It's tax time again

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Specializes in LTC.

Just wondering do any of you do your own taxes like with turbo tax or do you go someplace and get yours done? Just got my w2 and am pondering which route to go this year. Have you ever claimed work expenses like uniforms etc I've heard that you can claim it if you have receipts. I'm an idiot when it comes to taxes .

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, adult med/surg, peds BMT.

I use turbo tax. Have for years. It walks u through stepby step. Yes to uniforms, stethoscope, professional journals. Again it points out everything. There is no cost to use thesoftware. I go to hr block. This has the added advantage of storing my tax info each year making filling out my fafsa easier.

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I have used Turbotax, Tax Act, and Taxslayer and found all three programs to be great. I have prepared our taxes for years even when my husband was self employed. A tax prep place charges a small fortune to do these types of returns!

I have found all three of these programs very user friendly. They will guide you step by step through doing your own return.

Have a great day!

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Over the years hubby and I have done taxes ourselves, had H&R block do them and we now have an accountant do it.

Yes, you can write off professional expenses, don't forget premiums.

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Specializes in LTC.

Thanks. I've been leaning more towards the turbo tax . My in laws use it for theirs. I have saved my receipts for stuff I've bought for work uniforms, pens, hiliters, renewal etc. This will be my first time doing it on my own.

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

I have always done my own -- by hand, no software. Mine aren't that complicated.

Business expenses can only be deducted if they total more than a certain percentage of your income. I never had enough business expenses to corss that threshold.

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I used used turbo tax in '04 and '05. Took some deductions I was not entitled to and ended up owing the IRS about $5,000. Then I went to HR Block in '06 and '07 - they charged me close to $525 and I didn't feel like they really understood what they were doing. Then a friend recommended travel nurse tax pro. Cost me $375 in '07 and '08 and they really understand what deductions I can and cannot take. very helpful and knowledgible. - Karina

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Specializes in LTC, Memory loss, PDN.

I've used Turbo Tax for years. I've also tried other tax prep software, just to have a comparison, but always went back to Turbo Tax. Yes you can claim work related expenses, but the main question is whether it is beneficial to you to itemize. If you end up taking the standard deduction, there's no need to keep track of those expenses. The software will give you the choice of both options and you can select to go with the option that yields a higher refund. If you have a mortgage that is not close to maturity, you'll most likely benefit from itemizing.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

I've been using Turbo Tax since 2007 and, although it is user-friendly, it doesn't explain the future ramifications of taking certain tax deductions. One year I took a couple of tax deductions that were really not applicable to my situation. The IRS caught it about 18 months later and sent me a bill for nearly $600 since interest had accrued on the balance due.

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