By Sree Sreenivasan
DNAinfo Contributing Columnist
Procrastinators like me have a new burden as the Tax Day deadline approaches.
Used to be that we only had the calendar to remind us that our time to file was running out. Nowadays, though, we can get constant reminders via our online friends as they finish filing their taxes. Facebook and Twitter feeds are filled with folks already announcing they are done, along with those still wrestling with the process (here's a Mashable article by Todd Wasserman about this phenomenon of "friendcasting" and its effect on tax software).
So, fellow procrastinators, even though you've got three extra days to file this year, here are three tech ways to finish up on time. As you'll see, major trends in e-commerce and media — use of social media; growth of mobile apps; more video — are also present in the tax world.
1. DEALING DIRECTLY WITH THE IRS (@IRSNews): The IRS announced that by the end of February, about 19 million returns had been filed by home computer, an almost 6 percent increase from the same time last year. In 2010, 100 million people filed electronically, using the E-file service which works with tax prep software or can be used by your tax preparer. And if you make less than $58,000, you can use Free File, which now includes online fillable forms. The IRS has also gotten into the mobile game, with the launch of IRS2Go, which allows you to get daily tax tips and check your refund status. The IRS also has a helpful channel on YouTube, where you can learn, among other things, why this year's deadline is April 18.
2. USING TURBOTAX (@TurboTax & @TeamTurboTax): Intuit's TurboTax, the big tax software company, has some tools worth checking out. SnapTax is its iPhone and Android app. Its coolest feature: you can take a photo of your W-2 to import your data. It's free to download. and you pay $19.99 when you file (only $14.99 if you do so by March 25). Intuit has also been touting its iPad app, which lets you file your federal and state taxes right from the device. Its more traditional software, available at Turbotax.com, is also available at discounts of $20 or more if you file by March 25. Via the site's support page, you can get tax help in three ways: live community (no wait time); live chat ("less than 5 minutes"); and phone ("less than 5 minutes"). On Twitter, you can get customer support by tweeting at @TeamTurboTax. The online money-tracking site, Mint.com, which Intuit bought for $170 million in 2009, has a direct connection to TurboTax as well.
3. USING H&R BLOCK ONLINE: (@HRBLOCK): The biggest name in brick-n-mortar tax prep is also big online, thanks to its H&R Block At Home software, formerly known as TaxCut. It offers a similar suite of software packages as TurboTax, and the ability to pay nothing till you file, but its prices appear to be cheaper than its rival's. I liked its free tax calculator, which lets you do quick estimates. It has mobile apps, but they don't seem to be as robust as TurboTax's.
My other tips for you involve preparing better for next year's taxes. Use mobile tools like Expensify to create digital receipts; and be a regular reader of tax mini-sites such as: Yahoo Finance; CNNMoney.com; Money.MSN.com; BankRate.com.
What did I miss? Post your comments below using your Facebook login or on Twitter @sree.
Every week, DNAinfo contributing editor Sree Sreenivasan, a Columbia journalism professor, shares his observations about the changing media landscape.
