It’s that time of year to petition Uncle Sam for a good chunk of your earnings back. Or it may be the other way around. In any case, you have until April 15 to file your taxes. Aside from the possibility of a return, another thing to get excited about is earning bonus points for filing your taxes. Here are a few ways to earn miles on your tax filing fees:
Tax Preparation Websites
I always do a “trial run” on websites like TaxAct so I can compare that to what the professional tax guys come up with. Sometimes the pros come up short and I end up filing it online (I have yet to be audited, so I assume I’m doing this right).
If you find doing it yourself works better, there are several websites offering frequent flyer miles for doing your taxes. Below are some of the most lucrative offers:
H&R Block
- Marriott Rewards 15 miles per $1
- Hilton Honors 14 miles per $1
- Ultimate Rewards 10 miles per $1
- American Airlines 9 miles per $1
- Southwest Airlines 7 miles per $1
- Delta Skymiles 6 miles per $1
- US Airways 6 miles per $1
- United Airlines 5 miles per $1
Turbo Tax
- Southwest Airlines 1,000 points
- Marriott Rewards 10 miles per $1
- Hilton Honors 11 miles per $1
- Hawaiian Airlines 7 miles per $1
- Delta Skymiles 6 miles per $1
Tax Preparation Software
If you’re going to use a tax preparation software like Quicken or Turbotax to file your taxes, you can maximize your earnings further. This software can be purchased online (see portal payouts above) or at office supply stores, where you can earn up to 5 points per $1 with a card like the Ink Bold.
If you’re going the office supply store route, you can earn additional points by shopping through a portal. Currently, the highest payout is offered by American Airlines and Ultimate Rewards (3 points per $1) at OfficeMax.com. Be sure to check out EvReward for the highest payouts, which may change. If you just want to walk in and out of the store, you might want to link your credit card to the Plink app and earn extra points at Staples.
Paying a Tax Professional
If you get your taxes done by a professional, there aren’t many ways to maximize your earnings. Most tax professionals will accept credit cards to cover their fees, in which case you’ll have to decide which card will get you the most points. Your Chase Sapphire Preferred card gets you 1.07 miles per $1, while cards like the Club Carlson Premier Rewards Visa dole out 5 points per $1 on all spending. At an average of $200 for tax preparation services, you’re not going to be able to fly to Paris with your point earnings, but you can still top off your favorite rewards account.
Questions about this or other topics? Please comment or email us.
Photo credit: Accu-Tax Financial Services | Tax Preparation JAX / Foter / CC BY-NC-SA
All Articles | Follow on Google+
Delta® Reserve for Business
- Annual Fee: $450 fee
- Foreign Fees: No
- Card Type: Travel
Add to Favorites
- Earn 40,000 bonus miles and 10,000 MQMs after you spend $3,000 in purchases with your new Card in the first 3 months.†
- Earn 15,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) and 15,000 bonus miles after you reach $30,000 in eligible purchases on your Card in the calendar year.
- Earn 2 Miles per dollar spent on eligible purchases made directly with Delta. Earn 1 mile on every eligible dollar spent on purchases.
- Settle into your seat sooner with Priority Boarding and enjoy 20% savings on eligible in-flight purchases in the form of a statement credit.
- Pay no foreign transaction fees when you spend overseas.‡
- Complimentary Delta Sky Club® Access.‡
- Terms and limitations apply
- See Rates & Fees
Delta® Reserve for Business
- Annual Fee: $450 fee
- Foreign Fees: No
- Card Type: Travel
| FTG Review | Reward Breakdown | Points Breakdown |
|---|---|---|
Breakdown
Earn (pt.)
Spend
3 months
0
$3,000
Per dollar on eligible purchases with Delta Purchases
2.00
$1
All Purchases
1.00
$1
|
||
|
Already have this card? Maximize your rewards.
|
||
