# Tax software



## 13JohnnyL (Jun 27, 2010)

I travel to the USA every spring to get my taxes done. I'm retired, but all of my income is from the states (pension, SS). Does anyone file electronically from here? If so, what software would you recommend? I know that Turbo Tax had some problems this year, but I don't need a business type program. I think their basic program would work for me, but I'd like to hear some opinions. I just really hate going north in March  Thanks in advance for any input.
Johnny L in Puebla


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

13JohnnyL said:


> I travel to the USA every spring to get my taxes done. I'm retired, but all of my income is from the states (pension, SS). Does anyone file electronically from here? If so, what software would you recommend? I know that Turbo Tax had some problems this year, but I don't need a business type program. I think their basic program would work for me, but I'd like to hear some opinions. I just really hate going north in March  Thanks in advance for any input.
> Johnny L in Puebla


I have used TurboTax to file electronically for years. If memory serves me correctly, I used to have to use my son's US address. But I think the past few years I use my real Mexico address. I haven't done 2014 yet, so I don't know about any problems. There was some discussion of that topic here a few days ago, but they were talking about Canadian taxes.


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## sparks (Jun 17, 2007)

TaxAct is free and suggested on the IRS site. This was my 3rd year using it and got my refund in Feb.

Download it and work at your leisure. It will ask if you want to upgrade but you don't need to and the upgrade is only 9.95. Submit to them and they will file

TurboTax would have cost me more than a tax person in the US ..... at least the one I tried thru my banks website


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## cuerna1 (Mar 7, 2015)

13JohnnyL said:


> I travel to the USA every spring to get my taxes done. I'm retired, but all of my income is from the states (pension, SS). Does anyone file electronically from here? If so, what software would you recommend? I know that Turbo Tax had some problems this year, but I don't need a business type program. I think their basic program would work for me, but I'd like to hear some opinions. I just really hate going north in March  Thanks in advance for any input.
> Johnny L in Puebla


I've done my own taxes perhaps the last 10 years using Turbo Tax. This year I downloaded Deluxe from Amazon. What problems did they have this year ? I just about finished our tax return today. I have never filed electronically but just get the paperwork to the Mexican Post Office by April 15th (even though I understand we don't have to mail until June).


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

These are the recommended software programs for Americans living overseas: http://photos.state.gov/libraries/france/5/irs/efiling.pdf Turbo Tax has been on the list the last few years, but I heard that they have removed a number of forms from their free file version this year. And in past years, there were apparently a couple elements of foreign pensions that they couldn't deal with correctly.
Cheers,
Bev


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## cuerna1 (Mar 7, 2015)

Bevdeforges said:


> These are the recommended software programs for Americans living overseas: http://photos.state.gov/libraries/france/5/irs/efiling.pdf Turbo Tax has been on the list the last few years, but I heard that they have removed a number of forms from their free file version this year. And in past years, there were apparently a couple elements of foreign pensions that they couldn't deal with correctly.
> Cheers,
> Bev


I wonder if the problems with 'electronic filing' is with the IP address of the user ? As stated above I don't file electronically - but I do have a VPN which let's me be virtually anywhere - cost is something like $30/year.


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## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

I don´t see the issue. We have been retired here for 14 years, live on social security benefits and iRA drawdowns and file paper tax returns either mailing from our home town in Chapala, Jalisco or our other home town in San Cristóbal de Las Las Casa , Chiapas. We use no outside tax preparer and have never had any problems problems *EVER *for any reason.

What is your problem?


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## makaloco (Mar 26, 2009)

The problem for me with filing by mail is that it takes longer, and I want my refund as soon as I can get it. Still, I sent paper returns by mail until I finally managed to file my 2014 return online using Free File Fillable Forms. I found the proprietary software to be a PITA. All but two of the companies that claim to accept foreign addresses have age or income restrictions that disqualified me. The two that remained accepted my foreign address but wouldn't let me enter my foreign phone number and wouldn't let me file without a phone number. Crazy. I mean, how many people have a foreign address but a US phone number? Frankly, judging by as far as I got, the software seemed tedious anyhow. The FFFFs are just like the paper forms and much faster for me since I'm used to doing my own taxes. I filed on January 22 and got my refund on February 4.


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## cuerna1 (Mar 7, 2015)

<Crazy. I mean, how many people have a foreign address but a US phone number?>

Us. we have a Vonage account for free calls to the US. < 20 USD / month

And this year we will simply apply our credit balance to our first pre-payment. Ok - we lose out on the 99 cents we would have earned at the US bank.


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## sparks (Jun 17, 2007)

Hound Dog said:


> I don´t see the issue. We have been retired here for 14 years, live on social security benefits and iRA drawdowns and file paper tax returns either mailing from our home town in Chapala, Jalisco or our other home town in San Cristóbal de Las Las Casa , Chiapas. We use no outside tax preparer and have never had any problems problems *EVER *for any reason.
> 
> What is your problem?


Problem for me is I have never seriously studied the tax forms, didn't want to ... so always hired help. When I moved here I based my trips north on tax time and it's still miserable in Seattle in March.

If I were to do them myself here (no way) .... the last letter I sent from here to Seattle took a month and a half.

Joining the electronic age is not a bad idea and I trust online Tax companies way more than any mail or courier service. These Tax programs guide you step by step and you don't have much thinking to do. They check and recheck before you can submit ..... and refunds in a few weeks


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

cuerna1 said:


> I wonder if the problems with 'electronic filing' is with the IP address of the user ? As stated above I don't file electronically - but I do have a VPN which let's me be virtually anywhere - cost is something like $30/year.


I have filed electronically from a Mexico IP for the past 7 years. With Turbotax, the IRS doesn't even see your IP because Intuit is actually submitting it for you I believe.


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## 13JohnnyL (Jun 27, 2010)

Thank you all for the information. I have had my share of problems with mail service on both sides of the border. I have used the same tax prep service in the US for several years. Never had a problem and always get my refund direct deposited within a week, usually less. I will look into the companies suggested and hopefully next year I can avoid the snow in my home state. Regarding voice communication, Skype works very well for me. I can call comp to comp anywhere in the world for free and I pay $7.00 USD for unlimited calls to anywhere in the US, land line or cellular.


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## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

Because my wife is a French citizen and the IRS , therefore, witholds 30% of her IRA drawdowns annually because she no longer resides in the United States while withholding only 10% pf my IRA drawdowns since I am a U.S.citizen living in Mexico, we are treated like criminals by the U.S. government just because my wife is a French/Mexican citizen. and has no U.S. citizenship. As a consequence, we receive large refunds from the IRS every year withheld for many months without commensurate interest recompense. Disgusting sanctioned governmental theivery rationalized by bureacratic morons who have no ohter reason than that to arise every morning just to piss off others with whom they are unfamiliar..


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## diablita (May 7, 2010)

I've used OnLine Taxes for the past 3 years to file electronically with no problems.


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## Lawgrrl (Apr 24, 2015)

*US Tax Software*

I used the H&R Block software for several years in the US before moving to Canada. Us ed it again this year with some head-scratching to account for Canadian income, but no major problems and filed online. I used my US credit card (Discover) to buy the download and got a rebate to boot!


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