From: noemail@none.com   
      
   On 1/28/26 3:01 PM, Maria Sophia wrote:   
   >AJL wrote:   
      
   >> I would worry about using hacked software that will have access to my most   
   >>  sensitive financial details.   
      
   >As far as I'm aware, the TurboTax desktop program only has access to your   
   >sensitive financial details on the Windows computer. Not on the cloud.   
      
   You're right. Google says that with the desktop edition your tax files are   
    stored on your device whereas with the online edition they are stored in   
    the cloud.   
      
   >> I don't see the security difference.   
      
   >They're huge the differences.   
   > a. In one case, all your sensitive financial data is online   
   > b. In the other case (i.e., the desktop software), none of it is online.   
      
   Apparently true if you don't use desktop TurboTax to file online. I guess it   
    never occurred to me that someone would do that.   
      
   >>Your financial details travel online not only to TurboTax servers   
   >>but are also relayed online to Uncle Sam. And if you're like me your yearly   
   >>tax statements (income, investments, interest, etc.) come online...   
      
   >If you print your tax forms from your desktop to your printer, then they're   
   >not online.   
      
   What good are paper tax returns these days? Do folks still mail them in? I   
    suppose they do. That would be a much bigger security risk IMO.   
      
   >If you e-file, I'm not sure in what form that they're online.   
      
   So you would hand copy from printed forms to a keyboard to e-file? That   
    sounds like a major PITA.   
      
   >Does anyone have better insight into how e-filing is protected online?   
      
   Good question. Probably as least as good as your doctors records or (gasp)   
    TurboTax.   
      
   >Well, the less a device goes online, the better, which is one reason I was   
   >upset when Intuit *required* the privacy-robbing mothership account.   
      
   I find that my online TurboTax account saves me lots of time. It fills in   
    lots of the blanks on a new return for me by getting info from a past   
    return. It compares my entries to last year flagging anything suspicious.   
    My former tax returns are available if needed. And I can continue filing on   
    any of my toys (or a new one) mid-return be they Windows, Android, or   
    Chrome. Even Windows 10... ;)   
      
   >I already bought H&R Block Deluxe with State desktop. Luckily, Costco will   
   >take back the TurboTax even though I've already opened it up to install it.   
      
   Think Costco will resell your used TurboTax code to someone else... 8-O   
      
   >I hope Intuit loses half their customer base, but not everyone is as   
   >principled as I am when a marketing company tries to screw us secretly.   
      
   Not me. I've always had good service from TurboTax. But as always YMMV...   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)