E-file or USPS file?
By pinkeagle
@pinkeagle (202)
United States
February 26, 2007 10:06am CST
I have been thinking of filing my income taxes early. I am having trouble deciding whether to e-file or use the USPS the old fashioned way.
Please, what are the advantages and disadvantages of each?
4 responses
@limosonia1 (1559)
• United States
26 Feb 07
I like efiling you get your money quicker and they can depoist right into your bank account. Theres no fuss. Also you can efile for free so you don't have to worry about having to pay the usps charge. other than that there really isn't a difference. It is all within what you feel comfortable doing. If you want to efile the link is www.irs.gov you can pick the program that fits you and it will walk you through everything.
@pinkeagle (202)
• United States
26 Feb 07
Are you not worried about the IRS at sometime in the future making an error and mistakenly or illegally seizing your assets? This would be much easier for them than it is now because they have your account number if you e-file.
I know someone who set up an account with a utility company that they could debit his account monthy for his bill. That utility made an error and took over $3000 to which they were not entitled. It took my friend months to get his money back, not to mention the trouble he had to go through to prove the utility was wrong. If they could not have just taken his money, he would have had a lot less hassle.
Imagine, the hassle in trying to deal with the IRS in a matter like this.
I am still conflicted about this. Thanks, for telling me how to look into it further.
1 person likes this
@limosonia1 (1559)
• United States
26 Feb 07
If that is your only worry let me set your mind at ease. The IRS already has all your account numbers. As an accountant I already know that so me providing them with it really doesn't bother me. I have one account that I deal with all my EFT's for is such a thing happens they can only get very little. The other is where I keep all my money. But when it comes to the IRS I can guarentee you they alredy have that information. That is why I do not mess around and report anything that they might think is wrong. For they will freeze everything including your pay checks and ask questions later. So you see my friend efile or mailing will not make a difference when it comes to that.
2 people like this
@pinkeagle (202)
• United States
27 Feb 07
limosonia1, I sure wish you had made your comment as a response. It deserves a best response, but as a comment there is no way to award it as such. You have to settle for a plus.
Thanks, for the really great advice.
@melanie652 (2524)
• United States
14 Mar 07
No doubt in my mind - e-file! I've been doing e-file for years. It's quicker and easier to file. I don't have to worry about my taxes getting lost in the mail and I get my refund faster.
1 person likes this
@sweetgirl_k1 (3972)
• United States
27 Feb 07
We had someone do our taxes for us but he turned it into the government online instead of having us mail it in. It's coming back a lot quicker then when we just mailed them in. And it didn't cost us any more money to do it that way either.
1 person likes this
@kims374 (300)
• United States
26 Feb 07
efiling is the best way to go, for sure....it takes as little as 10 days to get a refund direct deposited into your account, you can check you efile status right away, you get notified of its status...
the old way can take upwards of 6 weeks or so, and you get a check which then has to be deposited...
I use turbo tax for the web so you don't have to buy the software every year- it's very easy, even for someone who is not familiar with doing their own taxes.
