Free income tax software options in 2021 (2020 tax year) | Page 7 | Income tax filing | Discussion forum

Norman1 said
One needs to investigate to see if the upgrade will actually end up to be free.

It will be far from free if one will need to buy a new printer, scanner, or TV tuner card because there is no Windows 10 driver or a dumbed down Windows 10 driver for the peripheral.

One could also end up spending money upgrading software to versions that run in Windows 10.

Microsoft has dropped support for DRM-protected Windows media files in Windows 10. One will need to burn purchased DRM-protected songs to CD to be able to play them after upgrading away from Windows 7. Otherwise, one could end up having to buy those songs again!  

An older driver may not be certified by Microsoft for windows 10, however chances are it will still work esp if it’s from windows 7 or newer.
Unless you have something from the windows 95/98 era like a dot matrix printer, you are prob ok,

Windows 10 is completely optimized for data-mining and pushing ads and services, and coerces users into subscription software instead of fair-use purchase. There are a LOT of downsides to that.

I've used Linux since 2007. But never put any financial information into any software on my one internet-connected computer, so I don't use tax software. It all insists on being connected.
RetirEd

Alexandra said
The last two years I have done my own income tax on paper and put a stamp on the envelope and mailed it in.   

I think you can use the tax software to do all the calculations and you won't be charged the fee as long as you don't use the software to file. You can then transpose the data to a paper return and mail it in or back in the pre-pandemic days drop it off at 1 Front Street.

COIN said
Not sure where to post this but decided maybe here is a good place.

Long story short, my tenant left a few months ago and left some stuff behind, including a computer with Windows 10 but it is password protected.

I asked my friend to install a fresh copy of Windows 10 (downloaded from the Internet). He then reached a point during the installation where the computer asked for my email address.

Question 1: Is it safe to provide my email address?

Question 2: What other questions will they ask after I give them my email address?  

1. If you are un easy about the email get a new one from Outlook or Gmail and use it. Then a few months later delete it.
2. What does that matter birth date you can fudge but make note of if and if you want it to work you need to answer. So just answer.

BUT. Keep in mind there is a unique number attached to the software and it is possible that if your answers don't match the previous ones...then it might not work.

Do you have the "key" for Windows 10? If you do that is good. If it won't install there is an 800 # to call and they will give you another one. It is all automated and you don't speak to any one.

OR you can download it free and you will need a "key" for it to install. Go to ebay and buy a key for $5. It has worked for me...but if a loss...it's only 5 bucks. Most of the sellers are in the UK for some reason.

Just an after thought. Is is asking for a password or for the "key"?

And a few more thoughts. Is it Windows 10 or Windows 10 Pro? And the key can also be called a license. And there may be a Microsoft license sticker on the computer itself ..... usually on the back or bottom. I might have a license or key from my old days with a PC. Life is much better with MacOs.

COIN said
Not sure where to post this but decided maybe here is a good place.

Long story short, my tenant left a few months ago and left some stuff behind, including a computer with Windows 10 but it is password protected.

I asked my friend to install a fresh copy of Windows 10 (downloaded from the Internet). He then reached a point during the installation where the computer asked for my email address.

Question 1: Is it safe to provide my email address?

Question 2: What other questions will they ask after I give them my email address?  

This is so much off topic, but it is my area of expertise, so I can't resist.

If your friend knows what he is doing, he must have downloaded official Windows 10 installation binaries from Microsoft. These can be used to reinstall Windows 10, legally.

This computer already had Windows 10. If your former tenant had it with legal copy of Windows, you do not need to worry about the license. Starting with Windows 10, Microsoft keeps Windows license for each computer in their cloud. When Windows is reinstalled and connected to the Internet, it'll automatically download same license.

When Windows 10 installation process asked you for email address, it means it wanted to create an account on computer with your Microsoft account. If you have one. If you do, providing that email address is no problem. After email address it will also ask for password that you use with it to check your emails and to login to your Microsoft account.

If you don't have Microsoft account, the installation might create Microsoft account for you and it'll be your Windows login. If you don't want to, there is a step to avoid it, but I can't remember it exactly: you either choose cancel, or back, or something like that and when asked, tell installation to create local account.
For local account, it should only ask for user name and password, you can make them both whatever you want.

If your friend is familiar with that, he knows workaround. If not, but he does not mind giving his email address, ask him to provide it. After installation is complete, from that account he can create local Windows account for you, with Administrative privileges. After that, you'll login to your new local account and from there delete his that has his email address - and that's it.

Feel free to print or copy that and share with your friend if you think it might help him.

-------------------- Cut this part

If your friend looks at what I wrote and says he has no idea what I am talking about, perhaps you could find another friend with more Windows or IT experience.