Just in time for tax season, TurboTax updates its mobile apps

It’s that time of year in the United States again, tax season. Depending on your job situation, filing taxes can either be a nightmare or a snap. Either way, TurboTax has a long history of providing software that makes this process much easier, or at least more intuitive.

The company is best known for being the first service to let you file your taxes completely from a mobile device. After having a solid year for tax season 2010, it has updated all of its apps for this year.

The app is particularly popular on the iPad platform. TurboTax’s senior product manager Jason Smerican had this to say about the updates:

We are really excited to build upon our success from last season. We have the benefit of going through the full tax season this year and can’t wait for even more customers to experience the convenience of doing their taxes from their iPad.

File your taxes from any mobile device

The TurboTax suite of apps allows you to estimate your taxes and file them whenever you’re ready to make the leap. The apps for iOS and Android are free to download, but filing federal and state taxes with its SnapTax product costs $19.99.

Here is a list of updates and features for TurboTax’s most popular products:

• SnapTax: Designed for taxpayers with simple tax returns (1040EZ), SnapTax lets you snap a photo of your W-2 with the camera in your phone and then, automatically transfers information right onto your tax return. You then answer a few simple questions, review your tax return and tap “File My Taxes” to e-file in minutes. Available for iPhone or Android devices.
• TurboTax for iPad: Improved for tax year 2011, TurboTax for iPad now includes the ability to easily transfer information from your prior year tax return and automatically import income information directly from 400,000 employers, banks and financial institutions. Free one-on-one tax advice from highly-qualified tax experts is now available if you use TurboTax for iPad and SnapTax as well.
• TaxCaster: Now available for iPad as well as iPhone and Android devices, TaxCaster is a free and easy way to estimate your tax refund. With this interactive and engaging app, you can quickly and easily enter information using visual icons and sliders to see where you stand before you file.

Here’s a demo of its mobile products:

In addition to native apps for iOS and Android, TurboTax has made all of its services available in an updated mobile version. That means that no matter what device you’re using, be it tablet or phone, you can file your taxes and check the status of your return. If you would have asked me five years ago if I could ever imagine filling out my tax return on a bus or train ride home, I’d probably say you were nuts. It’s amazing how technology has advanced in such a short time.

➤ SnapTax