TurboTax 2008 is completed and filed and I pray nothing will go wrong with it this year.  (In 2006 the IRS thought that a $15,000 transfer between two funds was a disbursement, and therefore income.   I was not a happy camper.)  It all seemed to go rather smoothly this year and I am happy, happy to have it done with.  All seniors should know that TurboTax is FREE for those with an adjusted gross income of under $30,000 and many of us fall nicely into that category, especially since Social Security income doesn’t even count toward the $30,000!  (Don’t ask me why that happens.)

I have to say, too, that this year’s version of the free TurboTax is much easier to deal with than last year’s.  It used to be that I would add up all my medical and dental costs, my charitable contributions, etc. and then enter the figures into TurboTax.    TurboTax would then proceed to inform me that I’d be better off claiming the standard deduction!   All that trouble of getting the actual amounts sorted and added up  — for nothing.   Now they ask for an estimate of deductions:   Under $1000, $1000 to $2000, $2000 to $3000 etc., and tell you whether it is going to be worthwhile to go to all the work of compiling the actual figures.    For me, it wasn’t.   Actually my standard deduction is such that it amounts to one-third of my total income.   (Don’t ask me why that happens.)

I love this year’s TurboTax.  I hope it loves me back.  But it’s filed, and accepted – and so is my State tax.   For the time being, all is well.

To see if free TurboTax is for you click TurboTax.

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Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s. — Mark 12:17