Update: The Turbo Tax and Southwest Airlines bonus mile offer from last year proved to be very, very popular, and is once again back for 2013. I love seeing that Southwest and Turbo Tax are on top of their game, because I just checked last years link for this offer a couple days ago, and here it is already January 3, and they have the 2013 promotion live. Great job!
Everyone needs to pay their taxes anyway, so why not earn some free miles in the process!? I have been using TurboTax.com online for the past 4 to 5 years, and have loved it. Even when I sold off some stocks a couple of years ago, I was able to easily upgrade to a more advanced version of the software, all online, without having to install any secondary party software program. Then last year, after our first year of being landlords, the Turbo Tax software made doing our taxes a breeze. My favorite part of everything being online is I can access the information from any computer in the world. If I had any downtime at work, I could log in and double check my return. When I am at home, I can perform the data entry. Online access from anywhere is one of the undervalued or discussed advantage of the internet. I also grew up in an era trusting the system and have no problems using respectable companies and websites to do business with online; others still have reservations about entering in their credit card information online.
Typically, I would go through a shopping portal to earn cash back with Turbo Tax, which can amount to anywhere from 8-15% currently. Shop Discover, as usual, looks to be the biggest cash back option as of this posting. However, there are some other options for earning rewards when filing taxes with TurboTax.
Southwest Airlines sent me an email yesterday to earn 1,000 bonus points in your Rapid Rewards account when using TurboTax, even the Free addition.
Offer Details
File your Federal Tax Return with TurboTax Online and get 1,000 Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Points.
To be eligible for this offer, you must (1) click the offer from this e-mail which will direct you to the Rapid Rewards Shopping site, (2) login with your Rapid Rewards account information and click on the TurboTax offer, and (3)and complete your federal taxes with TurboTax Online on or before April 15, 2013. Please allow six to eight weeks from the date of filing your taxes with an approved TurboTax Online 2012 Federal product for your Rapid Rewards account to be credited with 1,000 points. Points will not count toward A-List or A-List Preferred qualification. All Rapid Rewards rules and regulations apply.
¹2012 TurboTax Online Federal Products Qualifying for 1,000 Rapid Rewards Points are TurboTax Online Federal Free, Basic, Deluxe, Premier, and Home & Business. Excludes any other product or offer. Limit one redemption per Rapid Rewards account. ²Maximum Refund Guaranteed: If you get a larger refund or smaller tax due from another tax preparation method, TurboTax will refund the applicable TurboTax federal and/or state purchase price paid. TurboTax Federal Free Edition customers are entitled to payment of $14.99 and a refund of your state purchase price paid. Claims must be submitted within 60 days of your TurboTax filing date and no later than June 15, 2013. E-file, Audit Defense, Professional Review, Refund Transfer, and technical support fees are excluded. This guarantee cannot be combined with the TurboTax Satisfaction (Easy) Guarantee. ³Live tax advice service is free and available yearround by phone or live chat for questions on 2012 U.S. Federal and State tax returns (restrictions apply). Free Edition customers only receive live chat; Business Edition customers only receive phone. Service, experience levels, hours of operation, and availability vary and are subject to change without notice. Tax Attorneys are not providing legal advice and are authorized under IRS Circ 230 to provide tax assistance and tax advice. See TurboTax.com for full details. Fastest Refund Possible. 4Fastest refund available with e-file and direct deposit; refund timeframes will vary. Approved TurboTax Affiliate. TurboTax and TurboTax Online, among others, are registered trademarks and/or service marks of Intuit, Inc. in the United States and other countries. Other parties’ trademarks or service marks are the property of the respective owners.
All other cashback portals are typically based around your spend, and therefore, if you use the Federal Free addition of TurboTax, you more than likely will not get anything back. The Southwest promotion looks like it does award for free filings. Therefore, this may be your best option, but as always, it is up to the user to determine the best cashback or mileage award based on their specific situation.
Save Money, Travel More!
We are an affiliate with Turbo Tax, but the Southwest promotion is not commissionable. If you decide to use our links, thank you.
1/4/13- Updated.
4/11/12- Updated.
2/2/12- Originally published.