This year on April 17, during Tax Day, the International Revenue Service (IRS) had some technological difficulties while people where handing in their taxes. The IRS gave an extra day for everyone to hand in their taxes on April 18 without penalty, according to the Washington Post.

Every year, Tax Day seems to be the busiest for the IRS due to people who have not done their taxes yet are sending them in last minute. In past years, I have been with this crowd. Stressing about sending in my taxes, hoping they would not get lost in the mail. Something like this year would happened. Luckily, I did mine earlier then I normally do this year, and I dodged the stress bullet.

When I was younger, I would do my taxes with tax forms that one can pick up at their local library for free, or print out at home. I took a class in high school, where they taught you how to use the tax forms. I was pretty confident that I knew what I was doing.

However, in recent years, it became too stressful to do my taxes that way. I did not have the time either, because I came back to Madison College from a break and was working a part time job outside of school.

Three years ago, I remember talking to my Mom about what is the most efficient way to get my taxes done with and out of the way. She introduced me to the world of TurboTax. Quick and efficient, it made doing taxes easier.

Then I realized I had to pay a fee to do my taxes, because TurboTax would not let me go on unless I agreed to use the package they offered. I usually choose the cheapest one.

There are options to pay right away out of pocket, or it can be taken out of your refund.

When I used to do the pen and paper way, it was free! Just either pick it up at your local library, or print out what you needed at home. The only thing that cost me money before TurboTax was buying posted stamps from the Post Office.

TurboTax offers up free products (with a state optional fee), up to $180 products (with a state optional fee) depending on the product of ones choosing. TurboTax’s completion: H&R Block offers free filing (with $30 per state filed) up to $50 (with $40 per state filed).

If you do not want to do your taxes online, and feel more comfortable with hiring someone to do it, you can go into an H&R Block branch office and pay up to $57 for federal and pay $48 per state. Another option is to hire an accountant to do your taxes, and pay whatever fee is required (fees vary by accountant).

I thought doing my taxes with TurboTax was going to be simple, fast, easy, and painless.

Turns out I was wrong. They are like any other business: they are looking to make money off of a service.

They have to compete with H&R Block, and other online websites that can help make taxpayers’ lives easier.

I don’t understand why they need to charge to help make something that should be free easier.

It does not make the lives of those who have to pay their taxes any easier (depending on how much they owe).

They are already losing a certain amount of money due to paying their taxes. This “easier” way of doing taxes, does not making taxes any more “simple,” “fast,” “easy,” and “painless.”

It gives tax payers more stress, and a headache.