.
Earhart made a side. by-
The contrast between TurboTax and one pricetaxes: "I want to make sure they are correct in math.
"He liked what he found, and he definitely liked the price of $15.
He believes he will spend $29 if he pays taxes this year on a turbine-tax limousine.
His submission in North Carolina was 95 and "maybe $35 more ".
Not only has he submitted his application, he has also received a refund sufficient to pay for the "new set of golf clubs.
"If you're like eenhart, take some precautions to make sure your data is not attacked by identity thieves.
If you file on paper in a traditional way, of course you will want to tear up tax documents that you no longer need.
Do the same for your electronic documents.
Security consultant Securosis says this is easy for Apple users: The mac is equipped with the equivalent of built-in
In shredder, "protect empty garbage" is listed in the Finder menu ".
By choosing it, you overwrite your data and it is almost impossible for the thief to restore it.
PC users can delete documents and empty the recycle bin.
They can purchase files to improve security
Crushing software that covers data, such as erasing or file crushing software.
The Identity Theft Resource Center says any tax documents you want to keep should be stored on the password
Protect the USB thumb drive or external hard drive.
Put these in the safe box or in the safe box in your home.
If you are satisfied with the security precautions of storage companies like Carbonite, you can store your tax files in the "cloud ---
Secure server for the company.
Or you can leave them on the desktop as passwords
Protected PDF file.
Click the Save as PDF option on your computer and then from the drop-down list-
In the drop-down menu for security options, select the option to allow the password to be added.
PC owners running Windows 7 can encrypt a single file or an entire drive using the "BitLocker" feature.
When the day you finally dispose of your computer arrives, the Privacy Information Center in San Diego recommends that you use a special product called the disk erase utility or the disk cleaner to clear the hard drive.