The Tax Man Cometh: My Review of Turbo Tax Deluxe 2010

Internal Revenue Service Envelope With Darth Vader StampA new year has come, the US Congress has passed a last-minute tax package, the IRS holds processing itemized returns until February 15, and taxes aren’t due until April 16 this year.  This has been a very interesting year for taxes!

This year, as in many past years I chose again to go with TurboTax Deluxe + State.  I scooped it up at Costco when they had a coupon available, as I have gotten into the habit of doing.  However, may deals still abound for TurboTax; at this point in the tax season amazon.com is selling Turbo Tax Deluxe for $41.99 which is only a couple dollars more than I paid for it @ Costco  - a very good deal!

What follows is my experience with Turbo Tax Deluxe 2010: Read the rest of this entry »

Save even more on all your Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Christmas Shopping

US Gold CoinsDon’t forget to save even more on your Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Christmas shopping by taking advantage of extra rebates.

Mr. Rebates is a site that allows you to save an additional 1-22% on purchases.  Plus, they give you an additional $5 just for signing up!  Here are some of the stores that they feature:

  • eBay – 5%
  • Newegg – 1%
  • Canon – 2%
  • Dell – 2%
  • JCPenny – 3%
  • Sears – 5%
  • Babies R’ Us – 2%
  • Advance Auto Parts – 7%
  • AT&T – up to $15
  • Verizon Wireless – $10

These rebates really add up over time.  I just received my first check from Mr. Rebates, which was around $75.00!

Sign up today to take advantage of rebates on all your shopping!

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Don’t lose all your data: Properly backup your computer today!

Melted Server ComputerYou have data you cannot afford to lose

If you are like the average computer user, you probably have gigabytes of: tax returns, digital photos, videos, e-mails, letters, documents, scanned files, saved web pages, family photos, home videos, etc.  Basically, you have “stuff” on your computer that you really do not want to lose.

Most people have inadequate backups

I would guess that maybe 50% of computer users back up their data.  And of that 50%, only maybe 20% of those (or 1 out of 10 users) have a backup system that is adequate.  What do I mean by adequate?  Keep reading.

What makes a good backup

Keep reading to find out what makes a good backup…
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When will I get my federal income tax refund?

So, you live in the United States and you have filed your federal, state and possibly even municipal income tax.  When will you get your federal tax refund?

A variety of things can effect when you receive your refund including:

  • E-file (faster) vs. Mail (slower)
  • Direct Deposit of refund (faster) vs. Paper Check (slower)
  • Regular Tax Return 1040, 1040A, and 1040EZ (faster) vs. Amended Tax Return 1040X (slower)

When will I get my refund?

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When will I get my state income tax refund?

State Income Tax Map Showing States With No Income TaxSo, you live in the United States and you have filed your state income tax.  When will you get your state tax refund?

A variety of things can effect when you receive your refund including:

  • E-file (faster) vs. Mail (slower)
  • Direct Deposit of refund (faster) vs. Paper Check (slower)
  • Regular Tax Return (faster) vs. Amended/Business Tax Return (slower)

State Taxes

Below are links for several states that offer online or telephone status on the status of your income tax refund check: Read the rest of this entry »