Due Tuesday, and Sunday Beauty
IRS Program Lets Taxpayers Use Popular Tax Preparation Software Free, and e-File For Free
(* Reposting) I am like many Americans in that I have become somewhat reliant on my computer to help me do my Federal taxes. It all started (ages ago, now) with a CD I received in the mail — a free copy of H&R Block’s TaxCut. I tried it. And I found it just a wee bit easier to use and figure out than the 1040A user manual our government provides.
Nowadays to access the free version of TaxCut (or TurboTax), I have to first go to to the IRS website.
On the IRS site, there is a page called “FreeFile”, and here you will find the “partnership links” to the free versions of 19 accepted tax prep programs — of which TaxCut (and also TurboTax) is one.
To qualify, you must have an Adjusted Gross Income of $56,000 or less.
Today’s free link: FreeFile at the IRS
Note: there are two buttons on the page; “I will choose” and “help me choose”. Though all of the programs there are accepted by the IRS, I would recommend clicking the “I will choose”, and then selecting either TaxCut or TurboTax.
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Today’s quote: “Sometimes letting things go is an act of far greater power than defending or hanging on.” ~ Eckhart Tolle
Copyright 2007-2014 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.
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How To Get Free Tax-prep Programs & e-Filing
IRS Program Lets Taxpayers Use Tax Preparation Software and e-File For Free
I am like many Americans in that I have become somewhat reliant on my computer to help me do my Federal taxes. It all started with a CD I received in the mail — a free copy of H&R Block’s TaxCut. I tried it. And I found it just a wee bit easier to use and figure out than the 1040A user manual our government provides.
The following year, I received a CD, and the year after that.. and sure enough, I became “hooked” on TaxCut. (I understand that the other tax prep software player(s) did the same in other locations.)
Last year, however, H&R Block neglected to send me a free TaxCut CD.
Well, NBD, I figured. I’ll just go to the H&R Block website and download a copy.
Wrong.
On the site, H&R Block wants to sell me a copy.
By now, I was “jonesing” for my TaxCut “fix”… I almost paid. But with a little further research I found out that to access the free version of TaxCut, I had to first go to to the IRS website.
On the IRS site, there is a page called “FreeFile”, and here you will find the “partnership links” to the free versions of 19 accepted tax prep programs — of which TaxCut (and also TurboTax) is one.
To qualify, you must have an Adjusted Gross Income of $56,000 or less.
Today’s free link: FreeFile at the IRS
Note: there’s two buttons on the page; “I will choose” and “help me choose”. Though all of the programs there are accepted by the IRS, I would recommend clicking the “I will choose”, and then selecting either TaxCut or TurboTax.
Copyright 2007-2010 © Tech Paul. All Rights Reserved. 
post to jaanix.
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The contents of this email and any attachments are confidential and as applicable
‘Tis The Season Of The IRS Scam Emails
* “Phishing“ is the criminally fraudulent process of attempting to acquire sensitive information (such as usernames, passwords and credit card details) by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication.
Most people consider the IRS both trustworthy and authoritative.
* “Social engineering” is the act of manipulating people into performing actions or divulging confidential information. While similar to a confidence trick or simple fraud, the term typically applies to trickery or deception for the purpose of information gathering, fraud, or computer system access. (Greed and fear are often used..)
“ATTN: Dear Applicant
After the last annual calculation of your fiscal activity we have determined that you are eligible to receive a tax refund of $314.79“…
It would seem that good old human greed is the ‘angle of attack’ in this particular IRS phish, but I have seen fear used as well (easy to do when posing as the IRS. Most people don’t react well to the word “audit”…).
I have highlighted the clues that should trigger your “paranoid common sense” (which, yes! Dear Reader, you should double and triple while on the [unpoliced] Internet):
* wouldn’t the IRS know your name?
* I didn’t apply for anything…
* wouldn’t the IRS have the required form online? Why do you need to download an attachment? And why is the there two ‘dots’ in the attachment name? Is it a PDF? Or an HTML webpage???
* why isn’t http://www.irs.gov (which is the real URL, btw) clickable? Because they don’t want me to go there?
* Why is the IRS contacting me by email? They don’t have my email.. do they? I never gave it to them.. but they do have my mailing address..
And why is “this email is confidential” the subject line?
Just in case you are still wondering: there is a 0% chance I have another refund coming from the IRS; there is a 0% chance this email came from a Gov’t institution; there is a 100% chance of becoming a victim should I respond to this email in any way.
Gmail flagged this as spam, and was in my Junk folder, but some will slip through to your Inbox. No matter. Delete, unopened, in either case.
Unrelated: Folks, see my current software license giveaway: Software Licence Giveaway
Copyright 2007-2010 © Tech Paul. All Rights Reserved. post to jaanix.
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Federal Free File – eTaxes, 2008
IRS Program Lets Taxpayers Use Tax Preparation Software For Free
I am like many Americans in that I have become somewhat reliant on my computer to help me do my Federal taxes. It all started with a CD I received in the mail — a free copy of H&R Block’s TaxCut. I tried it. And I found it just a wee bit easier to use and figure out than the 1040A user manual our government provides.
The following year, I received a CD, and the year after that.. and sure enough, I became “hooked” on TaxCut. (I understand that the other tax prep software player(s) did the same in other locations.)
This year, however, H&R Block neglected to send me a free TaxCut CD.
Well, NBD, I figured. I’ll just go to the H&R Block website and download a copy.
Wrong.
On the site, H&R Block wants to sell me a copy.
By now, I was “jonesing” for my TaxCut “fix”… I almost paid. But with a little further research I found out that to access the free version of TaxCut, I had to first go to to the IRS website.
On the IRS site, there is a page called “FreeFile”, and here you will find the “partnership links” to the free versions of 19 accepted tax prep programs — of which TaxCut (and also TurboTax) is one.
To qualify, you must have an Adjusted Gross Income of $56,000 or less.
Today’s free link: FreeFile at the IRS
Note: there’s two buttons on the page; “I will choose” and “help me choose”. Though all of the programs there are accepted by the IRS, I would recommend clicking the “I will choose”, and then selecting either TaxCut or TurboTax.
Copyright 2007-9 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix
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A Dirty Little Secret
You would know if someone was using your social security number, right? Well, maybe not.. in fact, probably not. The folks who know are probably legally barred from telling you.
No matter what your political leanings, or feelings on the immigration issue are, there’s a dirty little secret I think you ought to be aware of.
Bob Sullivan’s Red Tape Chronicles (“Corporate sneakiness. Government waste. Technology run amok. Outright scams. The Red Tape Chronicles is MSNBC.com’s effort to unmask these 21st Century headaches and offer real solutions that save you time and money.”) wrote an eye-opening article,
HIDDEN COST OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION: ID THEFT
Here’s a link to Bob discussing this issue on camera. (Requires Flash)
Immigration and ID theft
Today’s free link: and here’s a resource if you are concerned about ID Theft, or need some help because you, or someone you know, are a victim. IDTheftAwareness.com
Copyright 2007-8 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix
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• About Tech Paul
I am a Retired computer & network technician. I used to think the machines were pretty cool. Now I don’t.
They’re anything but.
I regularly posted how-to’s and tricks & tips and general computing advice here starting in 2007. (Use the Search tool to find answers. But be aware, many are rather dated.) Sometimes I answered (your) specific questions in an article if I believed the answer was generally helpful to “everyone”. All the writing you see was my own, typos and all. There always is/was an implied “IMHO” in what you see here.
Note: You are responsible for using this blog and its content. I am in no way liable for any losses caused by user error, viruses and/or other malware, hardware or software failure, or any other conceivable reason.
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