Filing taxes through a smartphone has become a popular trend, thanks to the convenience and technology at our fingertips. You might be saying, “What’s not to like about this?”
One of the biggest advantages is convenience. Yes! You can file taxes anywhere and anytime using your smartphone, without needing to be tied to a desk or computer. This flexibility allows for multitasking and can fit into the busiest of schedules.
Using your cell phone is environmentally friendly, eliminating paper copies and contributing to the green initiative.
But Wait! Are You Trading Convenience & Paperless for a Headache?
Working on a smaller screen can sometimes lead to input errors because of difficulty in navigating forms, increasing the chance of mistakes in the filing process.
Apps can crash, and connectivity issues may occur, potentially leading to delays. For those with a tight deadline, this could prove to be a significant disadvantage.
Some might find the reliance on technology and no human interaction with a tax professional a bit overwhelming, particularly if errors arise. Unlike working with a tax professional who can offer immediate personal assistance, app users might need to wait for customer support response, which can be frustrating.
Weigh Your Options Carefully
If you’re thinking about using your smart phone to file your taxes this year, be aware that with TurboTax or software applications like H&R Block, you have to enter your information into the software on your phone on your own. While it sounds easy enough, the success rate with this task depends on two things:
- whether your taxes are complicated or straight forward
- whether you input the information with a high accuracy rate
Accuracy Matters
If you input inaccurate information your return will be full of errors, so you may file with a false sense of security, only to find out you transposed some numbers, or added one too many zeros to one of the dollar amounts entered, raising red flags to the IRS and causing a delay in filing.
When you trust your tax return to Adams Accounting Solutions, we handle the task of inputting your information with proficiency. This is extremely advantageous, not only due to our high accuracy rate but also because our certified professionals are probably a bit more knowledgeable about tax laws than you are. Additionally, our software is designed for professional use, while Turbo Tax and H&R Block apps are designed for the 80+ percent of taxpayers who have fairly simple tax returns.
Should I use My Phone to File or Is it Not Such a Good Idea?
If you have a more complex tax situation or are technically challenged at using software, don’t waste your time and energy trying to handle it yourself on your phone. You will just end up being stressed and frustrated, and at tax time, you don’t need that.
What About Security?
Another downside about doing your taxes on your smart phone is that it could be a major security issue and open up a stressful can of worms. Most of these tax applications have a feature where you scan your W-2, 1099s or other tax documents with your phone’s camera which will automatically upload your information like your Social Security number, home address, phone number and other sensitive information which can be used without your knowledge. Because these scanned documents will be in your phone’s photo library, if you forget to delete them and/or your phone gets lost or stolen, these important documents can be used to scam you out of money, steal your identity and lots of other undesirable consequences.
Additionally, if you have granted photo access to Facebook, Instagram or other apps such as TikTok, your important documents are easily available to scammers who will figure out how to embezzle your hard-earned money and potentially use your information to impersonate you. Steer clear of this situation by bringing us your tax documents and let us bear the brunt of this time-consuming chore.
What Makes for a Complex Tax Return?
- Investing in cryptocurrency
- Buying a house
- Owning a business
- Doing Contract or Freelance Work
- If you are a shareholder or partner in a small business — a K1 could apply
If any of these conditions apply to you, filing your taxes on your smart phone might not be advisable, because working on your small, compact phone might get cumbersome when taxes have more pieces and parts.
If you have used any of these software applications on your laptop or desktop computer in previous years, features available on the computer might not be accessible on the smart phone. When computer software is imported over to a mobile platform, certain settings and behaviors might get lost in the transfer. It could be something like a file size limit for uploading which can either take a long time or not work at all.
In the end, the best method for filing your taxes depends on your particular needs, preferences, and your comfort level with technology and potential security risks.
We love the convenience of our phones and the powerful tools they’ve become in almost everyone’s lives. However, there are some things that can be handled with the smart phones, and some things that are better left off your phone. Limited functionality and security risks putting your personal financial information at risk are good reasons to use a trusted tax professional at Adams Accounting Solutions.
Call to schedule your tax appointment with Adams Accounting Solutions and drop off your information so we can get started inputting all your documents and get your taxes completed accurately, professionally and securely, so you don’t have to take on this tedious task.
