Could I have made a bigger mess of this?

[auntiemeesh]

Argh! I've been filing my taxes online for a good six years now, and I've never had as much trouble as I have today. I usually use H&R Block and get my federal free and my state for a low fee. I did something wrong and ended up getting the more expensive option, paying lots for my federal. I didn't want to pay even more for state so tried to find another option. Ended up using efile, but ended up paying more than I would have if I'd stayed with H&R. And then even though I said I didn't want to file my federal with them, only state, they asked for info about my federal return that made me very uncomfortable about the possibility of having my federal filed twice. Ended up going back and paying at H&R to file just the state, which I'll have to wait to actually file, now, until the federal gets accepted, since I did them separately. So messed up but I couldn't get any actual answers from anyone and I was feeling a little trapped. And now I'm trying to get the local done. It's a free efile, and I clicked 'submit' at least twenty minutes ago, and the page is still loading. WTF?!? Is this actually going to load at some point, or do I need to close out the window and try again? I'm feeling very confused and anxious, and I seriously freaking hate taxes this year!

Update: Well, I made a decision. After looking at the pgh website, it seems that I'm better off simply closing out the window and trying again later. They recommend not trying to do this over the weekend, as there's too much traffic, and they'll accept local forms through 4/20. So I'll try again tomorrow.

Update 2: The drama never ends! My federal return got rejected because I messed up the Make Work Pay thing. That's fixed, and since I had to re-submit that I was able to submit the state return at the same time. So now all that's waiting is the local, which I'll try to do before work tomorrow. Now that I'm thinking about it, I'm pretty sure I had the same problem last year and once I waited for a week day during work hours I had no trouble submitting. Why so difficult?

Comments

[shirebound]

How frustrating! I pay H&R every year just because I'd be too nervous otherwise.

[auntiemeesh.livejournal.com]

I used to do my own taxes every year, until it became more convenient to do it online. I'd still be happier if I could just fill out the forms online, rather than paying someone like H&R to do it, but that doesn't seem to be an option.

[lyda-pearl.livejournal.com]

I use taxact online..free for fed fee for state....but I don,t have state tax :)

[auntiemeesh.livejournal.com]

I truly envy you and ANM both for that. But the state form has been filed, finally. I'll get the local done tomorrow and be done with the whole hellish lot.

[ani-no-mouse.livejournal.com]

*Pulls hair out in sympathy stress* What a rotten day! I hope you will still end up getting some money back after all that. I am at least grateful that Oxford doesn't have any local income tax - just property taxes and sales tax.

[auntiemeesh.livejournal.com]

Aside from not being able to submit the local taxes, they're the easiest and quickest. Luckily, the fees don't cancel out my refund, lol.

[kay-brooke.livejournal.com]

Ugh, I had issues like that a couple years ago. I hate doing taxes.

[auntiemeesh.livejournal.com]

This is why I've learned at least to try to do my taxes a day or two before they're due, instead of truly at the last minute, lol. If I was trying to deal with this tomorrow, I'd be having a heart attack!

[kay-brooke.livejournal.com]

Oh, definitely. This year I actually did my taxes in January (WHO AM I?), but that was mostly because I desperately needed the refund money (the only good thing about paying 25% of my annual income into student loans is that I get a huge tax credit for the interest paid, and thus a nice refund every year).

[antbee362.livejournal.com]

the last time I did my own taxes I think I used Turbotax which I got from my credit union but I don't remember the cost. I have been paying a live person since I retired however he did the fed and state electronically this year and I had the money back before I had my copies of the forms from him. Very quick.

[auntiemeesh.livejournal.com]

Once everything gets accepted and approved at all the various levels, I should get my refund in about ten days. Which is so much better than the six weeks it used to take when I sent in a paper copy.

[rabidsamfan.livejournal.com]

I still do a paper copy -- which, when I'm on the ball, I get sent early. It's free, after all, except for the postage stamp. This year I'm just finishing up, but that's nobody's fault but my own.

I continue to use paper because I am unenamored with computers, don't trust keystroke engines, and generally am narked at them for taking away my lovely "do it over my telephone landline" option. Also because I work with far too many people for which any website is a *barrier*, and I want to make sure that the feds have to continue to provide options that work for everyone.

[auntiemeesh.livejournal.com]

I think I switched over because I was always running into the problem of not being able to find my paper copy by deadline day, which is when I tend to be thinking about taxes, lol. Otherwise, I'd probably still be doing it by hand as well.

[grey-wonderer.livejournal.com]

I have never done my own taxes. My math skills are just not up to it. H&R Block did mine this year and as always, we owed way too much. I also never get money back so tax time bites in all ways in my world.

You are far braver than I am and I salute you for doing your own taxes! I'm impressed.

[auntiemeesh.livejournal.com]

My taxes have always been very simple. The only reason I use a 1040A instead of the 1040EZ is because of my student loan payments. My poor mom, she had a lot of work to do for taxes. My parents owned a farm, my dad was a small business owner and had employees and I don't think it ever even occurred to her that she could have someone do the taxes for her, lol.

[westwindschild.livejournal.com]

Glad it is all working out. Taxes suck.
I used to do my own, and still process DB's because his computer won't print for some reason. About 5 years ago, I hit a wrong button on Turbo Tax and his got into the Professional category and they have no option for correcting an accidental keystroke so he must pay to file through Turbo Tax til the end of his life. So I switched to H&R Block. I think they have the same thing, but fortunately I haven't hit the wrong key yet. I think it is ridiculous that they will not make a correction available to that one error. Fortunately there are lots of other options, although few are as user friendly in most respects as TurboTax or HRBlock. I think you can still access the forms directly at irs.gov,fill them in online, then print them and send them via snailmail. Although it's been a few years since I tried.

[auntiemeesh.livejournal.com]

The thing about doing them online is, I know they get submitted and received in a timely fashion. Since I'm always doing my taxes right at the deadline, I used to be stuck looking for a mail dropbox that had a collection time after I was dropping off, and the ones in my neighborhood are all very early collections.

[wbkbb.livejournal.com]

Yuck! My sympathy for the nightmare that is filing taxes. I'm glad you got everything to work out somehow, and I hope you enjoy your refund lots. *hugs*

[auntiemeesh.livejournal.com]

I should be good and put the whole refund to bills, but I never seem able to make myself do that.

[arthurfrdent.livejournal.com]

Uncle Iroh suggests calming Jasmine tea... I feel your pain, toots. I still have to send a boatload of paper with my e-file, because I have to prove to the fed that I get to deduct 1 kid. My ex? doesn't have to file anything... with that 1 deduction I get to avoid paying even MORE money to the fed. whoopee. :eyeroll: fortunately the Colorado state form is only 1 page, and steals pretty directly from the fed, so I file that on paper... and send them a nice check, too.

OI! on the bright side it's over for another year.
maybe you need a beer more than tea? ;)

[auntiemeesh.livejournal.com]

As you say, it's over for another year. I had a nice cold screwdriver this evening and feel much better!