Turbotax 2019

[PessOptimist]

Anyone using Turbotax 2019 notice it sucks more than usual this year, not responding and locking up a lot?

PO

 

[Scout333]

PO, also questions about CSR and TSP withdrawals are even more confusing than usual. I have noticed that there are still lots of updates even this late in the game. Might be wise to rerun your returns in a month or so to make sure everything is correct. JMHO.

 

[PessOptimist]

PO, also questions about CSR and TSP withdrawals are even more confusing than usual. I have noticed that there are still lots of updates even this late in the game. Might be wise to rerun your returns in a month or so to make sure everything is correct. JMHO.

What version of Turbotax are you referring to? I am using deluxe and it asks no questions about CSR or TSP. Only about 1099R.

PO

 

[nasa1974]

Just got all my W2's. I haven't downloaded the software yet. I'll let you know.

 

[Scout333]

What version of Turbotax are you referring to? I am using deluxe and it asks no questions about CSR or TSP. Only about 1099R.

PO

PO, I am using the Deluxe version also. The 1009R questions are what I was talking about. I just don't remember these questions/choices from last year's return? I'll go back to last year's return prep. and review it. Don't want to answer wrong as I have a feeling that could make a big difference in how they are treated on the return. Seems that last year and previous years I just followed the box numbers from the 1099R?

 

[Bullitt]

Deluxe worked good for me. Imported all my 1099-B's with no problem. I do not have any 1099-R's though so I can't speak for that.

I've used TT Premiere in the past but I felt it was complete overkill (options, insider sells, etc.). Maybe that would have more options for TSP/pension income.

 

[PessOptimist]

PO, I am using the Deluxe version also. The 1009R questions are what I was talking about. I just don't remember these questions/choices from last year's return? I'll go back to last year's return prep. and review it. Don't want to answer wrong as I have a feeling that could make a big difference in how they are treated on the return. Seems that last year and previous years I just followed the box numbers from the 1099R?

Did you get it figured out? I just followed the box numbers on the CSA 1099R and SSA 1099R-OP1 which is where TT took me. Funny how this software seems to give a different experience to different people. I always review the forms myself before filing just in case something doesn’t make sense. Tax rules have changed (don’t they always) and it seems TT doesn’t explain a lot of what it is doing with the return.

My return this year is much more complicated than in years past as I have earned income from my last paychecks; OPM and SSA income in addition to the Military retirement income and small amounts if interest or dividends. After letting TT do its reviews and reviewing the forms myself it all made sense. I didn’t like it much but it made sense.

What I didn’t like and will post elsewhere is that since both SS and TSP withdrawals were for less than six months for 2019, there was no withholding. That adds up fast in the 22% bracket.

Disclaimer: I am not a professional tax preparer, just been doing my taxes for 50 or so years.

Any specific questions about the questions I would be more than willing to send my thoughts.

PO

 

[Scout333]

Thanks PO, I figured it out. Oddly enough TT does give you different questions if you select the choice where they take you through all the options vs. the one where you choose your own specific items. I went back and chose the option to choose my own specific items. Much easier to follow. It will give you the same answer you selected the prior year as the default answer. Hopefully you can follow this. Thanks for following up with me! Scout333

 

[PessOptimist]

Thanks PO, I figured it out. Oddly enough TT does give you different questions if you select the choice where they take you through all the options vs. the one where you choose your own specific items. I went back and chose the option to choose my own specific items. Much easier to follow. It will give you the same answer you selected the prior year as the default answer. Hopefully you can follow this. Thanks for following up with me! Scout333

Yeah, TT is odd. I am liking it less each year especially since filing fed and two states ends up costing over $200 per. Yet I continue to use it like a lemming going to the sea. (yeah I know about that myth) Good luck.

PO

 

[nnuut]

I use TaxAct!

 

[nasa1974]

I used Turbo Tax. It was pretty simple since there are very few deductions you can take any more. Plus I haven't started TSP withdrawals or started SS yet. At least I got some money back from the Feds and the State.

 

[pmaloney]

I learned a lot about Turbo Tax today. Even though I planned to purchase the full package including audit defense I went through whole process and in the final check an error was discovered and it said "State or Local Taxesc" (I'm pretty sure that taxesc is a typo) needed to be reported and if there was none it needed to be reported as $0.00. So I signed up for Live Support.

A nice lady came on and agreed that I just needed to add the Local County Personal Property tax that I had already entered in previous forms.
That fixed everything and is probably a BUG and a TYPO but I knew that I needed more information because I did a Home Mortgage REFI that closed 10/15/2019.

I had entered the points I paid and that showed but since it was a REFI I knew I needed to amortize the points over the 15 years of the loan and I could not see it.
My Turbo Tax Live support person said that she could see form on the personal PC version that you cannot see in the online version.

[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Tahoma,Calibri,Geneva,sans-serif]I told her that I had heard (on Tsptalk) that the personal version did not import past information. She explained that you need to save a .TAX file and import the .TAX file into the personal version to import past data and information.

So I went to Tax Tools and found two items:
Save your 2019 return to your computer which saved a file called taxReturn.tax2019
and
Transfer last year's TurboTax return from your computer

So next year I plan to get the Personal CD version and give it a try. :smile:

[/FONT]

 

[exnavyew]

Been using TTax for about 6 years and didn't have a problem until my 2019 return. No problem with the return but late in the work a screen popped up saying I had to buy a 'premium' version because of 'X' in order to finish my return. I bit the bullet this time but I didn't care for the 'surprise' fee 'late in the game'. 6 out of 7 years TTax was fine, I can live with that, this time. :notrust:

 

[pmaloney]

I talked with another live expert and he said that I could save as a pdf and see all the forms befoer filing and ask questions from that if I wanted. :smile: