New tax software packages emerge each year, and the quest to find the best tax filing solution can be overwhelming. One of the most important considerations is to find a reputable software provider with a very high accuracy record. Prior to purchasing a tax software package, look closely at the software agreement to determine what liability the company will retain for mistakes made by the software. A company that will not retain liability for software-generated mistakes is not confident in the quality of their product. Consider these four major decisions when choosing the right tax software.
Complexity of Return
IRS regulations require that certain forms are filed for each financial activity throughout the year. When the individual must file a simple Form 1040, simple tax software is sufficient and many adequate software packages exist for completion of standard forms. More complex financial activities require expert handling by the software. Home sales, investment income, tuition and fees, unemployment, and self-employment are just a few examples of the special situations where a more advanced tax software package will be required. Previous tax returns may provide the information necessary to determine what type of software must be used to complete this year's return. Review the financial activities that apply to the tax year prior to assessing which tax software package can support each activity. Look closely at every available comparison chart prior to purchase.
Forms vs. Interview
One of the most daunting aspects of tax return preparation is staring at tax forms that are difficult to interpret. Many tax software packages offer an interview format to determine which tax forms must be included in the completed tax return. The user simply gathers all tax-related information from the tax year and walks through all the questions in the interactive interview conducted by the software. Then the tax software generates the tax forms using the information gathered during the interview. Some tax software simply presents an electronic copy of the forms and allows the user to input information in each amount field. A user who must file a very simple tax return may be able to use the forms-based software. Even when interview-based software is used to prepare a tax return, the completed tax return is visible for review prior to filing.
Import Capability
Internet-based tax software will offer the option to download account information from financial institutions to gather information concerning interest income, mortgage interest, investments, and other financial information. When a very detailed tax return requires extensive input of information that resides in accounts with banks and investment entities, substantial time can be saved by using tax software with this functionality.
Validation Process
After creating the final tax return forms, the tax software must conduct a complex series of validation checks against the published IRS tax rules. Avoid choosing a tax software package that excludes this important step. Errors are normally caused by the user skipping around within the interview and not completing an essential section of the interview. User interaction is required to correct the problems found during the validation process.
Conclusion
An important consideration when investigating a software company is the opinions of other users. When other people have many years of experience using a tax software package, specific information can be gleaned from written reviews. Look for balanced opinions that are grounded in actual experience with the software package. Users will provide insight into the ease of use for each software package and give insight into the difficulty of interacting with the software at each stage. Software companies will claim that their software is very easy to use, but users offer insight that is valuable to other people who are seeking an objective evaluation.
Author Resource:
The author is a contributor and specialist of small business software and options on subjects such as tax software comparison . Please visit http://www.tax-compare.com to read reviews of tax software providers.
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.look4articles.com/images/icon_Rss.png "XML Feed For RSS"){kind=icon}
Category Rss Feed
Print This Article
Add To Favorites
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.look4articles.com/images/rss.jpg "XML Feed For RSS")