Tax Software

[dmclone]

1. It goes under Deductions > Taxes Paid > Personal Property Tax. I get annoyed every year I have to go get my registration receipts and look up how to find the deductible portion.
2. Is there a box on an Iowa 1040 that references your prior year filing choice?

1. It sounds like maybe this changed. I'm not close on itemizing federally.

• 2023 Iowa will no longer have its own standard or itemized deductions, incorporating the federal standard or itemized deduction instead.
• All taxpayers must now use the same filing status on their Iowa return as their federal return.
• Married taxpayers no longer have the option to file separately on a combined return.

2. Yes

 

[Dopey]

My taxes should get simpler next year and then I plan to ditch turbo tax.

 

[keepngoal]

SIAP.

taxact.com is an Iowa company. I worked with them during their time with Parsons Tech. They do right.

 

[Cyforce]

Here's my review of TurboTax. Did my son's simple 2 W-2 return last year (2022). He never got his refund. Of course he didn't inform me until last week. Yesterday we were both off and I got him to call the IRS. He was told it was never filed. According to my account it was approved 2/19/23. Have spent the past 2 days trying to reach a live voice with TurboTax. Their system runs you through then hangs up. Never again.

 

[KidSilverhair]

1. It sounds like maybe this changed. I'm not close on itemizing federally.

• 2023 Iowa will no longer have its own standard or itemized deductions, incorporating the federal standard or itemized deduction instead.
• All taxpayers must now use the same filing status on their Iowa return as their federal return.
• Married taxpayers no longer have the option to file separately on a combined return.

2. Yes

What? Is this true? I’ve always been able to get a far better deal with married filing separately, and then itemizing my state return.

You’re telling me I can’t do that anymore? G*dammit.

 

[KidSilverhair]

I used https://www.freetaxusa.com/ the last couple years after turbo tax got too pricey.

I used this last year. It was so easy to do my totally free federal return I happily paid them the 15 bucks they charged to file my Iowa return.

 

[BACyclone]

Opinions on tax prep sites for 2023? I’ve got a simple return with a single W2, some kids, some car registrations, etc.

I have been using TurboTax but they want like 80 bucks. Evidently Intuit (TurboTax) owns Cash App Tax which if free if you download the cash app. I’ve also used Tax Act in the past.

I used to use TurboTax but switched to H&R Block software several years ago and I'm much happier with it. Crazy easy to use.

 

[KidSilverhair]

So, for Iowa income taxes …

* no more “married filing separately on the same form”
* no more itemized deductions if you don’t itemize on your federal return; unless Iowa improves its standard deduction by a lot, this is bad for me
* no more deducting of federal taxes paid

Even though the state isn’t going to tax my retirement pension at all, I’m afraid of what this is going to do to my return this year. Man, this blows. Nice way to tell us “we’re cutting your income tax rates, aren’t we being generous!” while back-dooring a lot of crap like this to claw some of that back.

 

[JK4ISU]

So, for Iowa income taxes …

* no more “married filing separately on the same form”
* no more itemized deductions if you don’t itemize on your federal return; unless Iowa improves its standard deduction by a lot, this is bad for me
* no more deducting of federal taxes paid

Even though the state isn’t going to tax my retirement pension at all, I’m afraid of what this is going to do to my return this year. Man, this blows. Nice way to tell us “we’re cutting your income tax rates, aren’t we being generous!” while back-dooring a lot of crap like this to claw some of that back.

These changes are amazing to me because there was no discussion of them. I’m pretty attuned to tax stuff and I don’t remember any debate on these changes. I do remember about thirty or forty years ago a proposal to eliminate the deductibility of federal taxes on the state return and people went ballistic. It seems that now that Republicans have control of everything, they just ram the things the think tanks tell them to do through without debate.

 

[MuskieCy]

FYI,....the complete changes in the Iowa tax code has required a massive rebuilding of the Iowa 1040.

Erase all of what you used to think of an Iowa return. The state is behind in providing necessary info for the software providers. It is a sh!t show right now.

Good luck and enjoy.

 

[dmclone]

In 2022, TurboTax selected file separate but on a combined return for Iowa.

My wife and I made around $15k more in federal income in 2023.

The taxes we are going to pay to Iowa for 2023, went up by $150. We are now forced into filing jointly.

I'm not a mathematician, but I believe that's a $1,300 savings.

 

[Trice]

So, for Iowa income taxes …

* no more “married filing separately on the same form”
* no more itemized deductions if you don’t itemize on your federal return; unless Iowa improves its standard deduction by a lot, this is bad for me
* no more deducting of federal taxes paid

Even though the state isn’t going to tax my retirement pension at all, I’m afraid of what this is going to do to my return this year. Man, this blows. Nice way to tell us “we’re cutting your income tax rates, aren’t we being generous!” while back-dooring a lot of crap like this to claw some of that back.

FYI,....the complete changes in the Iowa tax code has required a massive rebuilding of the Iowa 1040.

Erase all of what you used to think of an Iowa return. The state is behind in providing necessary info for the software providers. It is a sh!t show right now.

Good luck and enjoy.

Like others, I'm surprised to learn of some of these changes. But the fact that the state is playing a shell game with taxes and botching the rollout of massive changes? That isn't a surprise in the slightest.

 

[mapnerd]

I used to use TurboTax but switched to H&R Block software several years ago and I'm much happier with it. Crazy easy to use.

I did the same thing about 3-4 years ago. TurboTax just got insanely expensive. H&R Block has been good to me.

 

[Cyghhh]

I did the same thing about 3-4 years ago. TurboTax just got insanely expensive. H&R Block has been good to me.

I've used TurboTax for years, because I have quite a few investment portfolios and they have good integration for that. Does H&R allow you to connect your portfolios as well? Maybe I'll make the switch this year.

 

[mapnerd]

I've used TurboTax for years, because I have quite a few investment portfolios and they have good integration for that. Does H&R allow you to connect your portfolios as well? Maybe I'll make the switch this year.

I don't know about that, unfortunately.

 

[JEFF420]

Here's my review of TurboTax. Did my son's simple 2 W-2 return last year (2022). He never got his refund. Of course he didn't inform me until last week. Yesterday we were both off and I got him to call the IRS. He was told it was never filed. According to my account it was approved 2/19/23. Have spent the past 2 days trying to reach a live voice with TurboTax. Their system runs you through then hangs up. Never again.

he didn't receive emails telling you that feds received return? and later an email saying it was accepted?

 

[Cyforce]

he didn't receive emails telling you that feds received return? and later an email saying it was accepted?

No, and like I said he didn't tell me until last week.

 

[JEFF420]

No, and like I said he didn't tell me until last week.

awesome. i cant wait until my kids are that age

 

[kevdiv48]

converted to Freetaxusa last year from friend's suggestion. absolutely the way to go. had done H&R block for a few years prior and TurboTax before the tax.

 

[mkadl]

Opinions on tax prep sites for 2023? I’ve got a simple return with a single W2, some kids, some car registrations, etc.

I have been using TurboTax but they want like 80 bucks. Evidently Intuit (TurboTax) owns Cash App Tax which if free if you download the cash app. I’ve also used Tax Act in the past.

This is my third year with HR block. Online. After 3 decades I feel really comfortable/confident doing it my self. Standard deduction, some IRA to Roth IRA confusion every year because I just started converting 3 years ago. But after looking at last years entries it come back in a day or two. I used tax act for 6-7 yearsr then they changed the look and feel and I really got confused. Entered everything on HR block and it came out correct, then I paid and filed. Never looked back. Before Tax Act I used a software that was based out of Cedar Rapids, Parson Technology? Dont remember what the software was called. i looked it up it was tax edge that I used in the early 90s.