1.  Go Online or Use TurboTax SnapTax to File

Using TurboTax online or SnapTax will make your life easy.  You don’t need to know the tax code.  TurboTax ask you simple questions related to your tax situation, puts your information on the correct tax forms, and gives you the tax deductions and credits you’re entitled to so that you can keep more of your hard-earned money.  You can also use TurboTax SnapTax from your mobile device to conveniently and accurately file your tax return in minutes.

2.  Don’t Miss Out On Filing and Your Money

The tax deadline is just a few weeks away so make sure you don’t miss out on filing your taxes.  Some new filers may end up thinking they don’t make enough money to file taxes, but if you had federal taxes taken out of your paycheck or are entitled to credits like education credits, or the Earned Income Tax Credit you may be missing out on a tax refund by not filing.

3.  Make Sure You Have All of Your Paperwork

I would say the most common problem I’ve heard people have while filing their taxes is that it’s hard to keep track of all of their documents. As the paperwork comes in, please have a folder or a tray ready to keep them safe until you decide to file.

Using tax software like TurboTax can help you get that information accurately submitted in a timely manner.

One note about tip income earned on the job. If you receive tips at your job, please make sure that you report that income when filing your taxes. Keeping a daily log of your tips as they come in can take away the headache of trying to remember everything that you receive. If you keep your employer in the loop, that information should be reflected in your W-2.

4.  If You Have Questions Talk to a TurboTax Tax Expert

If you are preparing your tax return and you have a tax question don’t hesitate to talk to a TurboTax tax expert who is a CPA, IRS enrolled agent, or tax attorney.  You can ask your tax questions for free.

Thoughts on Filing Taxes for the First Time

How many of you are getting your taxes filed for the first time? What is your biggest worry? Are you expecting a refund or do you think you owe money?

Whatever your tax needs are, TurboTax has the right product for you with its iOS and Android apps:

• SnapTax - Available for iOS and Android devices, TurboTax SnapTax lets you begin your tax return by simply snapping a photo of your W-2 form with your device’s camera. SnapTax is designed for taxpayers filing a 1040EZ return and has expanded to 1040A, to include those who claim dependents or the earned income tax credit (EITC). After answering a few simple questions, you can e-file within the app or securely transfer your tax information for e-filing to TurboTax Online.

• TurboTax for iPad - A free app that lets you prepare and file your tax return without getting off the couch. Using TurboTax for iPad, you can snap a photo of your W-2 (iPad mini and iPad with Retina display only). From there, you’ll get step-by-step guidance and free one-on-one tax advice from tax experts as you prepare your return. When you’re done, you can securely e-file—all from your iPad!

• TaxCaster - A free, easy way to get a quick estimate of your tax refund. Once you enter some basic information, TaxCaster estimates your tax refund amount using the TurboTax tax calculator. TaxCaster is available for iPhone and iPad as well as Android devices.

• MyTaxRefund - A free app available for iPhone and iPads and Android devices. After e-filing, you can use MyTaxRefund to easily track the status of federal and state tax returns. MyTaxRefund tells you when to expect your federal refund payment based on IRS projections.

All the TurboTax mobile apps are free, and e-filing starts at no cost for simple federal tax returns. Learn more about TurboTax mobile apps and e-filing pricing, or visit the Apple iTunes, Google Play, and Amazon app stores to download.

Android Tablet App

New TurboTax for Android Offers True Native Experience

Designed and optimized specifically for Android tablets, the new mobile app gives you the freedom to work on your taxes anytime, anywhere, and without always being connected to the Internet.  The customized, native app takes advantage of the tablet environment with a unique look and feel, easy navigation and automatically presents customized keyboards, on devices that support it, to make entering tax data easier and more intuitive.

Tax returns can be password protected for an extra layer of security. You can e-file your tax return directly from your tablet and get a refund in as little as seven days with direct deposit and can easily and securely email a copy of your tax return to your computer.  The app supports Android tablets that are 3.x and above.

This is another effort to reach an audience of both new and existing customers on the devices they prefer.  While you currently cannot transfer previous year tax information or import income automatically, the app includes the same step-by-step guidance to help you reach your maximum tax refund.  This year, TurboTax is the only software to offer everyone free one-on-one live tax advice, via phone or chat from highly experienced tax professionals.

TurboTax for Android tablets is the first and only tax prep app designed specifically for Android tablets that enable taxpayers with simple and complex returns to prepare and e-file both their federal and state taxes completely from their tablet. For Android phone customers, SnapTax, an app designed for a simple return (1040EZ) is also available.

To learn more about the apps, go to Android tablets.  You can download the app for free from the Android Market, and pay when you’re done.  You can start in TurboTax Deluxe, for $29.99, and based on your tax situation, you can choose TurboTax Premier or TurboTax Home & Business for an additional cost. State tax preparation is additional.    All pricing is subject to change and includes e-file at no additional cost.

Check out this video demo to find out more about using the new TurboTax for Android tablet app.

“We are really excited to build upon our success from last season,” said Jason Smerican, senior product manager.  “We have the benefit of going through the full tax season this year and can’t wait for even more customers to experience the convenience of doing their taxes from their iPad.”

With the first apps in the market, to allow people to prepare and file their tax returns all from their mobile devices, TurboTax apps make it easier than ever for taxpayers, anytime, anywhere.  You can estimate your tax refund, prepare and e-file your tax return, and track the status of your tax return after you file, all from your mobile devices.  Unlike other tax apps, TurboTax apps are specifically designed and optimized specifically for an app user experience.

The new suite of apps includes:     

• SnapTax: Designed for taxpayers with simple tax returns (1040EZ), SnapTax lets you snap a photo of your W-2 with the camera in your phone and then, automatically transfers information right onto your tax return. You then answer a few simple questions, review your tax return and tap “File My Taxes” to e-file in minutes.  Available for iPhone or Android devices.

•  TurboTax for iPad:  Improved for tax year 2011, TurboTax for iPad, now includes the ability to easily transfer information from your prior year tax return and automatically import income information directly from 400,000 employers, banks and financial institutions. Free one-on-one tax advice from highly-qualified tax experts is now available if you use TurboTax for iPad and SnapTax as well.  This year there will also be new apps for android tablets, including Kindle Fire.

• TaxCaster: Now available for iPad as well as iPhone and Android devices, TaxCaster is a free and easy way to estimate your tax refund.  With this interactive and engaging app, you can quickly and easily enter information using visual icons and sliders to see where you stand before you file. 

• MyTaxRefund: After e-filing, you can check the status of both your federal and state tax returns with this free and easy mobile app available now for iPad, as well as iPhone, Android devices.  MyTaxRefund also tells you when to expect to receive your federal tax refund based on IRS projections.

• TurboTax Card Mobile- Free to TurboTax customers who choose to receive their tax refund on a TurboTax Prepaid Visa® Card, the TurboTax Card Mobile app is available for both iPhone and Android devices.  The app allows you to track your federal tax refund, activate your card, check your balance and transactions, locate ATMs and more!

 TurboTax Online products are also accessible to mobile users.

All TurboTax online products, including Free Edition, are now compatible when accessing through a browser on the iPhone, Android, Kindle Fire, iPad and other tablets. With an improved mobile experience, if you are using a browser, you can move between your mobile device and your computer giving you more freedom and choice to prepare your taxes whenever and wherever you want.

TurboTax Goes Mobile

To check out new videos of the tax apps, click here to see TurboTax for iPad and SnapTax in action.

Pricing and Availability

All apps from TurboTax are free to download.  TurboTax for iPad and SnapTax customers pay when they are done.  All pricing for TurboTax mobile apps is available on the App Store, Android Market, or Amazon App Store for Android.

What could be better?  The ability to accurately and easily estimate, prepare, and e-file your taxes or track your tax refund all while being mobile.  So what device do you use to file your taxes?

Check out SnapTax and TurboTax for iPad on YouTube here:

TaxCaster – Want to know how big your tax refund is going to be? TaxCaster is a free tax calculator app that will give you a quick tax estimate. Just enter basic information about you, your income and tax deductions to get a good idea if you will owe money or – hopefully – get a nice big tax refund. (iPhone, Android, WP7, WordPress plugin)

SnapTax – Prepare and file your taxes on your phone. Available nationwide and designed for taxpayers with simple tax returns (1040EZ), SnapTax allows you to snap a photo of your W-2, answer a few simple questions, review your return and e-file your federal and state tax return directly from your phone.  Download and try for free, pay $14.99 when you prepare and are ready to file. (iPhone, Android)

MyTaxRefund – Wondering “Where’s my refund?” MyTaxRefund, a free and easy app, is available to any taxpayer that has e-filed their federal tax return.  MyTaxRefund shows you the IRS projected status of your e-filed, federal tax return, tells you if your tax return has been accepted by the IRS and when the IRS estimates you’ll get your federal tax refund. (iPhone, iPad)

Apps can bring a little bit of fun and definitely convenience to your daily routine, so why not use them to help with your taxes too.

This year, SnapTax is available for all states AND for both iPhone and Android mobile phones.  SnapTax is all about making it simple to file your taxes.  Just shoot, snap, file and you’re done.  So easy, it’s like magic! Here’s a snappy video to help illustrate.

SnapTax uses optical character recognition (OCR) technology to snap a photo of a W-2 and transfer data to the tax return. Very cool! Answer some basic questions, check the return for accuracy and tap “File Now” when your ready to electronically file your return. There’s a running tally of the refund, or taxes owed, every step of the way. Your tax information is literally at your fingertips.

You can download SnapTax for free in the Apple App Store and Android Market and pay an introductory price of $14.99 when you are ready to e-file your return. The price includes federal and state preparation and e-filing.

Last year, SnapTax was limited to CA residents with an iPhone only and quickly achieved a 4 star rating in the Apple App Store. Feedback from customers was great. Avery Ryder, a 21-year-old college student and the first person to file a return using the app shared his reaction. “It captured all of my information perfectly and the import worked great … surprisingly great because I didn’t have to re-enter anything”, Ryder said.

This year, SnapTax is available to millions of taxpayers in all states. Designed for those with a simple return (1040EZ), SnapTax will quickly and easily walk them through the process. Sounds like something you may want to check out for yourself? There are some qualifications to help you decide is will work for you. Check out the Apple App Store or Andoid Market or go to www.SnapTax.com. So what are you waiting for…Snap to it!

The TurboTax team just landed in sunny Las Vegas and we’re excited to be gearing up for this year’s ShowStoppers @ CES tonight.  At the show, we’ll be some of TurboTax’s newest and most innovative mobile apps including SnapTax, TaxCaster Mobile and Tap2Track Mileage.

SnapTax- an app that allows CA residents with simple returns to e- file a federal and state return right from their iPhone in minutes.

TaxCaster Mobile - a calculator that helps taxpayers get an estimate of what their refund might be so there’s no surprises come April 15.

Tap2Track Mileage - a mileage tracker that uses Google Maps and the iPhone’s GPS to keep accurate, detailed records of each driving trip. Whether you are tracking for business purposes, volunteer or charity work or tax reasons

On Tuesday we announced SnapTax, the latest innovation that allows taxpayers to prepare and file their taxes right from their iPhone!  Exclusively available for California residents later this month via iTunes app store, ShowStoppers is the only place where you’ll be able to get a hands-on, sneak peek of this app before it’s available.  If you happen to be attending, be sure to come by and say hello!

What: ShowStoppers @ CES

When: 7 Jan. 2010, 6-10 p.m.

Where: The Wynn, Lafitte Ballroom, Las Vegas

Imagine sitting on the train in your daily commute, grabbing a Saturday afternoon coffee, or killing time at the airport and being able to start and finish your taxes in just minutes.  Sounds like a cool concept, but now doing your taxes on the go is a reality with SnapTax, a new iPhone app coming your way in January. Update: Find out more about the TurboTax SnapTax iPhone app on Intuit Labs now that it’s live.

Available exclusively for California residents this year, SnapTax uses optical character recognition (OCR) software to allow you to prepare and e-file federal and state returns entirely from your iPhone. It’s simple.  In fact, you can file your taxes in just three easy steps:

1. Snap a photo of your 2009 W-2 with your iPhone:

2. Get your maximum refund by answering a few simple questions:

3. Review your tax information, then e-file – all within a matter on minutes:

Amir Eftekhari, app guru and engineering manager for SnapTax at TurboTax, weighs in about revolutionizing the way people do taxes. “At TurboTax we are always looking for ways to make it easier and more convenient for taxpayers to get their maximum refund.  With SnapTax, we’ve made it possible for taxpayers to easily do their taxes on the go in minutes.”

SnapTax will be available in the App Store in mid-January (once the IRS opens e-file) for $9.99, which includes federal and California state preparation and e-file.   To get the most out of SnapTax’s innovative OCR capabilities, we recommend using it with the iPhone 3GS.  Also, check out what others like TechCrunch are saying about SnapTax so far.

If you live in California and have a simple return check it out, and leave us your feedback in the comments. We’ll give five random California commenters a free download.