Frugal Ways to File Your Taxes

It’s tax season and you know what that means—long hours of number crunching to file your taxes! So much fun! Some will owe money, and others will receive money. If you’re a part of the latter group, this can definitely be exciting.

But the not exciting part is the amount of time it takes to complete your taxes and the amount of money you have to spend just to file. Don’t let it get you down. There are plenty of frugal ways to file your taxes. Whether you are due a refund or not, everyone wants to hold onto their money!

TurboTax

Did you know TurboTax is the leader of the do-it-yourself tax software market? It accounts for about two-thirds of the overall tax preparation market.* You can file your federal taxes for free with TurboTax, but your state taxes will cost $27.99. Before you get started, find out what product features you will need to be covered. If your tax situation is simple, obviously there’s no need to purchase the Premier TurboTax package.

Free file Alliance

If your AGI (adjusted gross income) is $60,000 or less, you can file your taxes for free! Word to the wise–this option is for the experienced tax filers. It will do the calculations for you but will not offer additional guidance like tax software.^**

Go to irs.gov/freefile

H&R Block

Another well trusted and inexpensive option is H&R Block. It will cost you $9.99 for the state return and $0 for the federal return.

TaxACT

TaxACT offers free federal too! The ultimate bundle can be purchased for $19.99, which includes free e-files, tax help & audit support, federal, and state.

For more low-cost to free ways to file your taxes check here and here.

SOURCES:

* Hiltzik, Michael. “Intuit Changed TurboTax This Year, Triggering an Enormous Customer Uproar.” Los Angeles Times, http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-mh-intuits-catastrophic-turbotax-20150118-column.html

** “Cheapest Options for Filing Taxes Online.” Trib Total Media, http://triblive.com/business/headlines/7693877-74/free-tax-file#axzz3SJgRso2N