TaxCalc alternative?

Seamus

I was just about to purchase Taxcalc 2004 for completing my tax return when I came across a company that provides a free product that does a similar job.

https://www.freefile.co.uk

It's on the offiicial list of Inland Revenue authorised software packages.

Norman-B

Thank you, Seamus.

Paul_Varjak

You can, of course, use the Inland Revenue's own website to file your tax return.

For more complex tax returns, that the Inland Revenue website cannot cope with, there are a number of other pieces of software (that are recognised by the IR) that will do the job:

http://www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/efiling/sa_efiling/soft_dev.htm

Software is available for individuals, partnerships and trusts.

deemy2004

Yeh
You don't need software anymore the Inland Self Assessment Site will do the calcs for you, same as if you were using software.

cloud_dog

Yeh
You don't need software anymore the Inland Self Assessment Site will do the calcs for you, same as if you  were using software.

And very nice it is too.  Last one I completed it told me I was due a refund (about £700) and would I like it re-paid or added to next years PAYE numbers, "pay me please" I said, and low 7 days later it was in my account.  

cloud_dog

Btw it normally works out that I owe them money

Victor_Delta

I have recently received a letter from Intuit saying that TaxCalc will not be available in future.

Can anyone recommend an alternative free or cheap software programme for doing one's tax return?

cash99

check out the inland revenue online filing. Unless you need certain specialist pages, it does everything for you.

Rafter

I have always used taxsaver but wonder why I bother paying for it each year when as cash99 says the IR's own system does the job. I think the consumers association (which) did a tax software program at some point too?

R.

Victor_Delta

The great advantage of TaxCalc was that it gave you advice, tips etc as you went along and also calculated the tax owing (or the reverse if you were really lucky!) as a running total. All for c. £20-£25.

Being offline you could complete and review it over a period of days or weeks until you were finally happy to press the button to send it to the Government gateway.

Does the IR's online system also provide this degree of comfort?

PS TaxCalc started as the Consumers' Association's product but latterly moved to Intuit - who probably produced it all along.

Rafter

Can't help on the friendliness of the IR online service, but I think it also enables you to save as you go along.

Digita, who made taxsaver deluxe, also seem to have stopped providing it but offer a free online calculator and form filling service.

I have just received a letter from the IR saying I no longer need to file a return. I think they are trying to reduce to mountain of returns they process which are uneconomic for the amount of tax due. If you regularly get a refund though, you can still keep filling one in voluntarily.

Here is the link to the free digita software. Haven't tried it so don't know if it as good for tax saving advice as the £20 version used to be.

http://www.digita.com/taxcentral/home/onlinetaxreturn/default.asp

R.

Jettycat

I think the Inland Revenue's online service is quite user friendly (but I am a Tax Advisor by trade so know what the boxes mean!).

The online service does save as you go along, so you can put bits of information in as and when you like, and go back as many times as you like before pressing the button to submit to them!

Although the tax bill isn't shown when you are inputting the data you can look at the calculation at any time and so see where you are.

The IR website also gives links to some commercial software providers whose software can be used to file online. I haven't checked these out but some of them offer their software for free for personal use. List is here.