What Is the Best Tax Software to Be Using in 2019?

Published on: 28 March 2019 Last Updated on: 04 November 2024

If you fail to file your taxes correctly, the IRS can fine you a penalty up to 20% of the amount you owe.

Taxes are a complete nightmare for many people especially if you can’t pay them. And the last thing you want to deal with is owing even more money to the government.

That’s why the emergence of tax software has helped so many people. It helps you make sense of the confusing terminology, perform calculations, and break the process down into easy steps.

But what is the best tax software and how does it help simplify everything? This article covers everything you need to know.

The Criteria for Best Tax Software:

Everyone is different and the tax software available now tends to be tailored to different audiences with bank products and other solutions available.

For example, a family of four with a house and one income earner will have a fairly straightforward process. But what about someone who is self-employed or a small business owner? In these cases, some companies offer tiered pricing models that can quickly become expensive.

When asking questions like “Why would anyone use a bank product?” or “Is this service right for me?” it’s important to consider the following.

Ease of Use:

There’s no point paying for a system that is just as confusing as the tax forms themselves. Check out reviews from other people to see what their experiences with the company were. Or watch a ‘how to’ video for a preview of the software.

Are Your Taxes Complicated:

Between deductibles, donations, and multiple sources of income, taxes can get complex very quickly. If you’re unsure what you qualify for and what options are available to you then tax software may be the way to go.

Look at State Tax Prices:

Some tax software companies include state tax in their services free of charge. Others ask for a fee and class it as an additional service. Be sure to look into the costs behind each one to be sure.

With that said, here are the best online tax filing options out there.

TurboTax:

Known for its simplicity and ease of use, TurboTax has many features and designs to help you file without a headache.

The use a simple step by step process that puts questions in laymen’s terms and does the hard work and calculations for you. They even offer a W-2 scanner where upload a photo of your form and it automatically sorts the information on your tax forms.

They have a free option for getting your taxes ready to file. But can charge past $100 if you want more premium services like a tax specialist to talk to.

Tax Act:

Similar to TurboTax, TaxAct offers a sliding scale of costs for users depending on the level of service they want.

Their layout makes it easy to input data and offers free state tax returns for simple forms. If you’re a homeowner or business owner however, then you will have to pay a fee for state taxes.

If you are unhappy with the service you’ve received from other tax software companies, TaxAct makes it easy to import your old information over to them.

H&R Block:

Known for their stand-out customer support, H&R Block takes the uncertainty out of the equation with tax specialists on call and online.

It has a similar model and pricing structure to the previous companies but also offers up to $3000 of interest-free loans to anyone entitled to federal tax refunds.

Shop Around:

Knowing what the best tax software is for you takes time and research.

This list helped narrow things down but you should still look into each company in more detail to see what will work best for you.

Check out our other finance articles for more tips and advice.

Read Also:

Content Rally

Content Rally wrapped around an online publication where you can publish your own intellectuals. It is a publishing platform designed to make great stories by content creators. This is your era, your place to be online. So come forward share your views, thoughts and ideas via Content Rally.

View all posts

A Beginners Guide to Investing: Getting Started in 8 Simple Steps

Did you know that 61 percent of people find investing scary or intimidating? This number is even higher when it comes to millennials. Investing in the stock market isn't just something super clever people do. You don't have to be really wealthy to start investing in stocks. But you do need to know what you're doing before you get started. That's why we've put together this beginner's guide to investing. Get started with our guide to investing in 8 simple steps. 1. What is Investing? Instead of just putting your money into your bank account and allowing it to earn interest, an investment is a risk. You're not guaranteed any returns on your investment. Therefore, you have the chance of making a lot of money if you play your cards right. But you also could make a mistake resulting in less money than with which you started. You can even lose it all. There are multiple different kinds of investments you can make. These include: Shares Funds Bonds Property (check out Turner Investment Corporation for a place to start) Whiskey Land Antiques This includes everything from the conventional shares and funds to the less obvious whiskey and antiques. It's basically anything that you believe will increase in value over time. But for our purposes, it's best to focus on the stock market. This involves buying shares in one or more companies to make a profit over time. When most people think of stock markets they imagine lots of young and flashy stock brokers shouting "buy!" and "sell!". But the truth is that it's much more boring than this. It's actually about selecting a number of shares or funds, tracking how they're doing and pulling out when you think it's a good time. 2. Stock Markets and How They Work A stock market is just a place where people come together to buy and sell shares in companies. Each share is listed on what's called an exchange. But how do shares come about? Companies provide investors the chance to support what they're doing with cash. This allows the company the chance to grow and the investor to make money on the back of this success. When you invest in a company, you become a shareholder. You can trade this share in the company with anyone else who wishes to purchase it from you. Even though the original price of each share is determined by the company itself. From thereon, the price of each share is influenced by a number of factors from the strength of the overall economy to the financial health of the company. Depending on these factors, the price of the company will rise and fall in the stock market. 3. How Much Can I Make by Investing? This is the real reason why people start investing in stocks. They want to make money. But there's no simple answer to the question of how much you can make. But it's worth pointing out that in the current economic climate, savings rates are actually at an all-time low. This means that many people are searching for alternative means of making money. How much you can make by investing is also contingent on how bigger risk you can afford to take. The more you're willing to risk, the higher the potential of your returns. 4. How Much to Invest? So many people spend many years of their lives thinking that when they finally have some spare cash, they'll invest it. But this is actually the wrong way to look at investments. You don't need piles of cash to start investing. By investing a little amount regularly, you can build up your returns over time. It's important not to invest everything you've got in a single venture. "Not to put too many eggs in one basket" is excellent advice for any wanna-be investor. Together with traditional ways of investing, you should also look to put some money in alternative investments. You have to be able to afford to lose the money you're thinking of investing. If there's a stock market crash you could lose everything you've invested overnight. You should also make sure you can afford to put money into a share over a minimum of 5 years. You need to be able to plow through the bumps along the way to make anything in the long run. 5. What's a Share? Let's investigate a little further what a share actually is. It's a unit of value of a company. If a company is valued at $10 million and there are 1000 shares, each share would be worth $10,000. But the shares of the company can rise or fall according to the overall value of the company. People invest in a company because they believe the company will be successful in the future. By buying shares you get the chance to share in the success or failure of the company. Along with the profit you make when the shares increase in value, as a shareholder, you usually receive dividends too. This is a payment to you by the company from the profit generated by the company. 6. What's a Fund? If you want to buy shares, you can either purchase stocks or funds. Instead of purchasing the shares from the company, you pass your money to a fund manager. The fund managers bring together the money of a number of investors and purchase shares on the stock market for you. 7. How to Start Investing? There are a number of different ways to purchase shares and funds. But most people use what's known as a platform to make purchases. You have to select which platform you want to use to make your investments. After you've done this, you can select which investments you want to make. Confused? Think of it as buying milk from the store. You have to choose which store (your platform) you want to purchase the milk. And then you need to choose which milk (your investment). You'll also be charged for your shopping bag (user fees). 8. Should I Invest? Of course, it's always good to evaluate why you're investing in a particular company. Ask yourself - is investing right for you? History shows us that people who invest in shares over savings accounts receive greater returns. But this doesn't necessarily mean that investing is for everyone. Guide to Investing: Investing can often seem confusing and scary to the uninitiated. But the truth is it's much simpler than it appears. By following our start guide to investing, you can start making informed decisions about what you want to do with your spare cash. For more blog posts on financial issues, check out our blog. Read Also: Investing In Machinery For A More Productive Business What You Must Know About ELSS Before You Invest

Beyond Digital Artwork: 5 NFT Uses

When NFTs first entered the scene in 2015, the only foreseeable application was proving the sale of digital media. However, blockchain tech has evolved and developers have harnessed the tech behind NFTs and turned it into a valuable asset - continue reading to find out more. Gaming Industry Blockchain has entered the gaming industry using NFTs, which are sold as in-game assets to prove ownership. The decentralized gaming industry is exploding at the moment, with Metaverses and P2E projects coming to fruition by the month. The most popular NFT games right now are: Axie Infinity Tamadoge Decentraland When players play an NFT game, they earn money for progression. In some cases, the characters evolve the NFT changes, which makes it more valuable. At any time, in-game NFTs can be sold in open markets like okx.com. Real Estate Making a sale in real estate typically involves mountains of paperwork and third parties, which slows down the progress and applications. Fortunately, thanks to smart contracts (responsible for NFTs), properties can be minted digitally and added to a real estate market, where assets can easily be sold and traded. Digitizing property portfolios improves liquidity and opens up the market overseas. Because of the smart contract, payments can’t be released until all criteria are met, which eliminates the need for middlemen. Product Authentication When you’re buying rare or valuable products, it’s important to know that what you’re buying is authentic. Luckily, thanks to the power of blockchain technology, the entire history of a product can be tracked using an NFT. As well as verifying expensive and rare items, NFT tech can be used to track items across the supply chain, which helps businesses guarantee the product they’re taking in is legitimate. If you want to look at real-world uses for product authentication, you only need to look at the food and medication industries. Counterfeit food and medication is an enormous problem that costs companies billions. Thanks to NFT tech, products can be loaded with a QR code that can be scanned at each point in the supply chain. Each of these changes is recorded on a blockchain ledger, making it impossible for edits to be made. Academic Credentials When applying for jobs, employers must go through lengthy processes to verify candidates’ previous achievements and work ethic. However, thanks to the power of NFTs, academic achievements can be recorded onto a blockchain. Everything from qualifications to attendance can be recorded in a blockchain record of achievement, which can never be changed. In the future, the chances are that paper-based certificates will be a thing of the past. Patents And IP We’ve already well-established that NFTs allow proof of ownership over digital or physical assets. Naturally, this technology lends itself perfectly to securing patents and IP (intellectual property). If NFTs are used when a patent is secured, there are zero opportunities for disputes in the future. There’s much more to NFTs than art sales. The smart contract technology, responsible for NFTs, means that anything that can be logged and needs to be proven will likely benefit from NFT tech. Read Also: How The NFT Market Is Developing In 2021 Is there a Place for Bitcoin in the Fashion World? Creating Successful Mobile Games: What You Need to Know

About Professional Liability Insurance

Professional liability insurance is also known as errors and omissions (E&O) insurance in some professions. It is a type of coverage that is designed to protect professionals from financial losses. They may occur from claims of negligence, errors, omissions, or malpractice in the course of their professional duties. Sometimes, it is also referred to as malpractice insurance. This insurance is particularly important for individuals or businesses that provide services and other professionals. Here’s a discussion of the cost-benefit associated with professional liability insurance. However, you should seek the advice of professional liability insurance experts such as DeshCap who are independent of brokers and lobbyists. What Are The Most Common Reasons For Business Losses? When a business organization faces losses, it becomes a burden to carry on in the long run. However, one needs to be financially charged to combat the wave of financial exigency. Here, we discuss some of the common reasons why busiensses suffer losses. High Competition In The Market High market competition stops an individual from doing well in the financial market. If you face high competition, it will be difficult for you to win the customers' hearts. Ultimately, it will impact the company's financial margins. Hence, you need to work consistently on your finances so that you emerge strongly and study the preferences of the customers well so that it opens the lock gate of stagnancy. Inadequate Business Planning During the pandemic, millions of businesses were constrained to close. The companies that did not have a plan B were forced to embrace their fate. Lack of demand and sale of products created losses in the business. Therefore, it's quite clear how business losses affect the company's entire framework. The company must invest in hiring people who have leadership qualities and who can contribute immensely to the strategic elements. Fluctuating Demand In The Market The market is always a journey of highs and lows. Many events can be attributed to the fluctuating demand in the market. But the most pronounced among the factors is the changing demands and shifting consumer preferences. Ultimately, it leads to excess inventory and losses. High Operating Costs High operating costs are a bitter truth for all companies operating in a competitive market. Mainly, small and medium-sized businesses become its prey. Breaking it down, the rising cost of electricity, rent, utilities, and labor eat away the competition. Ultimately, it leads to losses. This impacts the productivity of the company. Regulatory Challenges The regulatory environment is always changing. Keeping the synchronization is one of the huge challenges. It indeed turns out to be a costly affair. Navigating the transformations can indeed make businesses low in competition. Ultimately it stops the growth opportunities of the organization. Technological Obsolescence When there is a shift in technology, it is a huge challenge for companies, mainly SMEs, to compete in the financial markets. The bigger companies take advantage of the shift in technology because they have the financial support to fight the developments. Hence, you must be well-equipped to understand your company's technological glitches and try to modify them according to your needs. Therefore, businesses must be well aware of them while working continuously in the competitive market. Benefits of Insurance for Professional Liability Risk: There are a few benefits of professional liability insurance. Let us discuss them in this section. Legal Protection: One of the primary benefits of professional liability insurance is that it provides legal protection. In the event of a legal claim or lawsuit, the insurance will cover the cost of court fees, attorney, and other expenses. This can be a significant financial burden for professionals and businesses. Financial Coverage: A professional may be found liable for a mistake or negligence in their operations. This very insurance covers the costs of damages awarded to the plaintiff. This can include compensation for financial losses, legal fees, and other associated costs. Without insurance, these expenses could be financially devastating. Reputation Protection: This insurance policy often includes coverage for reputation management and public relations services. These services can help protect the professional’s reputation. They help them precisely in the event of a claim and mitigate damage to their brand or business. Peace of Mind: Knowing that you have professional liability insurance in place can provide peace of mind. Moreover, insurance can reduce stress and allow professionals to focus on their work without the constant fear of litigation. Client Trust: Having insurance like this can enhance your credibility with clients. It also shows that you take your work seriously and are prepared to address any potential mistakes or issues that may arise. This can be a competitive advantage in many industries. Cost-Benefit Of Professional Liability Insurance: Let us discuss some of the cost benefits associated with this insurance. Cost Savings: The cost of professional liability insurance premiums is typically far less than the potential legal costs and damages. In this sense, protecting your financial assets and livelihood is a cost-effective way. Legal Defense: Without professional liability insurance, the cost of legal defense can be prohibitively expensive. Professionals can access legal defense services that would otherwise be out of reach by paying relatively modest premiums. Risk Mitigation: Professional liability insurance helps mitigate financial risk, allowing professionals to focus on their work rather than worrying about the possibility of a costly lawsuit. Legal Compliance: In some professions, owning professional liability insurance is no less than a legal or regulatory requirement. Failing to carry this insurance can result in fines or the loss of professional licenses. Customizable Coverage: Many policies are customizable to fit a profession or industry's specific needs and risks, ensuring that professionals get the coverage they need without paying for unnecessary protection. Conclusion In conclusion, the cost-benefit analysis of professional liability insurance indicates that the benefits of protection against legal claims and financial losses far outweigh the relatively modest premiums paid for the coverage. It is a wise investment for professionals who want to safeguard their financial well-being and maintain their reputation in their respective fields. Read Also: Car Accident Liability Seven Benefits Of Hiring A Professional Bookkeeper After A Construction Accident: Worker’s Rights, Compensation, And Legal Recourse

What Is the Best Tax Software to Be Using in 2019?