It’s that time of year again and for those who want to use software to submit taxes we always recommend TurboTax or H&R Block.

This year H&R Block have the following new features:

• New tax apps for iPad, iPhone and Android
• Possible to import W2 & 1099 data from even more financial institutions and payroll services this year
• Log into H&R Block At Home Online using your Facebook login
• Returning users can complete the interview step faster with short cuts
• Search & Bookmark features improved – Bookmark feature reminds users to return to any questions requiring more information

Tax deadline this year is fast approaching. But for those of you still to make inroads on your tax return, no need to panic. You can avoid late filing penalties by filing an income tax extension (Form 4868, Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return) with the IRS by April 18 which will give you another six months to complete your return (by October 17).   Note however, that you’ll still have to pay taxes due by April 18, or you’ll be liable to penalties and interest.

One of the easiest ways to file your extension is with FileLater, the online tax extension filing service. FileLater is an authorized, IRS e-file provider and it can take you just a few moments to complete the process.

Here’s how their service works:

1) Quickly answer a few simple taxpayer questions and FileLater automatically fills out your form.

2) Decide if you’ll make a tax payment with your extension – FileLater provides tax calculators to help you estimate what you owe. You can make a payment from your bank account, using direct debit.

3) FileLater immediately e-files your extension.

4) Log in to the interface to see the progress of your tax extension – status updated daily.

5) You’ll receive a confirmation email when your extension is approved.

In the unlikely event of your extension being denied, FileLater will advise as to the reason and you can make changes and re-submit free of charge. As well as the personal tax extension service ($19.95), FileLater also offers a business tax extension service ($29.95).   FileLater ensures your confidential details remain private with multiple layers of security. Email, phone and live chat support is also provided.

Take advantage of their special offer on now – save up to 20%.

By the way, you should know that you’re not alone – up to 10% of taxpayers will be seeking an extension this year. Check out FileLater’s fun Tax Extension Map.

If you have a simple tax return to complete, you could be e-filing in just a few easy steps with the help of your iPhone or Android smartphone and the SnapTax application from TurboTax:

1) Take a photo of your W-2 form with your mobile. 2) Answer a few questions. 3) Review your tax info. 4) E-file.

Optical character recognition technology reads the information on W-2 forms and automatically fills the relevant fields onscreen.

This application is useful for the following filers who:

• have W-2, interest, or unemployment income

• have no dependents

• do not own a home

• earn under $80,000/year (or $100,000/year if married)

Users should be able to file their 1040ez forms in as little as 10-15 minutes, and for only $14.99. Tax information is saved for even easier filing the following year. TurboTax’s biggest refund guarantee is also offered with SnapTax.

The SnapTax app is available from iTunes or at TurboTax’s website.

Outright.com is a free web-based bookkeeping service ideal for the self-employed, sole proprietors and very small businesses that want to manage their bookkeeping online.  It was created by former Intuit employees in 2008 and is simple to use with a very user-friendly interface.

All the usual accounting tasks can be performed, such as tracking income and expenses, capturing business deductions, and monitoring business performance with reports (e.g. Profit and Loss, Income by Customer, Expenses by Vendor, 1099 ) .

What differentiates Outright the most from other online accounting software is that it calculates estimated quarterly taxes owed and helps meet tax deadlines with the use of timely reminders.  Users can thus avoid tax penalties and also budget ahead of time, knowing how much they’ll need to pay for taxes.

Outright conveniently integrates with other applications and services in the following ways:

• Freshbooks (online invoicing & time tracking service):  imports customer invoices, payment information and expenses
• Shoeboxed.com (mail-in paper receipt scanning service):  converts scanned receipts into business deductions right into your Outright account
• eBay and PayPal:  imports transactions
• Xpenser (mobile expense tracking & management): imports cash expenditures

Outright also provides an easy online 1099 filing solution.   It can automatically track down W-9 information (users need to provide contractor contact information), prepare IRS form 1099-MISC, and file it with the IRS.  Tax deadline: 1099s must be sent to contractors by 1 February  2010.  We can currently offer 50% off the price of the Outright efiling service with our coupon code.

The creators of Outright have recently launched RightTaxesNow.com, a website providing tax advice and information about IRS rules, as well as a platform for people to get involved in the tax legislation process. Online petitions are set up to urge the passing of pending tax relief legislation for small businesses.

Outright online bookkeeping keeps your financial information secure; all data is encrypted and backed up on an hourly basis.  The service remains free to users, with plans to add extra paid services in the future.

The new tax season is starting in a few weeks and TurboTax and H&R Block have just released their new tax preparation software programs. The biggest change for 2010 is that H&R Block have rebranded their TaxCut programs, which will now be known as H&R Block At Home. This decision is taken partly to increase consumer awareness that the tax programs are produced by H&R Block, the trusted and popular US tax preparation company.

H&R Block have also simplified their program selection. Last year each desktop version came either with or without state returns, now state returns will automatically be included. Also, each program will now be tailored to different types of filers (rather than tailored to different levels of tax assistance required), with a new Deluxe version offered.

Intuit’s TurboTax has been the do-it-yourself tax preparation software market leader for a few years now. Users enjoy the clean interface and user friendliness of the programs. We look forward to seeing how H&R Block At Home performs this tax season with its new redesigned programs.