Is everyone ready to file their 2015 U.S. income tax returns?

[Art, just a re(tired) Fil-Am]

Since we no longer own anything in the U.S. and we are now both permanent residents of the Philippines, our taxes have been simple to file every year.
I have multiple U.S. Government pensions, which are all earned entitlements, no freebies from the U.S. Government and I too am also still a U.S. tax payer even though retired and over 65 yrs of age and living in the Philippines permanently.
Today, I just got all of my three 1099s and a new IRS Form 1095B on-line and I can now start to prepare and e-file our 2015 income tax returns anytime before the April 15 deadline.
BTW, ever since 2006 I've been using the free on-line Turbo Tax software (nothing to download, except for copies of our completed tax forms) and have had no issues with my e-filing and whatever we owe to State and or Federal is automatically deducted from our U.S. bank account automatically before the April 15 deadline. We have no need for filing for an extension, since our taxes are simple as they can get, no itemized deductions and or any declaration for any other benefits via the IRS Form 1040A.

[suzukig1]

https://www.irs.gov/Individuals/International-Taxpayers/U.S.-Citizens-and-Resident-Aliens-Abroad---Where-and-When-to-File-and-Pay

If you are a U.S. citizen or resident alien residing overseas, or are in the military on duty outside the U.S., on the regular due date of your return, you are allowed an automatic 2-month extension to file your return and pay any amount due without requesting an extension.  For a calendar year return, the automatic 2-month extension is to June 15.

If you are unable to file your return by the automatic 2-month extension date, you can request an additional extension to October 15 by filing Form 4868 before the automatic 2-month extension date. However, any tax due payments made after June 15 will be subject to both interest charges and failure to pay penalties.

[M.C.A.]

Art I haven't downloaded my W2 or I think its known as an 1099R, but I sure am gonna start working on it, the Turbo Tax website always needs to wait to make changes or updates to their online forms for Government and State.  I too have used Turbo Tax for at least a decade, while I was active duty I also was the tax volunteer and performed hundreds of tax returns for others, I sure miss the online forms they used, much easier then Turbo Tax, maybe I'll shop around and try somebody else this year or check the reviews.

[Art, just a re(tired) Fil-Am]

Art I haven't downloaded my W2 or I think its known as an 1099R, but I sure am gonna start working on it, the Turbo Tax website always needs to wait to make changes or updates to their online forms for Government and State.  I too have used Turbo Tax for at least a decade, while I was active duty I also was the tax volunteer and performed hundreds of tax returns for others, I sure miss the online forms they used, much easier then Turbo Tax, maybe I'll shop around and try somebody else this year or check the reviews.

Besides Turbo Tax, Tax Act https://www.taxact.com/ has also been recommended from a CPA I know on another forum, but I haven't yet had the urge to break away from using Turbo Tax which IMHO is as simple as it can get without any issues and it only takes me less than an hour from start to finish to do our tax returns on-line. I do though have an account with Tax Act, but haven't gotten around to using it yet, but I may check it out since they offer a free service using the form 1040A for State and Federal. There always seem to be a catch when something is for free!

[M.C.A.]

I finished my taxes with Turbo Tax, wanted to just get it knocked out, it sure has improved on the input of data but at the end it's confusing now...Lol, how to file and where to file, but I figured it out, you need to keep trying to continue on.  Can't win for lose sometimes, but it takes me about an hour also, it could be so much shorter except they try to make money on you even if you pay for the service.

[Art, just a re(tired) Fil-Am]

I did our last year's 2014 Federal and State joint tax returns with Turbo Tax for free. When I came maybe in the middle of answering all of their questions I found out later that there was an annual gross income cap I believe was $40,000 to qualify. I was above that capped AGI amount, but I still went ahead and finished filling out all the forms and Turbo Tax still processed my e-filing and did not charge me anything! I guess I found a loophole in their on-line software and ever since then Turbo Tax never caught it.
Today for 2015's e-filing, they still offer the free Federal and State Turbo Tax 1040A e-filing, but a minimum AGI cap still was not mentioned in their free promo advertisement, but it maybe in there somewhere that I didn't notice it.
Tax Act on-line also has the same free offer. I just may try their's out and see if I can do my 2015 tax returns with them for "FREE".
I'll wait until the middle of March to e-file our joint income tax returns to be sure that Turbo Tax and or Tax Act has all of their IRS tax law software is up to date, but in the meantime I'll fill up their forms and answer all of their questions and e-file later when all looks good and ready to file, whether it's with Turbo Tax or Tax Act. It just depends on which one has the better offer and easier process on-line. Mind you, I've used Turbo Tax on-line since 2006 without any issues with our tax returns and that I'm grateful for using Turbo tax all these years without any issues and or problems with IRS. "Knock on wood"! 

[M.C.A.]

You could be right Art, I think you start out at the government website and then click through there and it should give it free, forgot about that, dang I'm out $79.

[Art, just a re(tired) Fil-Am]

You could be right Art, I think you start out at the government website and then click through there and it should give it free, forgot about that, dang I'm out $79.

That's true if you have a Credit Union USAA account, they will offer an on-line Turbo Tax discount. The Turbo Tax free filing is their stand alone promo offer for using the simple 1040A form which I believe has a minimum AGI requirement.
Turbo Tax and Tax Act still offers the free e-filing for simple 1040A users.

https://turbotax.intuit.com/personal-taxes/online/
http://tinyurl.com/znndwua

https://www.taxact.com/individual-taxes/online/free/?

[cvgtpc1]

I was above that capped AGI amount, but I still went ahead and finished filling out all the forms and Turbo Tax still processed my e-filing and did not charge me anything! I guess I found a loophole in their on-line software and ever since then Turbo Tax never caught it.

I think that loophole was your age.  Above a certain age it's also free.

[Art, just a re(tired) Fil-Am]

Oh my G! I just finished e-filing our joint U.S. income tax forms for Fed and State (FREE) in just 45 minutes from start to finish using Turbo Tax on-line and again I didn't pay them anything, except for what we owe to Federal (Zero to State), which will be automatically debited from our U.S. bank account before the due deadline of Apr 15, 2016.
The Turbo Tax "FREE" filing only works for those who have simple tax returns to file using the IRS Form EZ1040A.
Our taxes are so simple, because we have nothing to declare and no need to itemize anything since we don't own anything back in the U.S.
 

[Lee2]

I just saw that ad for turbo tax, it explains who can file for free, below is the information and here is the link http://tinyurl.com/h92upke

[Art, just a re(tired) Fil-Am]

If you stray outside the parameters of their free version,
they'll ask you to upgrade to their version what's appropriate
for your tax situation and it's no longer free.