I’ve pretty much filled in the returns for me and the famz. Just need to quick review and then submit very, very late April. The gubmint can wait for their money. 
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I keep owing (I thought I dropped my # dependents), so I filed and paid today.
We also came into some IRA money that was not taxed until we received it. I did ask for a withhold on that, but not for the State.
Trump made filing for us a lot easier, so 5 minutes instead of 45.
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I was pretty happy with around $400 in my favor this year. That’s after paying the CPA.
Filed ours about a week ago (owed tax on federal, owed a small amount state). Used my turbo tax to do younger daughter’s federal and state today. (Also used turbo tax for ours, and it lets me do up to five returns, so no added cost for daughter.) Also did state and federal for my mother about a week ago. Her medical expenses are so high that she owes no federal or state income tax. She’s in a different state, so my turbotax state license can’t be used for her, but fortunately that state return in her situation is quite simple.
I don’t even remember when, but I filed.
Hope you’re not using H&R Block today…
https://www.wsj.com/personal-finance/taxes/hr-block-outage-tax-day-2024-16789a21?mod=hp_listc_pos3
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H&R Block’s Tax Day Outage Frustrates Last-Minute Filers - WSJ
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H&R Block’s Tax Day Outage Frustrates Last-Minute Filers
Desktop software users are being told to mail in their tax returns instead of e-filing
By
April 15, 2024 1:32 pm ET
H&R Block says it has received about 2,000 inquiries related to the technology outage so far. Photo: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
H&R Block HRB -0.56%decrease; red down pointing triangle
said it was experiencing technology outages on Monday, preventing thousands of last-minute tax filers from sending in their returns.
Some people who bought and downloaded the H&R Block software on their computers have been unable to electronically file their returns. Those who use the company’s software through a web browser or who work directly with its tax professionals aren’t affected, H&R Block said.
The outage started around 9 p.m. Sunday. As of early afternoon on Monday, H&R Block said it didn’t have an update on when the issue would be resolved. A spokeswoman for the company said: “We are working to resolve the issue quickly and ask clients to please try again later today or print and mail their return if that is more convenient.”
The filing deadline for tax returns in all but two U.S. states is 11:59 p.m. on Monday. Millions of Americans rely on online tax preparation services to help them fill out the appropriate forms and send them to the Internal Revenue Service.
H&R Block, one of the largest tax preparation companies, has told some customers experiencing issues that they can print out their forms and send them to the IRS by mail. The IRS encourages e-filing, warning that processing paper returns takes several weeks longer. Paper filers who are owed refunds can experience delays receiving them.
H&R Block says it has received about 2,000 inquiries related to the technology outage so far. More than 20 million taxpayers filed with H&R Block last year.
Users posted on social media that they were getting error messages, and repeat pending credit card charges for multiple filing attempts.
Filers who don’t want to mail in their returns can make an online payment through IRS Direct Pay and indicate that it is for an extension. They can file once the H&R Block systems are back up.
Many taxpayers who procrastinate owe taxes. Late filing penalties and interest charges on balances due kick in one day after tax day.
Separately, the U.S. Treasury Department said Monday that it met the goal of 100,000 taxpayers filing returns as part of the Direct File pilot program by midday Sunday, with more than 50,000 taxpayers filing over the past week. Eligible taxpayers in all 12 pilot states can file simple tax returns using Direct File until 11:59 p.m. on Monday, or on Wednesday for those in Massachusetts. Taxpayers with more complicated returns can file free online with an IRS Free File partner or by using IRS fillable forms.
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On Tax Day, H&R Block experienced a significant technology outage, affecting desktop software users who couldn’t e-file their returns. While web browser users and those working with tax professionals weren’t affected, the outage frustrated last-minute filers, with some resorting to mailing in their returns instead. H&R Block advised affected customers to try filing later or opt for mailing their forms. The IRS prefers e-filing due to faster processing, but H&R Block assured users they could file once systems were restored. The outage prompted over 2,000 inquiries, impacting a fraction of their 20 million users from the previous year. Taxpayers facing delays were encouraged to utilize IRS Direct Pay for extensions. Meanwhile, the Treasury Department reported success with its Direct File pilot program, aimed at simplifying tax filings for eligible taxpayers across several states.
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What does TurboTax charge in the US for a basic return? Here they constantly try to “upsell” you during the filing process: very annoying. I also get charged for each return I do on my account: no freebies.
Not sure how it works in Canada, but in the US Turbo tax has at least 5 different levels of software you can purchase depending on the complexity of your return which usually includes 1 State filing but you can purchase other state filings if you have income in multiple states. Then when you file there a couple add one you can purchase, audit defender being the most common one I believe.
The version we bought allows us to file 5 returns. We wound up using all 5. Though only ours is complicated, the others are pretty straightforward. 1 for us, 1 for each of the 3 kids and 1 for MiL. And we purchase an additional state filing for the 2 kids who live in a different state but they live in the same different state so we only had to purchase 1 additional state return.
Then I think there was a filing fee for each return filed electronically which we did.
Not sure how much the total was for the 5 returns but they do ding you here and there.
Good question, they don’t like to tell you. They advertise $0 for federal (for about 30% of filers). Then after you accept that you’re already here and going to pay for the service because you made more than (making up numbers) $45,000, they also upsell you at every step. “Would you like help in case of an audit or would you prefer to be screwed? Just give us $10 more, asshole.”
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I’ve been using FreeTaxUSA for a few years now. I’ve never had a charge for Federal and State is ~$15 to file electronically. I submitted the State return via snail mail this year to save the $15. /cheap actuary
They do try to upsell, but I don’t find it too annoying.
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Filed an extension. Didn’t get my files together until about March 20, sent them to my guy, and hadn’t heard anything by last Monday (Apr 8), so suggested to file the extension. Did and it was accepted.
2022 Tax year I owed about $5k, as there was a child who was no longer eligible for some deduction and I hadn’t withheld enough. Bumped that up for 2023, so I wonder if it was enough. Have several other children rolling off those credits in the near future too.
I bought the Premier version, which I believe is the 3rd one up and surely would be enough for almost everyone. For several years I bought the second one up, but switched when they moved most of the capital gains and losses logic into Premier. It does allow 5 federal and one state (that’s one state for filing, could do the same 5 returns if that state applies to all). I believe I paid $89, a savings from the normal list price, getting it in December 2023. It does not include any free state e-filing, but all 5 federals could be e-filed free.
Additional states I believe would be $25 per state. Each state e-filing would be $20 AIR.
FWIW, the extension to file is automatically granted.
However, as I’m sure you know, it’s not an extension to pay anything you may owe. You’ve still got to somehow magically know what that number is and pay up before the deadline or else you’ll just add on some penalties (maybe) and interest (certainly) (which aren’t going to be killers but might lead you to curse the irs).
Ideally pay with the extension request so you don’t get hit with interest and failure to pay penalties.
The extension extends your date to file. It does NOT extend your date to pay.
late to the party
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I did not know that.
How TF am I supposed to know how much I owe them? We haven’t had time to figure it out, thus the extension!!!
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I know!
Over-estimate and get a refund.
If you owed $5,000 last year, pay $5,000. Then since you adjusted your withholdings maybe it turns out that you only owed $3,000… now you’ll get a $2,000 refund. Or you can just apply the $2,000 to your 2024 liability… your choice.
Or if you think “hey, I adjusted my withholdings by an adequate amount, but not until 25% of the way through the year” then maybe you only pay $1,250. But if it turns out that you actually owe $1,260 then you’ll have a failure to pay penalty plus interest on the $10. So go ahead and pay $2,000 just to be safe.
But at least in the second case (where you paid $1,250 but owed $1,260) the interest & penalties are only being calculated on $10 rather than $1,260, so you’re still saving a bunch.
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Also, failure to pay is 0.5% of the unpaid balance per month… no partial months (you get hit for the full month on the 16th of each month). Interest is also assessed monthly and is usually less than the penalty but nonzero. The rate fluctuates between 3% & 8% annually… I think it’s currently under 4%.
So if you think you won’t get this wrapped up by May 15, go ahead & pay in the next few weeks so you only get hit with one month of interest & penalties.
And hopefully this goes without saying but just in case… tell your tax preparer that you made the payment!!!
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Lastly, don’t feel too bad about the interest & penalties. If you extended and file by October 15, the interest & penalties are under $10 a month per $1,000 owed.
By extending you’re saving the failure to file penalty which is 5% of the balance owed for the first 5 months. That’s a far nastier bite!
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