Tax Preparation – the amazing buffet of choices

I am helping my daughter with her first-ever tax return. We are using H&R Block’s software, but this BusinessWeek article lists a few more options as returns get more complex like TurboTax, TaxSlayer.com, H&R Block office, and tax practitioners

And there are services from Jackson Hewitt, Liberty Tax, accounting firms and software like TaxACT, eSmart Tax, Taxbrain and others. The IRS itself offers a Free File SaaS option.

The IRS is trying to put a licensing model in place for tax preparers, but even if that happens, we should continue with plenty of choices.

I hope my daughter reads this before next year’s taxes and avails of the choice for someone other than her father. Her returns will only get more complex as she gets more successful in life!

Comments

[Tax Preparer]

I actually just filed my first tax return this year. I went in and talked to a professional tax preparer to help me out. It was a good experience for me, and I should get a pretty good return too.