RBS Taxes Sucks, IMHO

[moondogg]

Being the first year I've had significant gaming income, I decided to hire the pros to do my taxes. I have suggested RBS Taxes to people in the past, but boy was I wrong. I hereby withdraw that endorsement.

I called them up, described exactly what was on my returned, and they quoted me a price. I agreed, they sent me a questionaire, I filled it out and sent it back with all my forms. Everyone's happy.

They received the forms from my over a week ago. Then these [censored] clowns call me yesterday, and say "we can't do this return for the price we quoted you". Apparently having a few mutual funds, and a single sale trade during year (all of which I disclosed to them before they quoted a price) is too damn complicated for these people. As a lot of you know, either you are filling out a schedule D or you are not, in reality it makes little difference if you have 2 or 6 long-term mutual funds. When I asked how much it would be to get it done, they price they quoted was now double the original price.

I especially loved when she said "well, you're filing as a professional gambler...". WTF!?! "No, I am not, I filled out that I am a software developer, and my gambling income is 'recreational'". "Oh, well we never got a W-2". WTF!?! "Well I sent one, so you had better damn find it immediately."

Their book may be good, I really don't know, and I really don't [censored] care. But, I strongly suggest that you do NOT hire these tools to prepare your return.

[otctrader]

Turbotax baby; if you can import last year's return (did it on the computer), it takes me half an hour to an hour tops, and that's with 1099 income, lengthy Schedule C deductions, and a sad looking Schedule D (the last few years anyway).

Oh, and you can still keep a few tables going on your 2001FP as you file away.

[Acesover8s]

Curious. What price did they quote you?

[moondogg]

[ QUOTE ]
Curious. What price did they quote you?

[/ QUOTE ]

$350 quoted upfront, "at least $700" quoted later, and I don't think they had even looked at my deductions and self-employed consulting income yet.

They called back seeing if we could negotiate another price. I quit smoking last week and I've been dying to tear somebody a new [censored]. We did not negotiate another price.

[Keith Fellmy]

man I have dealt with the clowns at many of those so called tax prep places. Finally I settled on an asian college student who is working toward his finanace degree. 100 bucks and it's done in two days. How did I meet him? Sitting at a Cryptologic table. He and I were cleaning up. If I didn't win the hand, he did. So I looked up where he was from. It said "North Fort Myers" which is where I am from. So we talked at the table and found out his office is six blocks away. Nice guy, math whiz, and a struggling college student (though with all the people I saw in his office-he is making a killing.)

[MD2020]

[ QUOTE ]


They called back seeing if we could negotiate another price. I quit smoking last week and I've been dying to tear somebody a new [censored]. We did not negotiate another price.

[/ QUOTE ]

Congrats. I hope you make it.

[moondogg]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]


They called back seeing if we could negotiate another price. I quit smoking last week and I've been dying to tear somebody a new [censored]. We did not negotiate another price.

[/ QUOTE ]

Congrats. I hope you make it.

[/ QUOTE ]

Go [censored] yourself.

/images/graemlins/wink.gif

[Nightwish]

I second the TurboTax recommendation. Get the Premier version, and it'll be able to file just about every form you can think of. In fact, I have yet to find something that this program cannot do, though it's possible there's some esoteric tax thing that it doesn't support.

I was also considering dealing with RBS. I called them around September of last year and asked for a quote. They told me $250, which right away is more than I'm willing to spend. You can get TurboTax Premier for $50 on eBay.

[TheMetetron]

Thread hijack:

I need to file quarterly taxes this April, but I only used the Turbo Tax right below Premier. Should I just use the Tax Liability / 4 method and then get Premier for next tax year or what should I do? I assume Turbo Tax for this tax year isn't available yet.

[moondogg]

[ QUOTE ]
Thread hijack:

I need to file quarterly taxes this April, but I only used the Turbo Tax right below Premier. Should I just use the Tax Liability / 4 method and then get Premier for next tax year or what should I do? I assume Turbo Tax for this tax year isn't available yet.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thread Re-jack:
I want this answer to. It's my thread /images/graemlins/tongue.gif and I say it's on topic. From what I've seen/heard, the estimated quarterly taxes are a walk in the park paperwork-wise, but I'd like to hear any tips people have who have done them before.

PS Thanks for all info about Turbo tax. I still may end up doing it by hand (I'm a math geek and kinda like the exercise in a sick way), but I'll definitely look in it.

[Nightwish]

[ QUOTE ]
Thread hijack:

I need to file quarterly taxes this April, but I only used the Turbo Tax right below Premier. Should I just use the Tax Liability / 4 method and then get Premier for next tax year or what should I do? I assume Turbo Tax for this tax year isn't available yet.

[/ QUOTE ]
You should be able to do this if you think your income will be the same this year as last year. Frankly, I'm just going to figure out my gross profit for the first 3 months, figure out my tax rate, and pay that.

[Shoe]

Another quarterly tax question -- do state taxes need to paid quarterly as well or is that a lump sum at the end of the year?

[CountDuckula]

[ QUOTE ]
Another quarterly tax question -- do state taxes need to paid quarterly as well or is that a lump sum at the end of the year?

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, I can't speak for every state, but I know Massachusetts wants quarterly payments for non-withholding income. I suspect most, if not all, states are the same.

-Mike