Friday, January 25, 2019

Tribute at Parc Central in Langley

Tribute at Parc Central by Essence Properties is a new townhouse development located in Central Gordon in Willoughby, Langley. This project will offer a stunning collection of 80 luxury four bedroom townhomes. An elegant balance of thoughtfully designed details and luxurious finishings, Tribute townhomes will delight families wanting to live in style.

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Tribute at Parc Central in Langley

Tribute at Parc Central by Essence Properties is a new townhouse development located in Central Gordon in Willoughby, Langley. This project will offer a stunning collection of 80 luxury four bedroom townhomes. An elegant balance of thoughtfully designed details and luxurious finishings, Tribute townhomes will delight families wanting to live in style.

The post Tribute at Parc Central in Langley appeared first on Vancouver New Condos.



from Projects – Vancouver New Condos http://bit.ly/2B3WRZf

Gala at Parc Central in Langley

Gala at Parc Central by Essence Properties is a new condo development located in the neighborhood of Central Gordon in Willoughby, steps away from Langley Event Centre. This project will offer 75 units consisting of one & two-bedroom spacious homes. With no compromise to functionality and design, homes at Gala create a new standard of living in Langley.

The post Gala at Parc Central in Langley appeared first on Vancouver New Condos.



from Projects – Vancouver New Condos http://bit.ly/2S9yoLZ

Gala at Parc Central in Langley

Gala at Parc Central by Essence Properties is a new condo development located in the neighborhood of Central Gordon in Willoughby, steps away from Langley Event Centre. This project will offer 75 units consisting of one & two-bedroom spacious homes. With no compromise to functionality and design, homes at Gala create a new standard of living in Langley.

The post Gala at Parc Central in Langley appeared first on Vancouver New Condos.



from Projects – Vancouver New Condos http://bit.ly/2S9yoLZ

TaxSlayer Review – Filing Options for Every Budget

The name says it all. Slay your taxes. And for free or for a really good bargain. We’ll give you all the details about this software in our TaxSlayer Review.

TaxSlayer

Kevin Mercadante's rating
8.8
TaxSlayer
Software Usability 9.5
Costs 9.8
Audit Support 7.0
Mobile Support 9.0
Customer Service 8.5

Pros

  • You can file your state tax return for free
  • Premium editions are less expensive than most competitors
  • Determine your refund quickly and easily with the Tax Refund Calculator

Cons

  • Email support responses can take 24 to 48 hours
  • Simply Free is available for 1040EZ filers only
  • There is no direct representation for an IRS Audit

Table of Contents

If you pull up just about any list of the top tax preparation software programs available, there’s a good chance that TaxSlayer will be on the list. Not only is it one of the most popular tax preparation software programs available, but it’s also one of the least expensive. It offers a free version, that’s truly free, but even its premium editions are less expensive than the competition.

Resources: Cheapest Tax Software

About TaxSlayer

Taxslayer actually has a long and deep history. It goes all the way back to 1965, when Aubrey Rhodes, Senior, founded Rhodes, Murphy and Company in Augusta, Georgia. The company continued to develop, and to increasingly rely on technology as the years passed. The software actually began to develop in 1989, enabling the firm to complete tax returns online.

The software was officially named TaxSlayer in 1991. It also has parallel versions for bookkeeping services, as well as online accounting and payroll. It is now one of the most popular tax preparation software programs available.

All versions enable you to prepare, print and e-file your return. And other than the Simply Free version, all versions offer all major tax forms.

Features and Tools

TaxSlayer offers a wealth of features and tools to make tax preparation fast, easy and stress-free.

Zero Out of Pocket Fees. You can file your tax return, and pay any TaxSlayer filing fees out of your refund. This allows you to file your return with no upfront costs. Naturally you’ll need to be receiving a federal refund to take advantage of this arrangement. You’ll also need to provide a valid phone number, email address, and bank account information.

Guaranteed Maximum Refund. If you don’t get the maximum tax refund you’re entitled to, TaxSlayer will refund the price you paid for your software. To qualify for the refund, you’ll have to show that another tax preparation software would entitle you to either a larger refund or a smaller tax liability using the same data.

NOTE: This offer does not extend to the TaxSlayer Simply Free edition, since there’s no cost to use the service in the first place.

100% Accuracy Guarantee. TaxSlayer will check your return for errors and missing data to make sure your return is accurate. If the IRS or your state tax agency imposes any interest or penalties as a result of incorrect information due to TaxSlayer, they will reimburse you for any such charges.

Deduction Finder. This tool helps you find the deductions based on your tax situation.

IRS Audit Assistance. In the event of an IRS audit, TaxSlayer will work with you to resolve whatever the issue is. However, they don’t offer direct representation before the IRS, which are services available from other tax software including TurboTax and H&R block.

Prior Year Comparisons. If you’re a prior year TaxSlayer filer, you can pull information from last year’s return to do a side-by-side comparison with this year’s results.

Tax Refund Calculator. This tool allows you to estimate your 2018 federal income tax refund. All you need to do is answer a few questions, and the calculator will give you an idea of the refund you can expect.

Tax Refund Calculator Review

The Refund Calculator is convenient feature you’ll find on TaxSlayer.

TaxSlayer Plans

TaxSlayer offers five different plans, so you can choose the one that works best for you.

  • TaxSlayer Simply Free
  • TaxSlayer Classic
  • TaxSlayer Premium
  • TaxSlayer Self-Employed
  • TaxSlayer Military Offer

Let’s take a look at the features of each plan below.

TaxSlayer Plan 2019 Options

Four plans for every budget.

TaxSlayer Simply Free

As the name implies, this version allows you to file a free federal income tax return and a state tax return. Nor is there any cost for the software itself.

Simply Free is available only for those who file form 1040EZ.

Simply Free offers the following features:

  • Step-by-step instruction guide
  • PDF import
  • Real time tax refund calculator
  • FREE email and phone support
  • TaxSlayer Deduction Finder

The support service will provide technical advice, as well as assistance in finding answers and solutions to your tax preparation questions and problems.

TaxSlayer Classic

This is TaxSlayer’s most popular plan. The fee for this edition is $17, plus $29 for each state tax return filed. You can use this version to file most types of tax returns, including if you have dependents.

It offers all the features of the Simply Free edition, plus the following:

  • All Major Forms
  • Step-by-step instruction guide
  • Fast W2 Import
  • Fast Fill Prior Year Info
  • Prior Year Comparison

TaxSlayer Premium

This edition is for more complicated tax returns, and comes with a price of $37 for the federal return, plus $29 for each additional state return filed.

It includes all the features of TaxSlayer Classic, plus the following:

  • IRS Audit Assistance
  • Live Chat Support
  • Priority Support
  • Ask a Tax Pro

TaxSlayer Self-Employed

This version is specifically for the self-employed, though it is also the edition of choice for contractors, freelancers, and anyone who receives compensation by IRS form 1099. The price for the federal return is $47, plus $29 for each state return filed.

TaxSlayer Self-Employed comes with all the features of TaxSlayer Premium, but is designed specifically for self-employed tax filers.

TaxSlayer Military Offer

Active duty military will be able to prepare their tax returns using the TaxSlayer Classic edition for your federal return. It comes with all the features of the classic version, except that you can e-file your federal return for free.

There is a fee of $29 to prepare and file your first state income tax return. Each additional state return is also $29.

It applies to active duty members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard. To determine if you’re eligible for the free offer, you must enter your military identification number from your W2.

Signing Up with TaxSlayer

To begin the TaxSlayer sign up process, you first need to create an account. You’ll be required to provide your email address and mobile phone, and then to create a username and password.

TaxSlayer Signup Page / Login

Signup is easy.

Synchronization

You can download your tax return from another online tax service or tax preparer, simply by downloading a PDF and uploading it to TaxSlayer. That will save you a whole lot of data input, and speed up the process overall. You can also upload your W2, saving you even more time.

TaxSlayer Site Security

TaxSlayer ahere’s to regulatory, security, and privacy standards applicable to the tax preparation industry. They make use of firewalls, intrusion detection systems, web application firewalls, encryption, access control, network isolation, auditing systems, data classifications, and data obfuscation.

Mobile Accessibility

In addition to the web application, TaxSlayer is also available for your mobile device. It can be downloaded on The App Store for iOS devices (9.0 and later), and is compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch devices. It’s also available on Google Play for Android devices, 4.1 and up. The app has all the functionality of the web version.

Customer Service

Customer service is available by both phone and email, and for all TaxSlayer editions. However, email responses can take between 24 and 48 hours.

If you need additional help, live chat is available with the Premium and Self-Employed editions. Taxslayer employees on-staff IRS enrolled agents and tax preparers who can work on a solution to your tax problem. This is designed to provide you with a quick and accurate return, with the hands-on support you need. Live chat is available Monday through Friday, from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM, Saturdays 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and Sundays, noon to 5:00 PM.

Priority Support is available with the premium and self-employed editions. It allows you to get to the front of the line with priority support through email, live chat, or by phone.

Pros and Cons

TaxSlayer Pros:

  • You can file your state tax return for free with TaxSlayer Simply Free. Most of the other popular free tax software will offer free filing on the federal, but charges from $13 to $30 to file your state return.
  • TaxSlayer’s premium editions are less expensive than most of its competitors.
  • The Guaranteed Maximum Refund entitles you to a refund of the fee paid for the software, if a competing tax preparation software will produce either a larger refund, or a smaller tax liability.
  • The Tax Refund Calculator allows you to determine your refund–or whether you owe–quickly and easily. That can take a lot of the stress out of income tax preparation since the outcome is no longer uncertain.

TaxSlayer Cons:

  • Email support responses can take 24 to 48 hours, which can be a concentration killer if you’re looking to complete your return quickly.
  • Simply Free is available for 1040EZ filers only, though this is typical of free filing services.
  • There is no direct representation for an IRS Audit, the way TurboTax and H&R Block can provide. If you believe you may be audited, you may want to use one of those other services instead.

Alternatives

There are several tax preparation software services available, and the best strategy is to find one you’re most comfortable working with, but more importantly, will best match the service level you’re looking for.

TaxSlayer is generally best for taxpayers with relatively simple tax situations. But if yours is more complicated, and particularly if there’s even a remote possibility of facing an audit, you may want to consider other plans. For example, TaxAct accommodates somewhat more complicated tax returns, and does provide assistance if you are audited.

However, for complicated returns, and particularly those that have a higher likelihood of an audit, better options might be Liberty Tax Online or H&R Block. Both offer online tax preparation software, but also have live agents available to represent you in an audit. Each is also at least a bit more expensive than TaxSlayer.

Probably the best software for the most complicated returns is TurboTax. It’s not only the most popular, but it’s also the most comprehensive. Unfortunately, it’s also the most expensive, and you’ll have to weigh that out against your tax situation. But you can purchase an audit defense package for a very modest amount of money, if that’s a major consideration.

Should You Prepare Your Tax Return with TaxSlayer?

If you’re looking for one of the lower cost tax preparation software plans, TaxSlayer is well worth closer investigation. You can choose the plan level that suits your tax situation, and of course, you can always trade up to another edition if your taxes end up being more complicated than you originally thought.

The software provides all the information and tools you need to prepare a professional grade tax return. And even the budget priced Classic version can accommodate all tax forms. That means most taxpayers will be able to prepare their returns for just $17 for the federal return, and $29 for the state return, if your state has an income tax.

If you’d like more information, or if you’d like to order the software, visit the TaxSlayer website.

Topics: Taxes

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Thursday, January 24, 2019

H&R Block Review 2019 – New Features for Tax Year 2018

H&R Block has long been a trusted name in affordable tax preparation. But you can also use H&R Block tax software to prepare your own returns. We have the pricing and features detailed below in our H&R Block tax software review.

H&R Block

's rating
9.3
H&R Block
Filing Options 9.5
Audit Support 9.5
Software Costs 9.5
Usability 9.0
Customer Service 9.0

Pros

  • Nationwide locations for in-person help
  • Price preview feature helps track costs
  • Live CPA advice available online

Cons

  • No step-by-step tutorial
  • More expensive than most competitors

Table of Contents

H&R Block has long been a trusted name in affordable tax preparation. (And their commercials have been pretty on-point for the past few years, too!) They also offer their DIY tax filing option online. What’s new this year, and what level of H&R Block’s online software might work best for your needs? Get the details in this review.

H&R Block New Features for Tax Year 2018

H&R Block added a couple of new features for tax year 2018. You can access a chat feature to get live advice at no additional cost. And there’s a new Price Preview feature. It lets you see from the start how much your taxes are going to cost to file online, even if you add additional features and services as you go. If you do add a service, feature, or form that costs more money, Price Preview will pop up right away to alert you to the change.

H&R Block Plans

Free

H&R Block’s free DIY version includes e-file for your federal and state taxes. Even the free level will let you import your W-2s from certain employers. It will automatically import last year’s tax return if you used TurboTax or TaxAct. Of course, it’ll also save your returns from year to year if you’ve used this software before.

The free version doesn’t give you automatic access to chat-based tax advice, but you can add it for $19.99. This is great if you’re confused on some points of your taxes. It’s also a plus if this is the first time you’ve filed them on your own.

Plus, the free version will automatically import your federal filing information to your state taxes. It asks you a few additional questions and files your state taxes for free. This is a big benefit. Many other filing software options are free for federal taxes, but charge a hefty fee to file your state taxes.

All versions of H&R Block also come with free audit guidance. You can also pay an additional $19.99 for Worry-Free Audit Support, which comes with in-person representation if you’re ever audited. This could be a huge savings if you have tax situations likely to get you into an audit.

If your taxes are basic, including various forms of income but very few deductions or credits, this might be the level that you want to file your taxes at. Remember, you can always upgrade if you need to add additional forms after you start.

Deluxe

After expanding the free edition to so many filers two years ago, H&R Block nixed its Basic edition. Now, you’ll skip straight from Free to Deluxe. The main difference (besides price) is that Deluxe offers forms for more deductions. Right now, it costs $29.99 for federal filing and $36.99 for state return.

Deluxe offers all the same benefits as Free, but also includes the DeductionPro tool. This helps ensure that you get all the deductions for which you’re eligible. Supported forms include forms for Residential Energy Credits, Nondeductible IRAs, Health Savings Accounts, and more.

Deluxe is also the version you’ll need if you want to deduct your home mortgage interest and/or real estate taxes and if you want to automatically import last year’s return from H&R Block. You also can access technical support–though not tax advice–by phone with the Deluxe version.

Premium

Premium includes everything included in Deluxe, as well as more support for rental property income and expenses, cost basis for home sales, gifts, inheritance assets, and more. It’s a better fit for those with more complicated self-employment taxes, including those who need to use Schedule C-EZ to report simple business income and deductions.

It also includes Schedule D for reporting investment income from stocks, bonds, and other investments. And it lets you determine the cost basis of home sales, dividends, gifts, and inheritance assets, as well as import expenses from some popular apps.

The Premium version of H&R Block costs $44.99 right now for federal filing and $36.99 for state return. That’s a good deal for access to all these available forms.

Self-Employed

This option is perfect for self-employed individuals whose income and expenses are too complicated for Schedule C-EZ or for rental property owners. It comes with all the forms from the other options, but includes the full Schedule C form.

A couple of interesting features of the Self-Employed version this year include:

  • Business Partner: This tool helps you find additional common deductions for your business.
  • Business Booster: This is especially for startups, and it helps you figure out how to deduct your business’s startup costs.
  • Business Snapshot: You can get all of your business details in one place, which can be helpful for record keeping or reporting out to others, if you need to do so.
  • You can also automatically import Uber driver tax information with this version of H&R Block.

This version of H&R Block’s software costs $79.99 for the 2018 tax season and $36.99 for state return.

The Interface

Signing up for an account with H&R Block was pretty simple. I didn’t notice additional security protocols, other than having to set three verification questions and meet their parameters for a password. I received an email as soon as I’d signed up.

Right after signing in and starting to file, the software asked how I filed taxes last year:

H&R Block Sign-in

H&R Block Sign-in Screen

The basic interface of H&R Block’s software is similar to that of TurboTax, and it keeps getting better each year, with lots of fun little graphics. You can click around to any section, so you can do your taxes out of order. Or you can just let the software walk you through all your options.

H&R Block Menu

Menu Options

The one exception here is that you’ll have to fill out all the personal information before you can jump around to other sections. But this is understandable.

Once I dug into the financial piece of the software, things were interesting. It’s nice because the software gives you access to any type of income you might possibly file, like this:

H&R Block Income Option Screen

Easy Navigation

When I select a type of income I know isn’t included in the Free version I’m currently using, the software lets me know how to upgrade:

H&R Block Upgrade Screen

Easy Upgrade Option

Since you don’t have to pay until you get to the end of the process, you can continue to add forms as needed, and then pay for the lowest possible version when you finish your filing. And, again, H&R Block’s latest pricing tool means that any time you decide to boost your version, you’ll get an alert letting you know your current end-of-use total.

Even though H&R Block includes all the options you might need in this main income interface, it doesn’t offer to walk you through all the options step-by-step like TurboTax and other software options do. If you already know what types of income you have, this may not be an issue. If you’re less familiar with tax filing, you might need the step-by-step help others offer.

You’ll want to come up with a system to ensure that you use the information on every single tax form you get in the mail–from your W-2s and 1099s to interest information from your bank. That way, you can be sure you won’t miss anything, even if the software isn’t asking you specific questions.

This isn’t to say that H&R Block doesn’t ask any questions. When I get to the end of my make-believe income filing, it asks a few questions about less-common income types. As an example, it asks about income from foreign transactions.

Based on your answers in the Deductions and Allowances section, the software will recommend either an itemized or a standard deduction. This is par for the course with tax software, and I’d trust the recommendation of H&R Block, since they have such a great reputation.

Sign up now

Adding Live Support

H&R Block is also allowing a new Tax Pro Review feature this year, which will let you have a professional review your taxes before you file your return. This feature is available as of January 2019 and will add to the overall cost of your taxes. Right now, Tax Pro Review is priced at $119.99 plus $36.99 for state filing.

 H&R Block Security

As with most reliable tax software services, this one uses bank-level encryption technology to ensure that your information is safe while it’s being stored and sent to the IRS. It also encrypts data from your web browser to H&R Block’s servers, and uses multi-layer authentication to ensure that it’s actually you logging into your account.

H&R Block also uses external security firms to do audits and assess their software for potential risks as needed. And they have a security protection team that monitors for potential security issues around the clock.

H&R Block Mobile Accessibility

H&R Block has two different apps, both available for Apple and Android.

The MyBlock app lets you upload tax documents ahead of time, keep up with your taxes throughout the year, check out your completed return and e-file status after you’ve filed your taxes, and estimate your taxes throughout the year. You can also check your H&R Block Emerald Card balance, view transactions, and more.

The H&R Block Tax Prep app lets you actually prepare and file your taxes. It gives you access to all of the above features in a mobile format.

H&R Block Customer Service

Customer support is available around the clock during prime tax filing season–January 15 to April 17. And it’s available during extended business hours the rest of the year. You can access support through online chat, phone, and email.

As with most tax services, the free customer service option is for technical issues with the product. But if you need actual help with your taxes beyond very basic questions, you’ll need to pay for the additional services for a live CPA to help with your taxes.

Pros and Cons

H&R Block is consistently rated as one of the best products on the market, and the additional ability to get in-person help at any of their nationwide locations can be a great bonus. They have made substantial improvements to their interface since I first began reviewing their software several years ago. Now they have great guidance to talk you through your taxes. Here are some other pros:

  • The various levels of H&R Block let you pay as little as possible to get the tax forms and guidance you need for your personal situation.
  • Speaking of levels, the new price preview option is great, so you always know if adding another form or service is going to increase your price.
  • Live advice from CPAs or other experts is also available online via screenshare, so you don’t have to go into a physical location if you don’t want to.

On the cons side, H&R Block is one of the more expensive services around. And it doesn’t have the best customer service reviews online, though you should always take those with a grain of salt.

H&R Block Alternatives

There are plenty of great alternatives to H&R Block if it won’t meet your needs. Its primary competitor is probably TurboTax, which is similar in price range and features. But you can also look at cheaper alternatives, especially if your tax situation is fairly simple. These alternatives include FreeTaxUSA, TaxAct, and TaxSlayer.

Bottom Line – Who It’s For

I’d be most likely to recommend H&R Block to a friend with very simple-to-file taxes or to a friend who is experienced in filing his or her own taxes. I might actually use it myself this year and save some money on the software use fee. It’s best, though, for those who aren’t likely to miss forms and who don’t need the step-by-step help other tax software offers.

And it’s worth checking out for a tax filing option for your W-2 and standard deduction taxes in 2018. It’s a good choice if you have simple deductions that are not included in other providers’ free tax filing versions.

Try H&R Block
Topics: Taxes

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Wednesday, January 23, 2019

Pofile Oak Street by Bold

Pofile by Bold Properties is a new 6-storey condo development located at at Oak Street & 67th Avenue in Vancouver. This project will offer 47 boutique one, two and three bedroom homes in one of Vancouver’s most iconic neighbourhoods. The modern residences blend thoughtful details and intuitive design with intelligent floorplans, for balanced, cohesive living.

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