# What US Taxpayers Need to Know About the NEW Form 1040



## SeaBreeze (Jul 6, 2018)

My husband does our taxes, we'll see if it's any simpler with the new 1040. Does anyone think this will be helpful during tax time?  More about it here.  



> Taxpayers will be in for a surprise when they file their 2018 federal income tax returns  next year as the Internal Revenue Service recently announced plans to  streamline the Form 1040 into a shorter, simpler form for the 2019  filing season. A draft of the new form  reveals it to be much shorter than the old one – reduced from 79 lines  to 23. The new form is expected to replace the current Form 1040 as well  as the shorter Forms 1040A and 1040EZ traditionally used by taxpayers  with less complex tax situations.
> 
> Here are a few things to know about the new tax form.
> 
> ...


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## Don M. (Jul 6, 2018)

If this is like nearly everything the government "improves", there will probably be some Startup issues.  I will most likely stay with using the H&R Block CD I get every year, and let their team of accountants, etc., figure out how these changes work....at least, that way, if something gets messed up, H&R will fix it.


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## jujube (Jul 6, 2018)

And then there's the Super-Duper Easy-Peasy 1040 ABCDE&F Form:  It's just a 9x12 envelope.  You put everything you earn in it and the government sends back what it doesn't use.


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## KingsX (Jul 6, 2018)

Don M. said:


> If this is like nearly everything the government "improves", there will probably be some Startup issues.  I will most likely stay with using the H&R Block CD I get every year, and let their team of accountants, etc., figure out how these changes work....at least, that way, if something gets messed up, H&R will fix it.




I've always done my own taxes... but when I turn 70 and begin taking RMD [and it's related draconian IRS rules]
I will probably seek professional tax help.   If you don't mind me asking... what is H&R's cost.  Can they also help
with tax planning?

.


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## Don M. (Jul 7, 2018)

KingsX said:


> I've always done my own taxes... but when I turn 70 and begin taking RMD [and it's related draconian IRS rules]I will probably seek professional tax help.   If you don't mind me asking... what is H&R's cost.  Can they also help with tax planning?.



I've been doing my own taxes with the H&R Block CD's, for several years...with NO problems.  They usually charge about $35 for the Federal, and an extra $5 for State (as I recall), and I can usually get my taxes done in about an hour or two.  The Fed taxes are filed electronically, and I just print off the State stuff, and send it in the mail.  This past year, I filed at the end of January, and had both refunds by mid Feb.  Unless a person has a very complex tax filing...runs a business, etc., this is the Best method I've found for doing taxes.  TurboTax also has a good reputation, but I've had good results with H&R, so I just stick with them.  As for planning, they have several sections on their program that can help a person plan for the next years taxes, if their incomes, etc., might be changing.


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## OneEyedDiva (Jul 15, 2018)

Oh boy....I wonder what the tax prep programs are going to do with this change. Seems like they may be going from Washington (DC) to Canada to get to Florida with this one. Time sure will tell how this works out.


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