Reader’s Write: Pitfalls lurk in ‘free’ tax prep websites

The Island Now

I recently received a notification from the state Department of Taxation and Finance that read: Prepare and e-file your income taxes for free. It went on to state that I must use their website to access the free software for both my federal and state returns which is: http://www.tax.ny.gov/pit/efile/

Going on 20 years or so, I have been preparing and filing my taxes ever since an agency omitted an item which did cost me a penalty and interest. I have never been audited and for the last six years it has been easy; the same routine with only some different amounts.

For all indications, the invitation to e-file is for the benefit of New York State. As far as paper is required, what would be needed is about the same as two mail order catalogs and two bank or credit card promotions which I am always receiving. I probably receive 50 pounds of this every year and it is becoming worse. Junk mail!

It is the lack of security in my internet service that has kept me from e-filing in the past. I will write about that some day.

Knowing well the risk regarding my personal information, I decided I had to e-file and being the first time I was very careful to follow the instructions exactly. I typed in the website mentioned above which is what I should have got but many appeared.

About the fifth one down was the one specified which I clicked. I studied it thoroughly.

 Eventually a box appeared with two pages to click under the heading: My Free Taxes-Free software provider. Clicking the second one, a notice appeared-web page unavailable. I went with the first which said My Free Taxes and then followed all the proper links. Lastly, there appeared a box “file now.” I clicked it and what appeared was “Thank you for choosing H&R Block.”

Well, I am sorry, I didn’t choose H&R Block.

I got a phone book and looked up the state Department of Taxation and Finance phone number in the government listings. I told the person that answered what happened and was told that it was correct. I went back to the ‘Block’ page and there was a notice; Sponsored by Walmart. 

From that I could only assume that it was advertiser supported. I went through the sequence until my federal return was filed. As for the promised software, I never saw any. By then it was late in the afternoon and I closed it to return the next day.

The next day, I logged back on to do my state return and a notice came up that I would have to pay $29.99 to prepare the return and that filing it would be free. This stopped me cold. I looked it over an saw a link “send us your feedback.” I clicked it and informed ‘them’ that I was guaranteed the preparation and e-filing of my returns for free. After submitting it I waited a while and thought it all over.

I had already invested hours in what had been done so far and had numerous other things that I had to do. At that time I had not received any response from my feedback. I had no choice but to agree to pay the amount and submitted my credit card info. I could not chance jeopardizing my completed federal return. I would somehow have to tackle what I consider to be an injustice later on. Well, one has to make decisions.

It seems to me that I have been defrauded. I wonder what the experience of others has been. At least it is claimed that my taxes  have been completed and filed.

I could have done my taxes as in the past and had them mailed in less than half the time than i spent going through what I have described. 

For sure, I want my $29.99 plus sales tax back and for my self integrity I won’t rest until I get it.

I wonder who all is involved in this. It definitely seems to implicate the state Department of Taxation and Finance.

Are my elected officials watching out for us?

Charles Samek

Mineola

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