it's tax time

image via google

Guys, I used to be that woman in the above image. Not even kidding. For the past few years I have been on an up and down roller coaster with taxes. I dread them. I tear up when I think about how much I hate math (it's true). I get intimidated and terrified and wonder if I'm making huge mistakes that will put me in jail when I get randomly audited.

For the first couple of years that I had to file on my own, I went to H&R Block and had someone do it for me. 1) That is time consuming and you have to pay them a chunk of money. 2) At the time, it was worth it because I couldn't possibly think about doing it myself. Two years ago I had my roommate, affectionately known as Accounting Major Laura, help me. It still felt complicated to me and I was very relieved to have her by my side as we worked through it  she did all the work. Last year, I successfully did my taxes with H&R Block online by myself for the first time. I felt so proud, but also felt like it was still a challenge.

But this year has been magically different. I decided to try TurboTax. I didn't really know what the difference would be between it and H&R Block, but wanted to give it a shot. I kid you not, it became life-changing for me. You think I'm exaggerating, but as someone who struggles with numbers and wonders if she is chronically doing her taxes incorrectly, it was by far the best tax season experience I've ever had. Here's why:

1) It was free. It's only going to be free for four more days, so take advantage!

2) They make everything incredibly simple. I cannot tell you how much of a difference this makes to someone like me. I'm not stupid (hopefully), but I get easily intimidated by this sort of thing. Their program makes it suuuuuper easy.

3) Everything is laid out one step at a time and clearly explained. If you don't know what you're looking for or need to enter, there's usually a tip to help.

4) I often get confused or frustrated when trying to figure out how to enter my yearly charitable donations, but they made it so easy with a section just for that. Hallelujah!

5) When I was done, I didn't have a doubt in my mind that I had filed everything correctly and was getting the right return. That peace of mind is awesome. And I felt great having done it by myself!

All this being said, I have fairly simple taxes (W-2's, school loan, donations), so I'm not sure how it would go for someone with complicated taxes, but I can definitely say that my experience was awesome and yours probably would be too. You only have four days left to do it for free, so if you still haven't filed, get over there! You won't be sorry!

* this post is not sponsored-- all my opinions are just that enthusiastic!