refund

File your 2012 federal income tax from your Android phone with TurboTax SnapTax

Taxpayers who file the 1040EZ income tax form have always had it easier, at least when it comes to the paperwork. They've long enjoyed the ability to file electronically, for instance. Things just got even easier for 1040EZ users, thanks to TurboTax SnapTax, a free Android app from one of the biggest and most trusted names in tax preparation, especially online tax prep and e-filing. With SnapTax, you can file your 2012 federal income tax returns using your Android smartphone, or tablet, or any device running Android, so long as it has a high-resolution camera. Simply take snapshots of … Read more

TurboTax Online Deluxe 2012

TurboTax is big in tax software, so we were interest to see how their online tax service compared to similar services from other big names in the tax prep game. TurboTax Online offers five options: Free, Deluxe, Premier, Home & Business, and the new Military Edition. The Deluxe edition is the most popular. Why? Maybe its mission: Maximize your deductions. TurboTax Deluxe 2012 is ready to help you prepare and file your 2012 taxes. Better yet, it's ready for the IRS: One of the advantages of online tax tools from trusted services is their ability to handle changes in … Read more

Express Tax Refund's embedded browser taxed our patience

The ability to electronically file your federal and state taxes may be the nearest thing to pleasant in the whole taxpaying experience, except for getting a refund. To e-file your taxes, you need some form of tax software. You have many choices, including some free tools (usually just for federal taxes) as well as shareware e-filing tools and on and up to major personal finance and accounting packages, some of which might cost more than your tax bill. RT Software's Express Tax Refund is typical of tools offering one-stop e-filing, with a secure, Web-integrated interface and functionality, step-by-step operation, … Read more

File your homeowner or investment income taxes online with TurboTax Deluxe 2012

TurboTax is big in tax software, so we were interest to see how its online tax service compared with similar services from other big names in the tax prep game. TurboTax Online offers five options: Free, Deluxe, Premier, Home & Business, and the new Military Edition. The Deluxe edition is the most popular. Why? Maybe its mission: maximize your deductions. TurboTax Deluxe 2012 is ready to help you prepare and file your 2012 taxes. Better yet, it's ready for the IRS: one of the advantages of online tax tools from trusted services is their ability to handle changes in … Read more

Calculate your estimated tax refund on your iPad with TurboTax TaxCaster

With changes to tax law occurring on an annual basis, piled on top of changes in your personal life and income, it's hard to know exactly how much money you will owe or be owed on any given tax return. There are some tax refund calculators online, but they are not always up-to-date, and even when they are, they are not necessarily easy to use. So the TurboTax TaxCaster from Intuit is a pleasant surprise and one of the most effective ways to estimate your future liability or refund with the IRS. The app doesn't require any personal … Read more

How to avoid unpleasant surprises when buying or selling online

According to a recent survey, if you're looking to buy something online, you're most likely to be pleased with the outcome if you make the purchase on Amazon.com.

The world's largest Web retailer tops the list of online vendors in ForeSee's Holiday E-Retail Satisfaction Index with a rating of 88 on a scale of 1 to 100. This marks the eighth consecutive year Amazon has finished atop ForeSee's annual holiday survey of online shoppers; the results of this year's survey were released on December 27, 2012.

Overall customer satisfaction with Web retailers has … Read more

Request refunds for Google Play apps after grace period ends

For some paid apps there are also trial or free counterparts. On a lot of these trial apps, you'll find that the only difference is that they are ad-supported. Upgrading may remove the ads and nothing else, so you may not even need the paid version. However, many paid versions of apps offer the best features -- you know, their selling point.

Let's say you bought an app that you can't gauge its usefulness in 15 minutes or less. Or maybe the app is freezing your device when you use it and figuring out what's going … Read more

Kickstarter addresses questions about refunds on failed projects

After concerns were raised about where donors' money goes if Kickstarter projects are never finished, the crowd-source funding platform addressed its accountability today.

"The number of creative projects that have been funded and produced on Kickstarter in the past three years is enormous," the company's co-founders, Perry Chen, Yancey Strickler, and Charles Adler, wrote in a blog post today. "But of course not every project goes perfectly. Delays do occur, especially with more complicated projects. Some creators get in over their heads dealing with processes that are new to them."

Ultimately, Kickstarter concluded that the … Read more

Samsung will pay you up to $300 for your phone

Samsung Electronics is looking to press its momentum with the Galaxy S III smartphone.

The Korean electronics conglomerate said it will offer up to $300 for an existing smartphone if you switch to one of its phones. You can check out the offer here.

Samsung has emerged as a dominant player in the smartphone business, taking the crown away from Apple. While Apple has its limited iPhone lineup, Samsung has been able to take the lead on the back of a wide variety of smartphones. But its flagship Galaxy S III has proven to be a blockbuster around the world. … Read more