Let's face it. Nobody likes doing their taxes. It's bad enough that we have to pay them but to be forced to put in countless hours of preparation and filing is just adding insult to injury. Fortunately, there is a piece of software that helps ease the blow and it is probably one of the best pieces of software ever made, even if we do hate doing our taxes.

Turbo Tax, created by Intuit, has been around since 1983 and is one of the only pieces of software that must be updated every year because of the changes in income tax laws and forms. And Turbo Tax hasn't missed a beat in 23 years. If you've been doing your taxes by hand then you really don't know what you're missing with this modern day marvel.

The only way Turbo Tax could make doing your taxes any easier would be if it typed in the information for you, which in certain cases it can. More on that later. Actually, if you combine Turbo Tax with another piece of software called Quicken, you can have your taxes done for you with almost no input from you at all.

But for those who still collect their strips of paper with their expenses and still have W2 forms and 1099 forms sent to them, Turbo Tax can still save you a lot of time, not only in doing your return but also in filing it.

The biggest advantage of doing your taxes with Turbo Tax is that all the calculations are done for you, as opposed to the old pen and paper method of filling out forms and having to bring a calculator with you or somebody with a good head for math on their shoulders, if this isn't you.

Turbo tax has its own built in calculator. Every figure you enter either gets added to income or deductions depending on where you enter it. And if you're not sure where some of the figures go, no problem. Turbo Tax actually walks you through every box on your tax form and even asks you questions along the way to help you figure out what forms need to be filled out.

And then when it comes time to sending in your tax return, you don't even have to send it in the mail anymore. Turbo Tax gives you the option to e-file your return electronically. For a small fee, after you have finished filling out the form and Turbo Tax has made all the corrections necessary, you can simply tell Turbo Tax to send it over the Internet and it's done.

Is Turbo Tax fool proof? Close to it. There isn't a stone left unturned. Even before you use it you have the option to have Turbo Tax check the Internet to see if any of the forms have been modified since you purchased the software. If you have a slow Internet connection, this can take some time. But it's worth it in the end. And, after you have finished your return, you can still print out a copy for your records in case you get audited.

And finally, you can make it so that Turbo Tax is automatically sent to you every year so you don't have to go out and buy it yourself. Yes, Turbo Tax is one of the few pieces of software that really delivers what it promises.

Even if we do hate doing our taxes.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Software

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