:: TAX TIME!It's beginning to look a lot like tax time. Well, okay, maybe it doesn't look like it yet, but it's definitely that time of year again. And TurboTax SnapTax has been updated for the 2013 tax season just in time.
For the unfamiliar, SnapTax is all about making your federal (and state with an in-app purchase) taxes less of a hassle via your iOS device. Simply take a photo of your W-2, answer some questions, then e-file. This year's update, aside from being necessary due to the near constant shifting and tweaking of tax legislation, also gives users the option to use the app in Spanish. Additionally, the app makes it easy to contact qualified professionals if a bit of help is needed.
You can grab the new TurboTax SnapTax right now for free (federal), with an optional IAP of $14.99 (state).
For those of us in the US, it's that time again: taxes! TurboTax, one of the leading online and software-based tax services, has just released SnapTax, which lets you snap a picture of your W9, and submit it via the app, all for a $24.99 fee. If you have simple taxes, this might be the app for you.
So, for those ready to file their taxes – they have all their paperwork ready at hand, their dependents counted, deductions itemized and ready to go, this means that it's time to start filling out confusing paperwork, or hop on the computer, or just go down to a local tax professional, right? Nope. TurboTax doesn't just have a way to estimate tax returns, there's now a full-fledged iPad app for filing and submitting taxes. TurboTax guides users through the tax filing process with handy, user-friendly steps and language that is designed to hopefully make the process less confusing, and to help find deductions. As well, info from past TurboTax returns can be imported into the app to speed along the process.
TurboTax is free to download and use, with the only fees coming when it is time to e-file, then the app charges an in-app purchase for filing. The app supports both filing federal and state income taxes, though there is a separate fee for each filing. Still, for those looking to do their taxes the easy and technologically-savvy way on their iPad, this is a definite option. The app is available now.
It's the most wonderful time of year – tax season. Thankfully, TaxCaster from TurboTax is here to help users figure out whether to expect to be cutting a check to the IRS, or if Uncle Sam will be sending some money their way. TaxCaster is a universal iOS app that lets users plug in their vital financial information and get an estimated refund amount. Income, tax withholding, donations, deductions, dependents; these can all be plugged into the app and the app will give an estimate of how much the user can expect as far as payments or refunds in taxes will go. The app is very easy to use, with various sliders for adjusting income, and it just requires the user to have the information to put in. This is not an application for actually filing and submitting one's taxes, it is just for estimation, but it makes it very easy for users to help get a clue on what they can expect from the process.
The only two things which are certain are death and taxes. Well, we've covered the former extensively, so here come the taxes. Especially since this week (in the US, anyway) is the deadline for filing yours! So I present to you our favorite apps for helping you out in the otherwise treacherous waters of Income Tax Filing.
TurboTax SnapTax
Quite possibly the simplest, easiest and hassle-free way to file your taxes. I have rarely seen an app get such uniformly positive reviews on the App Store. You know you're living in the future when you can take a photo of your W2 and practically everything is taken care of for you. There's no need to manually enter your income information, just answer a few basic questions and you can file right from within the app. While the app is free, you will need to pay $19.99 to process and file, which personally seems like a bargain considering the minimal effort involved.
A great choice for most, but not everyone, read the caveats included on the iTunes descriptions page to make sure this is right for you, if not, you could also check out the TurboTax iPad app which offers more options.
H&R Block Tax Central
If you're looking for something more along the lines of a general guide to tax preparation than I suggest the H&R Block app. It offers a great sort of FAQ and guide to filling out your forms. It also includes a checklist to make sure you have all of your required paperwork, or estimate what your return might be. It's geared towards getting you into H&R Block, so you'll also be able to search for nearby offices. While acting more as an overall guide, it's still very useful and handy information to have around, especially since most of the information is available offline.
IRS Regulations (Title 26 Code of Federal Regulations - Internal Revenue)
A serious title for a seriously hefty app. While I realize that most people won't need a copy of this hefty tome, I'm certain that those who do would very much appreciate the work put into this app, and making the entire Code (all 39.4 MB of it) available on their iPhone or iPad with full search integration. It also offers highlighting, bookmarking and sharing via email of any section of the code. While there are several similar apps available, this one really seems to offer the best user interactivity. Most importantly, it's the most recently updated for this tax season.
MyTaxRefund
Perhaps you've not procrastinated your way through April, and actually got your filing done already. If you've E-Filed than you simply have to get MyTaxRefund to track your refund. It'll update for the status of your return, alert you if for any reason it was rejected, and best of all it will estimate the time that your return will be back to you. It's simple, it's free, but it works.
I didn't want to include two apps from the same developer, but I simply couldn't overlook this. TurboTax is doing a phenomenal job in taking on the app world for tax season.
The app works just like the desktop version of the software, featuring a similar interface and step-by-step walkthrough of the tax filing process. You answer the same guided questions about your finances as usual, and the app figures out how much you either get back from or owe the IRS. Entering your information is intuitive and quick thanks to the iPad's touchscreen. The app works in either portrait or landscape mode as well.
Like the desktop version of TurboTax, all of your data remains on your iPad until you're ready to connect to the Internet and file. Although the app is free to download on the iTunes App Store, when you try to file, you'll have to pay for the software, just like in the other versions of TurboTax. There are numerous versions to choose from, starting at $29.99.
While using TurboTax 2010 on iPad is as seamless a process as it is in the desktop version, there are some shortcomings to note. The biggest drawback to the app is that you cannot import the previous year's data. Instead, you'll have to start your filing process from the very beginning. That said, you can at least move over any data you've already entered into the desktop version of TurboTax 2010 to your iPad with ease. So, if you want to enter everything in on your desktop and then transfer it to your iPad (or vice versa), that's an option.
For next year's version, hopefully we'll see the addition of an import option and W-2 scanning via the iPad 2's camera.
If you're not an iPad owner, but you have an iPhone, a similar app, called SnapTax, allows you to file directly from your phone. And you can even scan your W-2 with the phone's camera with this app.
