Tax Time for Bloggers: Part 2

Ah, taxes: I chatted about the weird landscape of doing taxes a few weeks ago in my first Tax Time post, and now since I’ve gone ahead and filed everything (yes, I’ve already filed!), I’ll chat about one major tool that helped me with the filing process.

Yes, I like to file early. I never claim any deductions on my W-4, so I always end up overpaying in taxes and I always get a refund. I usually use that refund to book a fun vacation or buy something nice (this year, I’m buying a new camera!), so as soon as I gather all of my tax documents, I’m off to file!

This year, I tried something a little different. I normally head to an accountant every year, but as my blog grows, so does the cost of getting my taxes done. I have a lot of additional tax forms to file as a blogger (various 1099-MISCs), and the more of those you receive in a year, the more expensive it will be to file and use an accountant.  The folks at TurboTax invited me to check out some of the new tools they had to offer, and they made prepping so much easier as someone who both works a full-time job and owns her own small business.

Here are some of the new features TurboTax has rolled out that I’m loving:

1. W-2 Snap

   I never, ever thought I would be able to do my taxes on my phone, but it’s 2016. I guess I need to get with the times, right? TurboTax has this neat feature that let’s you take a picture of your W-2 on your phone or tablet and the information is securely entered into the right forms without hard work and worry. There are several steps you have to take to verify your identity before you can enter in that info, so don’t worry about some random person stealing your W-2’s!

2. SmartLook

   Yes, the idea of filing alone is slightly terrifying, and this is one reason why I stuck with an accountant for a long time. However, TurboTax has a new feature called SmartLook that connects you with a TurboTax expert live via one-way video. You can ask the TurboTax expert any questions you might have for free!

3. ExplainWhy

   As you file your taxes, TurboTax’s ExplainWhy feature offers personalized, bite-sized explanations of the “why” behind your deductions, credits, and tax refund, so you can be confident that you’re getting every dollar you deserve.

Overall, I had a great experience using TurboTax and I definitely plan on using it again when it comes time to file next year. Another incentive to get your taxes done early? Through mid-March 2016, if you prepare and file straightforward federal and state tax returns (1040A or 1040EZ), you can take advantage of absolutely free federal and state tax filing. $0 fed. $0 state. $0 to file. Get it done, folks!

This post was done in partnership with TurboTax. All thoughts and opinions are my own.