How to file my taxes?

[HNZ91 70]

Hi All

 

I used to use an accountant for the last years to file my taxes , he retired so I tried to use H&R block and the accountant there was confused and doing a lot of mistakes so I decided to find another way of filling

 

I’m a permanent resident and my taxes are not that complicated ( W2 and 1099 from stock trading )

 

did anyone tried credit karma to file taxes? Is it ok to use it for permanent residents? 
 

it seems free and easy . Please advise

 

Thank you

[Crazy Cat 39,857]

TurboTax is my favorite for people doing their own taxes.

[HNZ91 70]

6 minutes ago, Lucky Cat said:

TurboTax is my favorite for people doing their own taxes.

Do you see it easy to specify that you are a permanent resident?

[Crazy Cat 39,857]

2 minutes ago, HNZ91 said:

Do you see it easy to specify that you are a permanent resident?

I don't understand your question.  There is no place to specify you are a permanent resident on a 1040 tax form.  

Edited February 22, 2021 by Lucky Cat

[HNZ91 70]

3 minutes ago, Lucky Cat said:

I don't understand your question.  There is no place to specify you are a permanent resident on a 1040 tax form.  

I see

 

When I tried H&R Block they asked me what is immigration status and based on that it pick the 1040. This is why I was wondering if TurboTax is the same

[Crazy Cat 39,857]

2 minutes ago, HNZ91 said:

I see

 

When I tried H&R Block they asked me what is immigration status and based on that it pick the 1040. This is why I was wondering if TurboTax is the same

What H&R Block said makes no sense.  Filing taxes is the same for US citizens and legal residents.  1040s can be used by everyone.

[HNZ91 70]

1 minute ago, Lucky Cat said:

What H&R Block said makes no sense.  Filing taxes is the same for US citizens and legal residents.  1040s can be used by everyone.

I think they just collect information in the system , as you said 1040 is for citizens and legal residents.

 

thanks a lot 

[Wuozopo 4,290]

@HNZ91
 

I like TurboTax as well. Free is not always free, but you can try it. I prefer the installed desktop version of Turbo which I bought for $29.99. That’s a lot less than you paid the accountant or would have paid H&R. Wondering why you thought he was making mistakes if it is a simple return.

 

if your stock is with a brokerage, many can be downloaded by TurboTax and all your Schedule B and D will automatically fill in for you. I download Edward Jones tax statements into TurboTax and it is like magic. No entering sales, dividends, capital gains etc.

[Emsi 2]

Hi All, 

 

In 2020 I went to unemployment after we submitted marriage based application to USCIS (I’m us citizen and at the time we applied I was my husband’s sponsor).

 

2020 taxes would show that I myself didn’t meet the USCIS sponsorship requirements. 
 

Do 2020 taxes matter if in January this year I started a full time job that again makes me eligible to be his sponsor? Interview in two weeks

thanks

[Wuozopo 4,290]

16 minutes ago, Emsi said:

Hi All, 

 

In 2020 I went to unemployment after we submitted marriage based application to USCIS (I’m us citizen and at the time we applied I was my husband’s sponsor).

 

2020 taxes would show that I myself didn’t meet the USCIS sponsorship requirements. 
 

Do 2020 taxes matter if in January this year I started a full time job that again makes me eligible to be his sponsor? Interview in two weeks

thanks

Your latest tax return is 2019 until April 15, unless you have already filed 2020. If you can show you are currently employed and provide proof with a letter from your employer of your current yearly salary, then you can be approved as qualified. You might want to complete a new complete Affidavit of Support with the new employer details, an employment letter, and of course the required most recent tax return. 

Edited February 25, 2021 by Wuozopo

[Wafflebot 21]

Give freetaxusa.com a try. I used to be a tax prepaper (used non-consumer software for that), and I've been very happy with them over the years doing my personal taxes. The only downside is that they don't have form import-functionality, which can by helpful if you have a lot of stock trades on your 1099-B.

 

Turbo-tax and Credit Karma (both Intuit products) are owned by a company that actively lobbies to keep the tax return filing process as complicated as possible so they can keep pushing their software. I prefer spending my money elsewhere.