Intuit Claims Security Concerns In Dropping Windows 10 For TurboTax (intuit.com)
- Reference: 0178797678
- News link: https://tech.slashdot.org/story/25/08/21/0218239/intuit-claims-security-concerns-in-dropping-windows-10-for-turbotax
- Source link: https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/en-us/help-article/download-products/end-support-windows-8-affect-turbotax-experience/L4v9atO3O_US_en_US
> I received an email indicating Intuit will [2]not support Windows 10 for the desktop versions of TurboTax starting this tax year. Laughably, they say "security is a top priority for us" before adding: "To use TurboTax Desktop software for tax year 2025, your computer will need to run on Microsoft Windows 11 [or] TurboTax Online."
>
> I'm just paranoid enough to use the desktop version, since at least it limits what they see to the forms they send to the IRS -- rather than everything. Even if I was willing to endure the added burden of printing and mailing the forms, this would be the end of that, since I'm out on Windows 11 for the reasons you already know.
Here's what they sent:
> Hi there,
>
> We're reaching out to provide an update on TurboTax Desktop software for tax year 2025. After October 14, 2025, Microsoft will no longer provide software updates, technical assistance, or security fixes for Windows 10 operating system. Because security is a top priority for us, TurboTax Desktop software for tax year 2025 onwards will not be compatible with Windows 10 operating system.
>
> To use TurboTax Desktop software for tax year 2025, your computer will need to run on Microsoft Windows 11 operating system. You can also consider switching to TurboTax Online, which will work on any supported browser (available December 2025).
>
> For more resources and additional information about this change, go to this help article: How does the end of support for Windows 10 affect my TurboTax Desktop experience?
>
> Thanks for being part of the TurboTax family.
>
> Warm regards,
>
> The TurboTax Team
Xesdeeni comments: "I've wanted a Linux offering for years now and only kept Windows for such limited products as this. I guess I can completely punt it now."
[1] https://slashdot.org/~Xesdeeni
[2] https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/en-us/help-article/download-products/end-support-windows-8-affect-turbotax-experience/L4v9atO3O_US_en_US
UK Tax (Score:5, Insightful)
TaxCalc (formerly Intuit, now Acorah) has had a Linux edition for years. My wife and I have used it for 3-4 years now.
I departed WinBloat more than 10 years ago, and persuaded her to leave for the computer-before-last (7 years?). Neither compatibility nor reliability have ever been a problem (I spend now less than 10% of the time I used to spend on support).
And our data is ours - nobody else gets to see it.
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> Neither compatibility nor reliability have ever been a problem
My latest extremely brief consideration of Linux was dashed when I asked if there was a Linux version of a program I use for reviewing my dashcam video called, "Dashcam Viewer." I purchased it some years ago, it works great, integrates a map with the video so I can know exactly where every shot was taken, and so forth. No, no Linux solution for that, nor were the common Windows-sim software likely to succeed in making such a program run. Back to Win. Maybe give it 5 years and then consider it again,
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If there was just one application you needed windows to run, then Windows in a VM would be the solution.
But the reality is you're not really that interested in Linux, and won't be five years from now either. And most Windows users are similarly not really interested in Linux, regardless of increasing anti-user rubbish that's coming out of Microsoft. Despite what people have been saying on Slashdot recently.
What video codec does it use? (Score:2)
Linux supports all the common codecs so your dashcam must be using some priopraitary format if you can't play it that will probably only be trouble in years to come if you want to save it and play it back elsewhere. I'd suggest a new dashcam frankly.
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I run windows 11 in a VM for programs such as you describe. For everything else, I enjoy running Xubuntu. Covers all my gaming surprisingly well, including a lot of Windows games that run under proton just fine. Of course, I don't really play many new games, so that may help.
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You got me all excited. But TaxCalc is a UK product. It doesn't do American taxes.
How dare there be a world outside of the USA? Everyone else needs to get with the program.
Why can't the US make it online? (Score:2, Interesting)
In Denmark we have a complete online system hosted by our tax authority itself. That is a problem for the 80+ not used to computers, but for the rest of us it is simple. Also, almost everything is reported already by the employers and banks, and we seem to have a far simpler tax system with fewer deductions, which have to handled manually via the webpage.
Re:Why can't the US make it online? (Score:5, Informative)
The US did make an online system under Biden. Trump got rid of it [1]https://apnews.com/article/irs-direct-file-tax-returns-free-trump-4bb0bca02fab9b3d06ae6f45ac67b7ab [apnews.com].
[1] https://apnews.com/article/irs-direct-file-tax-returns-free-trump-4bb0bca02fab9b3d06ae6f45ac67b7ab
GOP want income tax to feel like a burden (Score:4, Insightful)
As I understand it, Republican leaders want individual income tax compliance to feel like a burden to build support among the electorate for repealing it. I've gathered over the past decade that they want to replace the income tax with import tariffs and something like FairTax, which is a national sales tax combined with a universal basic income equal to the sales tax on a federal poverty level's worth of purchases.
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That honestly sounds pretty good to me. I'd much rather pay consumption taxes then income taxes. Of course, A LOT of Americans are spend-aholics. They just love shopping and wasting money on stupid shit. My step-father is a prime example of this. At least he doesn't go into debt spending. Others do. So I'm very much okay with higher taxes on non-food items, especially in exchange for no income taxes. I pay vastly more income taxes then I remotely spend on non-essentials. By a large margin.
Since we're talkin
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All the forms are online in PDF format. I download them, fill them out on the PC, print them out and mail them in. My taxes are somewhat complicated running 9 - 11 pages depending on events.
It's not all that hard. The instructions are quite complete.
Both political parties love to use the tax code for social engineering. That's the root cause of the overly complex tax code.
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While I agree it's really not that hard to do taxes, I'd venture a guess that Slashdot on the whole is in the top 25% intelligence quartile. A surprising amount of people struggle with the ability to follow a series of directions or instructions. You can give them a single task but just to give them numerous task and expect them to prioritize and you'll blow their minds.
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The U.S. was moving to an on-line system for doing taxes, but then la Presidenta took control and decided that graft was the better part of valor and bought into the tax preparation companies complaining that the U.S. system would cause gum disease, diverticulitis, and bloating.
Same with QuickBooks Desktop/Enterprise (Score:5, Informative)
I was informed by Intuit QuickBooks Enterprise support last week that the same policy will be applied with the QuickBooks Desktop/Enterprise products. Even if one pays Microsoft for extended support, Intuit will not provide support for their products running on Windows 10. Even products that had been previously qualified for support on Windows 10! (Which, right now, is everything.) As in, if they find out a customer is still running on Windows 10, they'd end the support call.
[Then again, Intuit 'Support' isn't all that great to begin with, not sure customers are really missing out on anything.]
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> I was informed by Intuit QuickBooks Enterprise support last week that the same policy will be applied with the QuickBooks Desktop/Enterprise products. Even if one pays Microsoft for extended support, Intuit will not provide support for their products running on Windows 10. Even products that had been previously qualified for support on Windows 10! (Which, right now, is everything.) As in, if they find out a customer is still running on Windows 10, they'd end the support call. [Then again, Intuit 'Support' isn't all that great to begin with, not sure customers are really missing out on anything.]
Just another perk of using Windows. The Microsoft Experience tax.
I wonder if any money exchanged hands, or a special break for Intuit. Might be time to buy one of those M4 Mac Minis. decent power in that tiny, inexpensive package.
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nah, probably just the back of Epstein plane ride chat
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> nah, probably just the back of Epstein plane ride chat
Perks of those who do as they will with impunity.
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I'd LOVE to put my clients on M4 Mac minis! Many of them are currently running Win10 and Win11, unsupported, on Intel iMacs and Mac minis. However, no QBEnterprise for macOS, and running QBE on Win11 within a VM is also -vehemently- unsupported by Intuit. (Not that my clients would really grasp using a virtual machine.) Plus Parallels' licensing fees are just crazy expensive now and VMware doesn't support Unity any longer (nor ever did on Apple silicon), so it just gets 'confusing' for non-advanced users. V
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> I'd LOVE to put my clients on M4 Mac minis! Many of them are currently running Win10 and Win11, unsupported, on Intel iMacs and Mac minis. However, no QBEnterprise for macOS, and running QBE on Win11 within a VM is also -vehemently- unsupported by Intuit. (Not that my clients would really grasp using a virtual machine.) Plus Parallels' licensing fees are just crazy expensive now and VMware doesn't support Unity any longer (nor ever did on Apple silicon), so it just gets 'confusing' for non-advanced users.
The inertia is simply amazing. And while you have to get your own monitor and keyboard, it is a very cost effective solution. But the Windows indoctrination has them believing that it is not possible to do anything on a Mac, only Windows. That apparently Windows has all the programs (not true at all) and apparently Macs just sit there, incapable of doing anything.
A co worker's husband got a Mac, and all he did was bitch about it, egged on by friends who spouted the usual Windows uber alles screed. I hel
The upgrade scam (Score:3)
Microsoft releases new versions of Windows for the fine upgrade fees. There aren't any important new features and, in fact, they've damaged the UI again for no apparent reason. However, you must be persuaded to hand them money.
Other companies love this, for now they can insist that you also upgrade their products. There aren't any important new features but, they've got the pliers on your jiggly bits.
My Xerox printer stopped working as of Windows 11, because the company had put a version check in their drivers, and didn't release updated drivers. I presume they expected me to buy a new Xerox printer. I have been quite pleased with my Canon color laser.
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> Microsoft releases new versions of Windows for the fine upgrade fees.
Considering that the vast majority of people buying windows are paying yearly (or more frequently) for CALs that doesn't seem true.
Business users are paying for CALs even if the hardware comes with Windows pre-installed, that'll get wiped and the corporate image installed. Only home users are buying windows OEM and they upgrade when they get a new computer.
Also, hasn't MS effectively been offering Win11 for free to Win10 users... they've tried to downgrade my gaming laptop several times now. I've no d
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ms just thinks they can match google in telemetry/info siphoning with newer collection tools like ArtificialInformer and thus keep trying to push "new" os
what they have done is move people to linux or in my case Mac completly. heck for the once in a blue moon i gotta use winblows i use fusion
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> Microsoft releases new versions of Windows for the fine upgrade fees.
Who the hell is paying Microsoft for Windows 11 upgrades? If you have a valid Windows 10 license, the upgrade is free (as in beer).
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We have two Windows 10 PCs which run TurboTax (ours and the mother-in-law's). They run Windows 10 fine, their performance is OK, there's no reason they couldn't continue to run Windows.
Except Microsoft says they can't because Muh TPM.
So our Windows 11 upgrade is going to cost about $2,000 to buy two new PCs. Running Windows 11 Pro just so we can reliably turn off the AI crap.
And yes, we have Linux machines too but those two run Windows because they need to run some Windows software which may or may not work
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Next time buy a "network printer", then "computer printer drivers" are not required. They aren't any more expensive last I looked (a few years ago). It also means you don't have to "share" your printer, and then it's easy for any device in the house to get to it. Windows/Mac/Linux, they all can use it. They also generally use Postscript to print, so again easy for software to support.
Som much FUD (Score:4, Insightful)
For zero reason.
No. Linux is *not* magically more secure.
No. TPM is not a conspiracy. It's a practical solution to idiot problems.
Win10 is being retired for really good reasons. Move on, like a rational adult.
Gotta love the victim complexes around here.
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I will move on, but my machine that runs Windows 10, does not support Windows 11.
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> I will move on, but my machine that runs Windows 10, does not support Windows 11.
Could be time to make that break. There is life after Microsoft - despite what the masochists think.
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don't blame the Macintoshionist for your problems, yeah sorry thats how i read it at first glance :)
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The Rufus approach to avoid the TPM, Secure Boot and whatever other requirements worked fine for me to get Windows 11 working fine on a perfectly capable old machine, should you feel the need.
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Here's the problem with installing Windows 11 on unsupported hardware: Upgrades are very difficult to install. If you were to install Windows 11 24H2 on your i5-7500 PC today, the 25H2 version won't be available to you. Yes, you're on a supported Windows release for about another year and you'll get updates to 24H2 for that time, but soon you'll be back on an unsupported version of Windows again.
There's a fix that involves swapping some files from a Windows Server ISO to the Windows 11 one that DOES make a
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The LTSC version has no problemswith upgrades. It's what anyone complaining about this stuff should be running if they need windows, and contrary to the nerds who's hobbies consist entirely of sitting behind a desk there are many, many things that absolutely only run on windows that do not play well with VMs and/or the consequences of failure are simply too high (like programming vehicls modules). And no, there are no alternatives in the overwhelming majority of cases.
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Never had an issue to be honest and I'd been running Windows 11 on unsupported hardware for a while. They received feature updates without issue, but I realise this may change in future.
I thought you could just update manually using the media creation tool if the Windows Update route didn't work.
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its not going to keep working for much longer either. Sooner rather then later Microsoft is going to start building Windows components with 86_64v3 instruction set requirements. After for the most part there isnt anything on the supported CPU list that is still v2, and little hardware that is v2 AND TPM-2.0 which is not an official requirement.
About the only thing stopping them is probably their enterprise customer that still want to host VDI stuff on private clouds that might have legacy hardware under t
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> its not going to keep working for much longer either. Sooner rather then later Microsoft is going to start building Windows components with 86_64v3 instruction set requirements.
Err... anything less than 12 years old (Haswell) already supports those. The list of unsupported CPUs starts with things significantly newer than that (Skylake CPUs, which support v4 of the instruction set, are not officially supported for Win11 at all and will plain not install Win11 24H2).
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Coincidentally, I've got it installed on a 2500 (non-k) i5 too. 16Gbytes of RAM, SSD, an Nvidia 1070, but no TPM, so you fail the criteria for Windows 11.
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I've been busily installing Debian on our Windows 10 machines. A few little hiccups here and there, but all in all, it's working like a dream.
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> For zero reason.
> No. Linux is *not* magically more secure.
> No. TPM is not a conspiracy. It's a practical solution to idiot problems.
> Win10 is being retired for really good reasons. Move on, like a rational adult.
> Gotta love the victim complexes around here.
Right - I suggest MacOS.
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this times 7 (the current number of mac PC's in my house) 2014 still going strong
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> this times 7 (the current number of mac PC's in my house) 2014 still going strong
Computing life surely gets easier when you don't have to deal with Windows.
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> No. Linux is *not* magically more secure.
It's not magic, no. It's more secure because Microsoft is incompetent and lacks the code scrutiny that FOSS gets.
> No. TPM is not a conspiracy.
It's not a conspiracy, because it's not secret and it's not a crime. But it's also not for the benefit of the user.
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hey maybe if we name a tool AI or Cloud then it will be better (looking at you sentinel and azure security center)
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it's not secret and it's not a crime. But it's also not for the benefit of the user.
So you're wielding ignorance as a super power. Got it.
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So what are these "really good reasons?" What disaster are we enduring aside from Windows as designed? What happened to no more versions of Windows?
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> Win10 is being retired for really good reasons. Move on, like a rational adult.
> Gotta love the victim complexes around here.
If the issue is really Intuit believes windows 10 is insecure and they are doing their customers a favor by not supporting it why are Windows 10 users able to direct a web browser running on top of Windows 10 to the intuit site to use their online service?
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If the issue is really Intuit believes windows 10 is insecure
Not the underpinning issue and tells me you read precisely nothing.
Win10 is end-of-life in October 2025. No security patching == insecure. This could be explained by a 10yr old if you so wish. Or maybe you prefer a TikTok meme?
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Yes TPM at least as it pertains to secure boot is a conspiracy. It sets up a pretty small cabal of organizations who have magic signing authority and only if you pay them or otherwise convince them to extend you the privilege of their blessing are you have to have system that will be considered acceptably secure. Its literally pay-to-play to a private club. If you don't pay then all your users or you as an individual can/are excluded from other commercial activity.
It is pretty much the definition of a consp
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> Yes TPM at least as it pertains to secure boot is a conspiracy.
1. Wildly delusional and playing the victim
2. TPM does a damn site more than enable secure boot and your ignorance of this speaks volumes.
Just me of course! Each to their own. (Score:2)
I don't do business with Microsoft or a company with a product that requires Microsoft. And I have been doing just fine for years.
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What kind of car do you drive? I bet there is no way to repair it if it needs modules replaced other than with windows software. b You probably own other things that are similarly reliant on windows-only software. So are you really serious about this position or are you just being smug?
I Switched to Online (Score:5, Informative)
I switched to the online version over a decade ago. Why? It supports Linux. Sure, you may not want your taxes in the cloud. However, the IRS puts your tax documents on the Web no matter how you file.
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> I switched to the online version over a decade ago. Why? It supports Linux. Sure, you may not want your taxes in the cloud. However, the IRS puts your tax documents on the Web no matter how you file.
This should be ranked higher.
Re: I Switched to Online (Score:3)
Exactly. All of that info is already in 100 different databases already. Anyone who thinks they are still private and anonymous in today's society is lying to themselves.
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And now recently on Peter Thiel's servers.
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plus all your private information has already been leaked by the credit companies multiple times. hopes and prayers is my security charm.
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Those online tax documents are generated by request when you request them after logging in through a system which uses higher than basic id checks. They aren't PDFs sitting in some random unsecured cloud VM. They also don't stick around. Ask for the same document again and you'll get a newly generated one. These sites are attacked constantly and there's never been a major breach.
Not all of us lets companies rape and pillage all our data so our information isn't already accessible by everyone.
Doing your
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> I switched to the online version over a decade ago. Why? It supports Linux. Sure, you may not want your taxes in the cloud. However, the IRS puts your tax documents on the Web no matter how you file.
Yeah, and the concern in the summary is just silly. What makes Xesdeeni think that Intuit's desktop software doesn't upload everything to the cloud anyway? For the last several years TurboTax has created cloud backups of your local files by default... and IIRC there doesn't even seem to be a way to tell it not to. As I recall you have a choice of protecting it with a password or not, but I don't think you can tell it not to upload... and even if you can, how would know know if the software is honoring you
This is nothing new. (Score:2)
Intuit has done this before with EOL versions of Windows. There's nothing new about them doing it again.
Just use a web-based one (Score:2)
I have used TaxHawk for years and it is 100% web-based, works great, and is cheaper than TurboTax.
what use is it to run "supported" (Score:2)
Software on top of an unpatched OS?
Most users of turbo tax are not computer saavy enough to even know what an ESU is, or how to enable it.
And pretty much all windows W10 "like" configurations * with support beyond 2026 go afowl of MS's EULA or licence, or both.
Intuit being a company with both an EULA and license terms, will not be in any rush to challenge MS' , glass ceilings and all that.
Also, it does make no sense to keep developing 2 versions of the SW. For intuit, the sooner they can leverage TPM2.0 (an
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> Software on top of an unpatched OS?
> Most users of turbo tax are not computer saavy enough to even know what an ESU is, or how to enable it.
> Also, it does make no sense to keep developing 2 versions of the SW. For intuit, the sooner they can leverage TPM2.0 (and here we do have a rara-avis: a legitimate use case for the extra security) the better...
> So, for Intuit, and for many of their users that do not read the /. , but rather the lancet, GAAP monthly, Journal of Advanced Photograpy Techniques and such, is the best course of action to go Win11 only
Please do let us know when the ONLINE version of TurboTax requires either TPM 2.0 or Windows 11 to run. Until then I will continue to not take any of these for your own good statements seriously.
TurboTax sucks (Score:3)
In a normal functioning market you don't abandon half of your pool of potential customers. Emboldened by corrupt politicians pulling direct file they are doing this to make life difficult for people to run the software locally and instead push them to the online service.
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Or Microsoft paid them to push more people towards Windows 11. Or they're using some new AI feature. There's a few reasons to abandon your customer base, as stupid as that is.
H&R Block (Score:3)
Last time I checked (6 months ago when I did my taxes for 2024), H&R Block's desktop tax software continued to work on Windows 7. I switched to it from TurboTax a few years ago when TurboTax refused to install due to a Windows version check.
While I'm sure H&R Block doesn't officially support Windows 7 anymore, it doesn't seem like they're in any hurry to mandate later versions of Windows.
Don't use it (Score:1)
For your financial health go find a real accountant to do your taxes. It's worth every penny. It takes a 15-30 minute interview and they take care of the rest. They know about the tax laws much better than you or turbo tax. The year (2003) I switched I had already filled out taxes from turbo tax and was suppose to pay $50, I went to an accountant, spent 15 minutes with him, got him my papers, and got back $1,500 which cost me $150. It was like buying money.
The other advantage is that if you do happen
Avoid TurboTax like the plague (Score:2)
I made the mistake of starting my taxes with TurboTax once. I didn't like what I was seeing, stopped, and looked for alternatives. That was four years ago, and they've been spamming me ever since. I don't care, because their incessant pleas go straight into the "round file". If you decide to do your taxes on-line, I would recommend GenuTax instead (at least in Canada).
TurboTax is, in my opinion, an invitation to pay more taxes than you owe, because they won't (at least in my case) deal with even the sli
Scam Tax Software (Score:1)
Beware of doing taxes with TurboTax. They will try to trick you into accepting forms to submit your IRS data for their own devious data collection, in which they sell your tax information for a profit. And you cannot opt out, as they will hide the form after you click on it. It's the most untrustworthy tax software I have ever used.
It's Tux or Fux now (Score:2)
Microsoft has made their decision, they want their "palladium" vision of everyone running new hardware locked down with TPM, Secure boot and an MS account. They are also making ARM more popular to make it harder to boot Linux due to limited hardware support. This is Microsoft's vision. If you don't like it, then "Tux" (on hardware specially made for Linux like Pinebook or System76), or "Fux" (submit to Microsoft's vision). Like I said in my previous post, you have had 34 years to make up your mind, Microsof
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> They are also making ARM more popular to make it harder to boot Linux due to limited hardware support.
I can't see that, it's more a question of them trying to keep up with Apple and their M1, M2, M3 and M4. The ARM processors are far more energy-efficient than the Intel-based ones and Microsoft had to have something to offer there.
I was reading a review of various laptops a few weeks ago, obviously ARM-native software runs really well on ARM hardware, some other software runs reasonably well but there is q
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i agree they have been trying to kill booting linux for 20 years. Just move to arm problem solved. We need something like the Bell break up were they could not recommend a long distance company. If PC manufactures could not preload and recommend windows that would solve the MS issue.
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There is a third option: Apple.
A mac mini costs $600 and is more than powerful enough to run Turbo Tax (and they DO support it on mac).
I might also add that H&R Block's tax software is cheaper than TurboTax and also has a desktop version that runs on Mac.
You also have the option of doing your taxes by hand. The instructions are thorough and free. And if you can't manage that, you can hire professionals to do your taxes for you (though they might be using Windows 11, for all you know).
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I've been using [1]https://www.freetaxusa.com/ [freetaxusa.com] for a couple of years now. $0 for federal and $15 a state. I just have a w2 and a few 1099 ints, 401k, student stuff, nothing special.
If you have something more complex, just pay a professional. It's worth it, especially if taxes scare you.
[1] https://www.freetaxusa.com/
Re: (Score:1)
We gave up on Windows at home 15 years ago and switched to Macs. We've been using TurboTax for Mac for 15 years with no issues. I don't see us ever going back to the MS world.