XPost: alt.comp.os.windows-10, misc.taxes   
   From: mariasophia@comprehension.com   
      
   AJL wrote:   
   > 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...   
      
   Hi AJL,   
      
   Thank you for discussing elegantly your experience and concerns, especially   
   what I'll coin as the "day-after" privacy concerns we all likely may have.   
      
   Almost all of what you wrote above is perfectly reasonable, as people   
   treat financial-data privacy differently, but it seems we need to first   
   discuss together amongst ourselves the various models in order to confirm   
   that there are at least a half-dozen distinct Desktop-to-Fed/State flows.   
      
   For clarity, here are the distinct TurboTax tax filing flows that I am   
   personally aware are available to U.S. residents. What matters is that   
   these flows differ greatly in how much of our tax data is stored online.   
      
   FLOW 1: TurboTax Online (everything stored in Intuit's cloud)   
   1. We use TurboTax in a browser or mobile app.   
   2. Our full return is stored on Intuit's servers.   
   3. Past returns are stored there too.   
   4. E-filing is submitted from Intuit's servers.   
   5. Day-after: our full return remains in Intuit's cloud until we delete   
      it. Nothing is removed automatically.   
      
   FLOW 2: TurboTax Desktop with e-file (local storage, one-time upload)   
   1. We install TurboTax on Windows or macOS.   
   2. Our return stays on our computer.   
   3. When we e-file, a single encrypted submission is sent to IRS/State.   
   4. Nothing else is stored online unless we choose to upload it.   
   5. Day-after: Intuit does not retain a copy of the full return unless we   
      used optional cloud features. The IRS keeps the submitted data.   
      
   FLOW 3: TurboTax Desktop with print-and-mail (fully local)   
   1. We install TurboTax locally.   
   2. Our return stays local.   
   3. We print the forms and mail them.   
   4. No online transmission occurs.   
   5. Day-after: no tax data is stored online anywhere. Only our local copy   
      and the mailed paper forms exist.   
      
   FLOW 4: TurboTax Desktop with optional Intuit account sync   
   1. We install TurboTax locally.   
   2. We sign into an Intuit account.   
   3. TurboTax uploads parts of our return for syncing or pre-fill.   
   4. Some data is stored in the cloud even though we used desktop software.   
   5. Day-after: whatever we allowed to sync remains in our Intuit account   
      until we delete it.   
      
   FLOW 5: TurboTax Desktop with online document import   
   1. We install TurboTax locally.   
   2. We import W-2s, 1099s, etc. from financial institutions.   
   3. These imports travel through Intuit's servers.   
   4. Our return stays local, but imported documents pass through the cloud.   
   5. Day-after: the imported documents may remain on Intuit's servers   
      depending on the institution and import method. The return itself   
      remains local unless we upload it.   
      
   FLOW 6: TurboTax Desktop fully offline (privacy-focused)   
   1. We install TurboTax.   
   2. We disconnect the computer from the internet.   
   3. We enter everything manually.   
   4. We print and mail the return.   
   5. No online transmission at all.   
   6. Day-after: no tax data exists online. Everything remains local or on   
      the paper forms we mailed.   
      
   These flows are often confused in discussion. The privacy exposure varies   
   widely depending on which one we are actually using.   
      
   Flows 1, 4, and 5   
    Intuit stores data, so the day-after behavior is relevant.   
      
   Flows 2, 3, and 6   
    Intuit does not store the return (unless we choose to), so the day-after   
    behavior is essentially "nothing remains online.   
      
   But wait... there's more! :)   
      
   For completeness, H&R Block has parallel filing flows that are similar to   
   TurboTax. The privacy exposure depends on which model we choose.   
      
   H&R BLOCK FLOW 1: H&R Block Online (cloud-based)   
   1. We use H&R Block in a browser or mobile app.   
   2. Our full return is stored on H&R Block's servers.   
   3. Past returns are stored there too.   
   4. E-filing is submitted from their servers.   
   5. Day-after: our return remains in their cloud until we delete it.   
      
   H&R BLOCK FLOW 2: H&R Block Desktop with e-file (local, one-time upload)   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
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