H & R Block
 

Last year I downloaded H&R Block 2018 tax preparation software. The software is still on the computer.

Now, when I download H&R 2019 tax software do I delete last years version or just leave it stay on the computer?

I'm thinking to leave it stay but not sure.

Leave it installed. If you need to open the 2018 return to file an amendment, you probably can't open it with the 2019 version. I have at least 5 versions of Turbotax on my computer.

jus leave it


you might start deleting files

Thanks guys. This is only my second year doing my own taxes.

Leave it. I have four years of H&R Block on my computer. When you start to complete your 2019 taxes the current program will pull in needed info from your 2018 taxes which will be helpful.

FYI, when you buy tax software, it is only good for one tax year. Except to transfer some data from the prior year, it won't work for earlier and future tax years. When you file your tax return, you have 3 years to file an amended return. So, you always need to keep at least 4 years of the tax software programs, so you can go back and prepare an amended return for prior years, if you need to do it.

IMO if and when get new computer, you need to take the hard drive disk’s out or smash the hard drive. Desk top computer’s can easily be hacked and you don’t want some one getting access to you’re hard drive disks that got ALL you’re private information on. No computer can be wiped clean 🧽.

Print a copy just to be safe.

leave it so if you need to go back to 2018 you do not have to do any searching. I recently had to go back to 2017 to clear up and issue with the IRS. Fortunately I had my 2017 still no my computer and it was a simple matter to verify the information that the IRS had wrong and clear up their questions.

Let it stay ... if necessary you can then regenerate your 2018 return.

Historical tax information
 

Buy a small / medium size solid state thumb drive, and save a PDF copy of the tax returns, all details to the thumb drive, including a copy of the file which holds all the information, and save the thumb drive in a rather hidden place in the house. Then erase the data files from the computer, not the software program. When the current year asks for the prior year file, just plug in the thumb drive and point to that file.

Also, install the free software CCleaner, and once installed, clean your registry, and then after deleting the tax files, wipe the free space 3x by CCleaner, and you should be immune from drive by hacking to download the file without your knowledge. Keep financial files the same way.

sportsguy who has been hacked but they never got anything.

I agree. But, just to clarify, the PDF file created by the tax software can only be used for printing out the completed tax return. If you want to amend the tax return, you also need the special file created by the software. For H&R Block, it is a ".T19" file and for Turbo tax it is a ".TAX2019" file. These files are needed to load the return into the 2019 tax software program. A thumb drive is good, but I also save these files onto my Google Drive in the cloud, and keep the tax software program loaded on my computer. And, I always buy the CD disc version of the tax software and keep the disc.

The best solution for Tax return filings.
 

IMHO, the best solution is to switch to TurboTax in the cloud, with two way authentication. That way, the files will always exist for reference, with the proper account information, and you don't have to maintain any data on your laptop/ tower / home computer. Now, that is only for the standard 1040 tax returns. CoachK and I have our returns in the cloud. I do estate 1041 returns, and that software is not in the cloud, and must be downloaded on the laptop. HRB does not have their estate tax available as far as I know. (They get big bucks for those returns! $500-1,000 per return)

Any account with just a user name and password can be hacked with many common drive by web link or phishing email link, some without opening the email. Two way authentication is when the software server will send you a text message with a pass code to put into the web site to continue. I have acquaintences who have had their phone messages light up with hacking attempts.

Either way, importantly, be sure that your co-trustee and successor trustees have this information to be able to file your taxes properly in the case you are incapacitated, or worse. If not, you are just creating a filing nightmare for your family and relatives, a first world technology problem.

sportsguy

As a trustee, I file two 1041 forms every year using Turbo Tax. I need to use Turbo Tax Business, which costs a little over 100 dollars, and also the Turbo Tax regular program for personal taxes. But, well worth the cost. I always buy the CD versions of Turbo Tax. I just don't trust the cloud programs.

Similar here
 

And change may be hard, and I used to save all my turbo taxes, filings, etc, Just this week, I threw out all my old checks starting in 1982, threw out all my financial statements, credit card statements, trading transactions, many without opening the envelope, and old tax returns dating back to the 1980s. Its all in the cloud, whether the Fidelity cloud, the Turbo tax cloud, the Bank of America cloud, the Wells Fargo cloud, etc. Feels weird as a finance guy, but I can always get the transactions if I have to, and I have no reason to, unless my doppelganger commits a crime and the police crime facial recognition mistakes my Facebook picture for him. I have all the files saved on a solid state drive and saved in the house, never on the a computer connected to the internet.

sportsguy