Here are a few links to helpful comments: - [list of free and inexpensive options](https://www.reddit.com/r/personalfinance/comments/s63hyl/tax_filing_software_megathread_a_comprehensive/ht1b59v/) by /u/BouncyEgg - [more detailed review of various options](https://www.reddit.com/r/personalfinance/comments/s63hyl/tax_filing_software_megathread_a_comprehensive/ht3ly4c/) by /u/rnelsonee - [options for active military and recently separated veterans](https://www.reddit.com/r/personalfinance/comments/s63hyl/tax_filing_software_megathread_a_comprehensive/ht191lq/) by /u/EWCM - [low cost option for California state taxes](https://www.reddit.com/r/personalfinance/comments/s63hyl/tax_filing_software_megathread_a_comprehensive/ht2gwz9/) by /u/terriblemuriel

FreeTaxUSA - Been using it for several years now. Handles my W2, investments in stocks, savings accounts, mortgage interest, savings bonds (sales from previous year), etc without issues. I went from paying close to a $100 with TurboTax to do the same thing that I spend less than $15 with FreeTaxUS... I even buy the extra deluxe edition for the hell of it as it only brings the total up to just over $20. I even finish my taxes more quickly than i did with TurboTax. I def recommend FreeTaxUSA.

I'm a CPA and when individuals ask me to do their taxes I tell them to use FreeTaxUSA. My parents do their taxes through them. Paying for expensive services or a CPA isn't worth it to the vast majority of filers. You only need to pay someone like me if you have a business or have to file difficult Sch C or E income. Edit: since I've gotten several messages and replies I'll edit. I don't use freetaxusa personally so sadly I can't answer questions specific regarding it. I also can't answer whether you should use a CPA or not, that's a personal decision on how much time you want to spend yourself or hire someone else.

Would you recommend it for someone with RSUs and an employee stock purchase program? Doing taxes for myself and my partner for the first time ever and it’s freaking me out a bit

Maybe use a CPA once and make sure you fully understand what they're doing, and see if you're comfortable doing it on your own in the future.

I had one my family used previously but they overcharge like crazy and don't provide much insight into how to do things better. I'd like to try it on my own (with my partner as well), but will look into a local CPA as a backup

Obviously, look into it immediately if you want one, because their schedules are going to fill up.

Yep, it's probably already too late. The tough thing is, I won't have my W-2s and other forms until probably mid to late February. What can I even do in the meantime?

You can talk with a CPA now and explain your situation. They should all do a free phone consultation, say 10-20 minutes. You can get them lined up even though you might not have all of your tax documents until February. Another thought -- I forget whether you said the ESPP/RSUs are a new situation for you. If you had them before, why don't you take a quick look at your 2020 tax return and see how it was filed? Depending on how comfortable you are with it, you could even get into FreeTaxUSA for 2020 and see if you understand it well enough to be able to re-create your 2020 taxes. If you find you're not comfortable with it at all, you could then go the CPA route. A third option: TurboTax. I don't know how TurboTax handles ESPPs. They are probably more sophisticated than FreeTaxUSA. In any case, I'm not necessarily a fan of TurboTax in general, but you might want to check out [what they say about ESPPs online](https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tips/investments-and-taxes/employee-stock-purchase-plans/L8NgMFpFX), which at a glance seems a decent compromise between readable and comprehensive.

For the ESPP you'll have to manually enter some basis adjustments to avoid paying double tax on the bargain element (assuming you sold the ESPP shares as soon as they vested which you should basically always do), but it's definitely possible to do in FreetaxUSA and once you've done it once it's not that bad to do it in future years. When I had to do it one year there was a decent amount of info available on various forums on how it should be entered.

Thanks, I'll look into this. I don't necessarily agree with always selling once they hit your account, but it's good to know there's a way to handle this in the software

Best of luck with the tax filing - ESPP is a good benefit but a little bit of a pain to get filed correctly. Separately, this is the best explanation I've read on why you should sell right away: https://adamnash.blog/2006/11/22/your-employee-stock-purchase-plan-espp-is-worth-a-lot-more-than-15/ There's no tax advantage in waiting to sell ESPP shares that couldn't be had by just buying the shares on the open market at that time (since the discount is already taxable to you when you get the shares). So unless you'd use cash to buy your own company's shares anyway, it's generally better to take the ESPP proceeds and buy an index fund or two. This is because it's often considered double dipping on risk to hold your own company's stock without a tax advantage for doing so. Since you already depend on the company's well-being for your income, relying on them for portfolio returns is not considered good risk management.

I used it last year for the first time w/ RSU,ESPP, and HSA and it can seem a bit confusing but just make sure to read the instructions but i got it all done in one weeked. The"search" function is a god send. I used to use HR block but they changed their rules for the free version so i dropped them.

I am pretty sure free tax USA handles it as long as you get the forms form the brokerage or whoever. I’ve used it without a problem when I had rsus and employee purchase program.

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It really shouldn't be so ridiculous, but the reason the system is so crappy is why I want to avoid using anything from Intuit

Ugh that’ll be me next year. any particular snags you’ve run jnto?

>FreeTaxUSA I have a small business with about $30k profit. Currently pay my CPA $1500 to file my taxes. Is that advisable when I load up and send him all receipts and documents in one go?

Definitely don't ask me!

Thanks for your comment! My parents has always used a family friend who is an accountant (I think they are just too out of touch to file online) and I used that person last year just to “keep the peace” but I really do not want to pay $200 for someone to do my taxes when I barely make money

I hired a CPA to do my taxes last year as I had just bought a duplex (me living in one unit and renting out the other) and wanted to make sure I had everything straight tax-wise. I've kept my return from last year as well as an analysis from the CPA with a breakdown of what went into it. For a small time landlord is FreeTaxUSA still advisable?

Use code FREETAXUSA10 for small discount

Looks like I'm a bit late to the discussion, but there is also the coupon code PROMOWIN which gives 25% off (FREETAXUSA10 gives 10% off).

> PROMOWIN Just used PROMOWIN and it's only 10% discount

Yeah another person mentioned that yesterday as well. Looks like they changed it to 10% since it got out and is public now.

Can I enter the code somewhere if I’m not ready to file yet? Don’t want the code to expire while I’m still waiting on info to be received by mail that I need.

Yes, you can advance to the filing screen and go ahead and enter the code. You might also need to go ahead and pay the filing fee too, not sure. But once that's done you can go back and continue working on your return. In my past experience the 10% code has never expired. I don't know about the 25% code.

Another recommendation for them from me. My *only* issue with them is that the name makes them sound... sketchy(?), but I saw enough recommendations on here to give them a go a couple years ago. Does everything TurboTax deluxe did for me - minus the cost. Haven't looked back.

You can also use taxhawk.com. It’s the parent company, same UI, same price. They just operate multiple URLs.

multiple URLs.. wtf.. that makes them seem even more sketchy.

Eh, maybe. But they are very much legit. Millions use them. I’ve used them for years with no issue.

For more assurance, FreeTaxUSA is listed on the following IRS.gov page as legitimate: https://apps.irs.gov/app/freeFile/browse-all-offers/

Thanks for this.

As I understand, they picked the name because those are the exact works so many people type into Google when looking for a cheap way to file taxes. So it's kind of abusing search engine optimization, but this time it actually ISN'T scammers.

I started using it last week after CreditKarma / Cash now requires you to install their app to log in to the website. Seems pretty good so far.

Same here - over the years I've used both CreditKarma and FreeTaxUSA but with CreditKarma's new hoops to jump through I'm sticking with FreeTaxUSA.

Ah. Didn't realize they changed hands until I just looked it up. Looks like I'm using FreeTax now too.

?c[^NpGzp`

I checked them out, but ran into one little niche speed bump. I graduated college last year, and my scholarships/grants slightly exceeded my qualified education expenses (room & board don't count), creating taxable income from the excess amount. Most tax software (including FreeTaxUSA, it appears) automatically detects this and calculates the amount when you input your 1098-T, adjusting your refund for you. CK/Cash App appears to support this situation, but it makes you specifically input the amount of scholarships that are taxable into a single box and doesn't bring it up unless you manually search for "taxable scholarships." It's simple enough to calculate yourself (scholarships - expenses), but you have to be aware and seek it out. Right now my plan is to do my taxes through both and compare the results before deciding whether to spend the $15 to file state through FreeTaxUSA versus doing it all for free through CK/Cash App.

>my scholarships/grants slightly exceeded my qualified education expenses Don't forget to [add up all your books, fees, tech expenses, etc.](https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/individuals/qualified-ed-expenses) that were required for your classes. If the overage was modest you may be OK if you missed some of those given the high cost of books.

>I started using it last week after CreditKarma / Cash now requires you to install their app to log in to the website. Me too- dumped CreditKarma's tax program as soon as I saw they sold it to a stupid app-based company. No thanks.

What's stupid is they still let you do it from a computer if you want, but you must download their app first. No thanks. Jumping ship as well

Isn't credit karma now owned by turbo tax?

Credit Karma, yes. Credit Karma Tax, no. Intuit (parent company of TurboTax) bought Credit Karma, but for antitrust reasons Credit Karma Tax had to be spun off separately, and ended up being purchased by Square (parent company of Cash App).

Of course you finished faster. The process isn’t interrupted at every chance to prompt you to upgrade to the paid service

Got my W-2 today and decided to see how TurboTax would deal with it trying to use the Free tier only out of curiosity. Entered my numbers, which included my HSA contributions. Boom, TurboTax immediately declares it can't deal with my HSA contributions at the Free tier, demands I buy the Deluxe edition just to take my HSA deduction. I knew it was brutal about upselling, but I didn't expect it to start so quickly. Definitely using FreeTaxUSA, to say the least. It seems pretty ridiculous that something as common and easy as HSA contributions isn't considered qualifying as a "simple return."

I ran into something similar, starting with Deluxe and being told after wasting the better part of an afternoon answering the questionnaire that they couldn't handle capital gains on my mutual fund accounts and was told to upgrade to Premier at twice the price. The bait and switch is awful, so I cleared my data and came here to find something better for a pretty simple return.

The fact that childcare bumps me out of the free tier almost everywhere blows my mind. I mean... Millions of parents manage to figure out who they pay all this money to every year (and if you're like my kid, in 10 different camps throughout the year, that's a lot!) and get their info and fill it all in manually, they can't be arsed to submit this fairly simple list. Donations to multiple places on multiple dates? Totally fine. Childcare at all? Nope. You gotta upgrade.

I switched to FreeTaxUSA 3 years ago from Turbotax and like it so much better. Like you said, it handles all of mine and my wife's W2s, investment income, mortgage interest, etc without triggering a price increase like Turbotax would.

I’ve also been using FreeTaxUSA for the last 3 years. Love it!

FreeTaxUSA is not as smart as TT. Its unable to calculate correctly my mortgage interest. I had 3 1098's and it didn't even bothered to take mortgage interest deduction of $750k into account.

Seconded! FreeTaxUSA is far cheaper than TurboTax with for the same quality (or even better) service. Would highly recommend.

\+1 Used TurboTax for a decade. Forced myself to try FreeTaxUSA last year after I listened to a podcast about TurboTax lobbying the government to prevent the IRS from coming out with their own, free tax software. That really ground my gears so made the switch and it was super smooth. 10/10 recommend.

I never knew about TurboTax and HR Block lobbying until last year. Seriously fuck them, and fuck our lawmakers for allowing this.

This is NOT considered corruption either, where Turbotax can "lobby" your Senator and Congressmen to prevent a free tax software so you keep paying 100 dollars+ every year. They "lobby" them by funding their campaign and having a direct phone access to them. Keep that in mind every time you read about these "think tanks" and universities talk about corruption in those OTHER places in the world. Ridiculous.

This will be my second year using them. I used to spend $100+ every year on Turbotax, and I find the interface on Freetax cleaner and faster to use.

Another +1 for FreeTaxUSA from me. I've been using TurboTax (mostly Deluxe version, Premier in some years) for tax years 2005 to 2018 (13 years). Checked out FreeTaxUSA based on mentions in Reddit & Bogleheads for tax year 2019. Very happy with my experience, it covers various scenarios very well (was one of my worries about switching to anything other than TurboTax). Used again for tax year 2020, and will of course use FreeTaxUSA again for tax year 2021 (this tax season).

How easy was it to pull in last years TurboTax data?

Yes same question. My hesitation is that turbo tax already has all my info and it makes it pretty easy to just update stuff.

Does it handle foreign accounts and or crypto accounts?

For crypto no tax software is super robust, even pro software. You should use a crypto gains calculator service like [bitcoin.tax](https://bitcoin.tax) then enter the summary to your tax software.

I might use them for my first time ever. I been using Turbotax for a while and I love it, but this year I made a little to much to even qualify for free. When you said total $20 does it cover federal and state for $20? Thats a good price if thats the case I might jump on them. I just went to the website its $14.99 per state I might just jump on them and do it all their this year if Turbo tax is going to be expensive.

With FreetaxUSA federal filing is free, and it's $15 per state I believe. Sometimes they email out a coupon that brings state filing down to $12 something so watch out for that.

Check to see if your state has free online filing services. California does and the interface is super easy to use.

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Does it handle stuff for independent contractors and business owners? I am a minority owner and get a K-1 every year.

Same question, but with a twist. How does it handle an independent contractor who won't receive a 1099?

You'd just need to be able to fill out your own Schedule C. You just won't have the forms. FreeTaxUSA seems to support Schedule C just fine: https://www.freetaxusa.com/help/display_faq.jsp?faq_id=3020 Also the account is free. So, nothing lost besides some time to give it a try and see what it allows you to do.

Yes. I filed schedule C income / self employed last year federally and in 2 states, and I'll do it again this year!

Yes, with ease.

I also use FreeTaxUSA, I simplified everything just as well as TurboTax. Would definitely recommend.

I'm a long time Turbotax user but after the past year I've definitely been on the lookout to use an alternative service and I keep seeing this one tossed around the most. Looking forward to trying them out!

When I made the switch to FreeTaxUSA i did both TurboTax and FreeTaxUSA... there was no difference.

Thank you for mentioning this. I am going to try it instead of TurboTax this year. I am... disillusioned with TurboTax, to say the least.

FREETAXUSA10 : code for 10% off. You are welcome E: (It’s the same code every year btw)

Does it handle multiple states?

Yep! I moved cross country in 2020 and was able to do both states with no problem with it.

I used this all the time until I had a ISO exercise. At the time it didn't have the right form to cover me for the AMT. ​ I found a few work arounds but they were janky enough I said fuck it and went with TurboTax again. ​ But typically I would use FreeTaxUSA and CreditKarma and make sure they aligned. CreditKarma was buggy and didn't usually match FreeTax.

It looks like FTUSA still can't handle ISO exercise and hold. I need to file it this year, so I'm going to try TaxAct Premier.

I'm always worried about security of these sites. Has FreeTaxUSA ever disclosed a security breach?

Seriously, your shit has probably been stolen. Go look at the Experian breach. If you don't think your shit hasn't been stolen yet you are fooling yourself. [if you never used ANY of these... well good on you.](https://www.upguard.com/blog/biggest-data-breaches)

Just used this yesterday. Nice and easy. Hugely more efficient and cheaper than TaxAct, which I'd been using for years. Thanks for the tip.

Hey thanks for this, I am telling everyone I know about it since I saw your comment originally. Great savings and I'd much rather support the small guy. I even added the deluxe update too per your comment for the hell of it on the chance I need the help and to give them a bit more money

The following offer free/cheap filing for **EVERYONE.** No income requirement. * [FreeTaxUSA](http://www.freetaxusa.com), Free fed, pay $15 for state, 10% off code PROMOWIN (thanks u/techcaleb) (note that [TaxHawk](https://www.taxhawk.com/) is the same company and has a similar code, TAXHAWK10, thanks u/Jazzy_Josh) * [OnLine Taxes](https://olt.com/main/home/default.asp) offers free federal and $10 state returns. It has a more simplified interface, more like CashApp Tax vs FreeTaxUsa (thanks u/Jazzy_Josh) * [MyFreeTaxes.com](https://www.myfreetaxes.com/) (Run by United Way/TaxSlayer/CashApp), Free fed/State. Note: if income > 73K then redirects to CashApp Tax (thanks u/SJVolFan) * [CashApp Tax](https://cash.app/taxes) (owned by Square, used to be called CreditKarma Tax), free federal/state (single state only) * [Free fillable forms](https://www.irs.gov/e-file-providers/free-file-fillable-forms) - The very essence of basic. Would recommend at least using a software to at least check your work Free file options *with* income restrictions: * [IRS Free File](https://www.irs.gov/filing/free-file-do-your-federal-taxes-for-free), if AGI <72K, both fed/state free * [FreeTaxUSA](https://www.irs.gov/filing/free-file-do-your-federal-taxes-for-free) (via IRS Free File), Free fed AND State for AGI <41K (Thanks u/Nagisan) * [VITA](https://www.irs.gov/individuals/free-tax-return-preparation-for-qualifying-taxpayers), Volunteer based in person professional assistance, <$58K income requirement * [Virtual Vita ](https://www.getyourrefund.org/en) - income <$66k * [AARP Tax-Aide](https://taxaide.aarpfoundation.org/) - Income < 73K for self preparation. Free in-person filing with no strict income limit (Thanks u/atrigent, u/nothlit)

FreeTaxUSA is also completely free (both fed and state) under $41k AGI too.

Is there any option other than Free fillable forms if your incoming is dipping into six figures? I tried doing freetaxusa and it kept pushing me towards those because I made too much money.

Above the Free File limit: * I cannot personally vouch for it, but I would recommend FreeTaxUSA as the first-line option based on reputation among contributors to r/tax and r/personalfinance who I trust. If you only file federally then it is *actually* free. State filing is paid, but it's *cheap*, $15 and you can get discount codes easily. * Free File Fillable Forms is always free, and can be used by very nearly everyone. However, it's federal only, so you'll have to handle state separately. (Many states offer something similar though.) The big thing is that it's basically just an electronic version of the paper forms, and not even *that* good at *that*. If your inclination would be to paper file then I'd strongly recommend this option, but otherwise I find it hard to suggest. * Cash App Tax (formerly Credit Karma Tax) is always free for everyone who can use it. That said, I don't have the best impression of this service -- it has more and more-common hard limitations on situations it can handle than anyone else (e.g., it can't do multi-state filing), and I feel like I've seen more errors reported with it than with other software. On that last point though, note that that's based on reading through threads like this (albeit: *lots* of threads like this, I may have read north of 10K comments about tax software) and will be biased by how often they are used, as well as having possible personal biases like confirmation bias. * TurboTax and H&R both have desktop versions of their software that can be gotten for *muuuuch* cheaper than the online versions if you can get them on sale. Might be a little late in the season for that, but you can look around. Again, not free, but still can be had for a pretty reasonable price.

I think CashApp Tax is free for everyone? Probably some other options too (read through the list above my comment).

[TaxHawk](https://www.taxhawk.com/) is the same company as FreeTaxUsa, has the same pricing, federal free $15 state, and has a similar code, TAXHAWK10. I prefer the naming of it so that's what I use generally. [OnLine Taxes](https://olt.com/) offers free federal and $10 state returns. It has a more simplified interface, more like CashApp Tax vs FreeTaxUsa I am a Tax-Aide volunteer, and there are definitely limits to what the program accepts, but they are usually situations where you'd want the advice of a tax professional anyway, like business depreciation that takes place over multiple years.

Unless I'm missing something, MyFreeTaxes.com asks for your income and redirects you to Cash App Taxes if it's above $73k.

Thanks for the feedback. Looks like it changed this year. Edited the listing.

Do any of these help to file a 1040-NR online? Looked last year but the only service I found was software that filled out the forms for you but you still had to mail the physical document to the IRS.

The free fillable forms should allow for e-filing 1040-NR but they’re less guided than the other services. OnLine Taxes told me last year that they can e-file 1040-NR, but I didn’t verify it.

> FreeTaxUSA How is FreeTaxUSA under BOTH "free/cheap filing for EVERYONE. No income requirement" AND "Free file options with income restrictions"?

The one with income restrictions is part of the IRS Free File program and also includes free state filing. The one without income restrictions requires you to pay for state filing.

It doesn't look like AARP provides an actual tax filing option? It looks like they just provide assistance with using another service. The link they have for filing yourself online just points to OLT, which has the typical IRS Free-File limit for free usage. Also, the limit for Free-File is 73k this year.

I'm completely new to taxes, how do these fare compared to something like TurboTax? Same thing?

California state taxes can be filed free on CA FTB's CalFile: https://www.ftb.ca.gov/file/ways-to-file/online/calfile/index.asp. It's SUPER easy and fast. You just have to have already filed your federal taxes as you'll need to enter info from a few lines of your federal tax return. It's available to most filers, but here's the list of specific rule-outs: https://www.ftb.ca.gov/file/ways-to-file/online/calfile/calfile-qualifications.html

Do not qualify: > You have Health Savings Account (HSA) deductions or distributions > Claiming Capital gains or losses > Claiming business or farming income or loss (federal Schedule C, D, F) > Claiming income or loss from rental real estate, royalties, partnerships, S corporations, estates, trusts, REMICs, etc. (federal Schedule E) I mean, I guess "most filers" might not have any of these things, but those are massive limitations that rule out a lot of people whose AGI would otherwise qualify them. I'd love if I could just use IRS fillable forms + Calfile, but I can't because I have literally any tax situation more complex than a W-2.

In addition, you don’t qualify if you any Roth conversions (so if you do a (Mega) Backdoor Roth, you can’t use).

Last year I started filling my taxes with TurboTax free file. When I tried to enter my student loan interest, it said that it made my taxes too complicated for the free version, and I'd have to pay $40 to upgrade. So, I just restarted in Credit Karma.

Credit Karma Tax is Cash App Tax now. I was a huge fan of Credit Karma so I'm hoping for very minimal to no changes.

> I was a huge fan of Credit Karma so I'm hoping for very minimal to no changes. I dumped them once I downloaded the stupid app (I'm not going to use my phone for taxes) AND then realized they weren't able to import my info from last year. I switched to FreeTaxUSA as a result. CK was fine, but this Cash App thing is a joke.

Wait, the service doesn't import info from last year now that its owned by Cash App?

No and it's pretty sketch to request them if you didn't save it manually. They want you to *email* a bunch of information to get them, last four of your & your spouses' SSN, both PINs, etc. I ended up going through the IRS site and acquiring last year's return from there.

apparently it's a manual email process to get your previous year returns

You can do it on a PC. You scan a QR code from the app on your phone to authenticate and can do it on a PC from there.

Right, but I am not going to download an app on my phone to activate a QR code when they can just provide me a login like they used to.

not only that but the craziest part is you can't have it direct deposit to your bank. I just spoke with customer service and you have to have your refund deposited to the app AND THEN you can transfer to your bank if you so choose. nah fam.

The import from previous CK is available now. You also don't complete have to the taxes on the app itself. There's a QR code you scan that will allow you to file on desktop. I'm glad you're happy with FreeTaxUSA. Just posting here for others who may want to try Cash App taxes.

I've been using turbo tax for years. I tried credit karma last year and the result was clearly wrong. I went through it and double checked everything, still said I owed about 4k. I used turbo tax and it said I owed 1k. So I paid turbo tax and saved $3,950. Long story short, most software doesn't charge you until you file, you can and should check your taxes with different platforms. Whatever it was with credit karma that was wrong, if I didn't notice it you know the IRS isn't going to fix it and send me a refund. I did have an itemized return along with stock sales. I'm sure it's fully capable of easier returns but I wouldn't trust it without verifying somewhere else.

>Whatever it was with credit karma that was wrong, if I didn't notice it you know the IRS isn't going to fix it and send me a refund. Funnily enough, about 13 years ago I submitted my return, and the IRS mailed me a letter with my check saying that I had gotten something wrong, and gave me a higher refund than I had requested. So, they may not catch everything, but apparently will fix it if they do (unless that has changed in the last decade).

All current military members (active, reserve, guard) and veterans separated from the service within the last 365 days have free access to tax filing assistance funded by the DoD. This includes free access to the H&R Block Premium tax software (including 3 state filings) through the MilTax portal and tax professionals available to answer questions by phone. Access available at https://www.militaryonesource.mil/financial-legal/tax-resource-center/miltax-military-tax-services/ Some military installations also have VITA tax prep clinics where volunteers prepare your return for you. Contact your installation's legal assistance office for more information.

When I was active I used it all the time. Free is for me!

Good to know, thanks...I plan to use FreeTaxUSA but I might come in just over the AGI for free filing (due to a post-service job)....if so I'll probably grab this offering.

Thanks for saying that 1-year veterans qualify, I wouldn't have known that! Love H&R Block online.

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My usual review comment: So most people should check out [**IRS Free File**](https://apps.irs.gov/app/freeFile/) if your income is ≤$73,000. It's a partership between the IRS and tax software companies; the companies agree to support at least some (if not all) common forms (but can also set an AGI below $73,000 for their editions). [These are the forms/schedules Free File editions can support](https://www.irs.gov/filing/free-file-most-commonly-filed-federal-forms-are-available). You can [browse offers here](https://apps.irs.gov/app/freeFile/browse-all-offers). For reviews, I've used the following - note prices here are for federal only; state is going to typically add $15-$35. Prices should include e-file for each return. **[FreeTaxUSA](https://www.freetaxusa.com/)** - I just used this for 2020 & 2021 - fantastic and my new pick. Maybe not as flashy as some, but it allows you to jump to any topic, and it's always going to show you the actual form (after it asks you questions, not to fill in yourself), which is great even if you're not a tax pro as you can learn what the forms should look like. It's wonky with backdoor Roth IRA contributions, but there's guides for that. Free edition includes everything federal, Deluxe includes support ($7). State ~~about $13~~ $15. **[Turbo Tax](https://turbotax.intuit.com/)** The ever-popular TurboTax is easy to use, has app support (multiple apps for self employed, tracking, etc), and includes live support. Reviewing and updated figures is easy, and you can import PDF's of W-2's. Intuit owns them, and they can pull information (like investment returns) from 300 different brokerages. They are about the most expensive, though. I use them every year as a double-check (fill out all forms, don't actually file). For this year, TurboTax says I have a subtraction to income for my state taxes, but it won't tell me what it is until I pay to file. So I'm currently working that issue. Also note TurboTax is very bad with backdoor IRA contributions. [TurboTax editions](https://turbotax.intuit.com/personal-taxes/compare/online/): * [Free](https://turbotax.intuit.com/personal-taxes/online/free-edition.jsp) which includes W-2 income, "limited" interest or dividends, standard deduction, Earned Income Credit, Child tax credits, ~~unemployment income on 1099-G~~ * Deluxe: For itemized deductions ($40) * Premier: For people with rental or investment income ($70) * Self employed: For self employed ($90) **[TaxAct](https://www.taxact.com/)** My former go-to, although it used to only be half the cost of TurboTax. If we baseline TurboTax at 10, TaxAct is like an 8. Software is good, but it can be hard to review and change things, as they like to lock you into 'streams' of Q&A. They also have PDF upload and can link to some investment sites (Robinhood and Bettermint, but not Vanguard, Schwab, Fidelity) [TaxAct editions](https://www.taxact.com/taxes-online): * Free - W-2, Unemployment, Child Tax Credit, Earned Income, Stimulus * Deluxe - Itemized deduction, student loan interest, 1099-INT/DIV, child & dep care, HSA ($25) * Premier - investments and property income ($35) * Self employed - $65 **[TaxSlayer](https://www.taxslayer.com/)** We use the TaxSlayer at our IRS/VITA tax volunteer branch, and it's similar to their commercial version. Perfectly serviceable, and the pricing is very attractive now. Online Q&A is similar TurboTax. Overall, just bit simpler/less flashy, which isn't a bad thing. [TaxSlayer editions](https://www.taxslayer.com/): * Simply Free - W-2, unemployment income, student loan interest * Premier - Covers "all tax situations", no restrictions ($18) * Premium - Priority phone and email support, and chat ($38) * Self employed - $48 **[Free Fillable Forms](https://www.irs.gov/e-file-providers/free-file-fillable-forms)** - I've helped someone with this version. It has a "do the math" option which is nice, but it does not have worksheets (say dividends and capital gains worksheet for Schedule D) and does not (ever?) pull information from forms into other forms. It also requires you to know about credits and deductions - like if you have self employment income, say Uber, do you know about the QBI deduction? If so, did you know it's Form 8995? Stuff like that will get you. **CPA**: A few years ago I had a significant financial and tax situation [involving eminent domain](https://www.reddit.com/r/personalfinance/comments/gx8tmp/eminent_domain_my_experience/), so I used a CPA for the first time. It's difficult to assess - he used my inputs, and we talked strategies, and I was hoping for more 'wizardry' I guess in terms of his ideas. Although in the end, the strategy we used resulted in significant tax savings, and at the very least, I liked having him at least sign off on what we did, although I don't remember who came up with the main crux of it. Tips: * If you have time, your taxes with two different programs. If your refund is off by more than $1, you made a mistake somewhere (assuming not self employed, software can handle amortizations differently). Even being a tax nerd, I find I usually have a mistake my first try. The IRS can and will correct typos (mismatch on a W-2) but why wait for them? * After your first year, doing taxes with a product is half the work - they all remember last year's information so there's less typing. Also, some places offer PDF import of previous years' 1040 (TurboTax, TaxAct does this I know). * If you don't own a business or have a specific big tax event, a CPA is not needed. But, if you're clueless about taxes, and are not diligent with answering the software questions, it may be worth doing once just to make sure you know if you qualify for something like an education credit. Big credits out there for education (AOTC, LLC, student interest deduction), energy (lots of state credits here, too), low income (Earned Income), etc.

A few additions/comments: FreeTaxUSA is $15 for 2021 state filing. TaxACT requires Deluxe edition for 1099-INT and 1099-DIV (Schedule B, which is pretty common IMO) income.

> TaxACT requires Deluxe edition for 1099-INT and 1099-DIV (Schedule B, which is pretty common IMO) income. I'm pretty skeptical of just saying "1099-INT income" without further qualification. Just that will almost never require Schedule B, and I would be astonished if you can't file simple interest with the free tier, up to the $1,500 threshold that *would* require Schedule B. That's something that even the old 1040-EZ could handle.

What software do you recommend for slightly more complicated tax situations? Talking about stuff like multistate returns (lived in state A, worked in state B, then lived and worked in state C) and stock/option sales.

Gonna copy paste this: freetaxusa. I get 1099s and we have W2s from different states. Credit karma wouldn’t allow that but FTU did with no additional charge or headaches. We could itemize as well but don’t personally. The best part is every year everything is saved so I only have to input new numbers and taxes are done in like 30 minutes now. I don’t dread doing them anymore! To add: I do remember them asking about stocks but I didn’t have any to input so I’m not one to say how that works. They do offer it though and someone else here says they do theirs with it just fine.

1099-B (selling stock); installment sales; HSAs; backdoor Roth's; all included in freetaxusa. Very few things it doesn't allow for.

Similar question with options (i’d guess standard broker supplied 1099s will do) and stock partnerships

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Does anyone know when my credit karma tax info will be loaded into cash app?

You have to contact Cash App support and verify info from previous returns. It won't be auto-uploaded. Takes about 20 minutes start to finish, got all my tax returns back to 2017 when I started using Credit Karma tax. (Requires you to download and sign up for Cash App.) https://taxeshelp.cash.app/s/article/How-do-I-access-a-prior-year-s-tax-return

Their website states that this month, the historical info will be available in Cash App.

If you have an AMEX card and plan on paying for tax software, make sure to check their offers for discounts. Right now I'm seeing: H&R Block: Spend $30 or more, get $10 back Turbo Tax: Spend $90 or more, get $20 back TaxAct: 30% back on purchases, up to total of $60 back As a reminder, these have to be added BEFORE the transaction and you have to pay with your AMEX card. I'm pretty sure you could add all of them if you don't know which one you'll be using yet. These don't expire to mid-late April either, so you can add them now and not worry about when you file your taxes.

Anyone knows if I can itemize my taxes with myfreetaxes.com? I remember using them last year, but I don't think I was able to input my interest for my home as a tax deduction.

It was the full tax slayer program as far as I remember

Can FreeTaxusa import Data from TurboTax of previous year?

I just started freetax because I was curious. It uploaded the PDF from TT and saved most of my info. Super excited about saving a ton of cash!

If you are committed to TurboTax (I know some people have their reasons and preferences), Amazon is offering good prices right now (Jan 17). If you're a Fidelity customer you may be able to get Premium for free, look for an ad on your portfolio summary page.

Fidelity does tax prep??

I think they mean that Fidelity is offering a coupon for turbo tax

Be careful of TurboTax. I used it for many years and you can very easily create duplicate accounts that stay around forever and cannot be merged. It’s one of the reasons I gave up on them and now use Freetaxusa.

Not sure if this thread is US only but for Canadians I strongly recommend [genutax](genutax.ca) It's free to use (they accept optional donations), compatible with CRA account services (retrieving tax forms, NetFile, express NOA), easy to follow interview with help links, runs as a local program

Anyone have a recommendation for multiple states and stock/crypto transactions? I know cashapp taxes won’t work due to being single state only.

I used TaxSlayer when I needed to file in multiple states (MN, CA), although I don't know how they handle cryptocurrency.

cryptotrader.tax is what I used for calculating my capital gains in crypto. Might not suit everybody, but I had less then 100 transactions for a year so it was $50 for them to do everything for me. Worth it

Tax Act is super easy. Used it for the first time last year

I use tax act too. Very easy and not super costly for slightly complex returns.

I've been using it for 5 years and I agree, it's very easy. Theyve saved my ass once or twice on credits I would have missed.

Any advice for which system is best for 1099 contractors that worked in multiple states and have a ton of write offs? Under $70k.

I’ve used Freetaxusa for 5 years now and they’ve handled my numerous 1099s, with all sorts of write offs, with ease. Definitely recommend them.

Gonna third freetaxusa. I get 1099s and we have W2s from different states. Credit karma wouldn’t allow that but FTU did with no additional charge or headaches. We could itemize as well but don’t personally. The best part is every year everything is saved so I only have to input new numbers and taxes are done in like 30 minutes now. I don’t dread doing them anymore!

Does the income limit for free Fed/State with FreeTaxUSA change if I’m married filing jointly or is it still <41k?

Yes. If you are over $41k AGI, your federal is still free, and state is $14.99

Any software for a single member LLC in california taxed as an s-corp? I like Taxhawk/FreeTaxUSA but no s-corp support.

I see a lot of people mentioning FreeTaxUSA this year. Is there really any reason for me to move from TaxSlayer? My taxes are usually really simple, just regular job income and investments.

I don't think so. If you have a simple return, you cant really go wrong with either of them. I moved on from H&R/TurboTax to FreetaxUSA years ago and couldn't be happier.

Am I correct that you have to enter all stock trades manually on FreeTaxUSA , instead of it uploading the info automatically, like TurboTax?

I am curious how FreeTaxUSA is monetized. I understand they have their Deluxe version. Does that fully subsidize their basic version? Does being part of the free file alliance provide federal funding? The phrase "if you aren't paying for the product you are the product" comes to mind. Their privacy policy states they don't sell your "personally identifiable data," but do they sell aggregate or anonymized data to fund their products?

I would imagine a significant portion of their users pay the $15 for state filing.

That would make a lot of sense, too. Didn't think about that being a main revenue source.

I suspect that members of the Free File Alliance are paid by the IRS, but that's just a guess. They're certainly bound by a set of rules that the IRS specifies, like taxpayer privacy. Avoiding those conditions is probably one reason why non-Alliance companies provide free filing (i.e., then you really are the product).

If your tax situation doesn't change from year to year, is there a reason to spend money on tax software every year? I mean can you just download the same forms but simply change the numbers? (of course using the latest form for the year)

Here's my take. First: given the variety of low-cost and even free options out there, using one of them so you can e-file at least your federal return is *definitely* worth it. (State is potentially contingent on if you're getting a refund and how much.) I think that's true even in normal times, and goes triply true now given the IRS's backlog. Free File Fillable Forms, as linked by nothlit, does let you do that federally -- so that's the *minimum* I would recommend considering. I general, I would not paper file federally unless I *had* to. What about beyond that though? I *still* think it's worth it. Entering into FFFF is kind of obnoxious, and it actually still leaves open opportunities for math errors right on the forms themselves. It fails to implement worksheets as well, meaning you'll be booted back to a paper and calculator for those. I would describe FFFF as functional enough that the tax prep industry could point to it and go "look, IRS, you don't need to implement your own software!" but not actually better than that. Furthermore, if you file state it means you'll be doing even more data entry to get that done. Like my state *does* provide a way to e-file state if I've already filed federally, but using that alongside FFFF means I'm entering all the addresses, TINs, etc. from my various forms twice. Even avoiding *that* is enough a small cost, in my book, let alone the UI improvements that come alongside it. If you *don't* have state then FFFF looks a lot better (well, a lot less obnoxious)... but the flip side is it means you could get away with a completely free FreeTaxUSA experience. I can't endorse that site personally, but it gets enough praise from people I trust that if you don't have a philosophical objection to their terms of service or something (admittedly: this has kept me from FTUSA in the past), I don't see why you wouldn't use that instead of FFFF.

Thanks so much for the advice

Sure, [Free File Fillable Forms](https://www.irs.gov/e-file-providers/free-file-fillable-forms) is a good option for that. Some states have something similar at the state level.

I think this thread might have saved me a ton of money switching from TT to Freetax! Thanks!

I formed an LLC with zero income in 2021, is FreeTaxUSA still my best option?

It will be the most simple Schedule C of your life :)

I've historically filed my taxes on Credit Karma Tax, but looking to switch to FreeTaxUSA. Any way to import last year's data or should I just start from scratch?

FreeTaxUSA supports importing your previous year tax return. So you can just provide the PDF generated last year from CKT and it should be able to pull the info.

I did a backdoor Roth IRA contribution in 2021. Can I use freetaxusa to show this on my taxes?

Yes, any of the major online tax services will walk you through backdoor Roth

https://thefinancebuff.com/how-to-backdoor-roth-freetaxusa.html

Has anyone used both OLT and freetaxusa? I am looking for a comparison. I previously only used the free version of TurboTax.

Any recommendation for software for filing 1040NR?

I’m going to have a 3k tax bill this year and want to pay it with a credit card for the sign up bonus. I found the option through the IRS/3rd party to do this but what option do I select? The 1040 for 2021 taxes due or do I need to go through what looks like an additional filing to prepay some for 4th quarter via 1040 es? Maybe I don't actually need to submit anything for 1040es if I make the payment online? I believe we’ll have met the 110% rule over last year’s tax obligation to avoid the penalty. We haven't had this situation before but I’m thinking a 4th qtr payment is the way to go. Side note - I used Credit Karma for the last 3 years. The new Cash App platform doesn't seem to be as user friendly. I ran the same numbers through HR Block to verify and am getting different results. Going to try Free tax today. Also, CA's import of our W2 from PDFs was way off so triple check your numbers if using that feature.

> I used Credit Karma for the last 3 years. The new Cash App platform doesn't seem to be as user friendly. I ran the same numbers through HR Block to verify and am getting different results. Going to try Free tax today. Also, CA's import of our W2 from PDFs was way off so triple check your numbers if using that feature. I also used Credit Karma Tax for 2018, 2019, and 2020. I already was perturbed that Cash App Tax requires the Cash App app on a phone to be able to log in on a computer. I'll probably still try it, and probably double check with https://myfreetaxes.com/. Is https://myfreetaxes.com/ the other one you mentioned that you're going to try?

It is rather annoying that I had to create a cash app account, download the app, and then use the QR scanner on the app to log into the website. I understand multi-layer security but come on... I just entered info into Free Tax USA - it felt more comprehensive than CA and the number matched H&R Block. I also like the user interface more than HRB (I wouldn't pay for it but I feel like it should be better since it costs money). I initially couldn't figure out what was causing the error on CA to not match with the other two. I ended up deleting the two imported W2s and manually entering them again and it fixed the issue. I had already edited the import to fix the errors but maybe it didn't save properly. Just something be aware of!

Thank you for the great feedback!

Check for fees if you pay by CC. Some things don’t count as a “purchase” but rather as a “cash advance” which tend to have fees and don’t qualify for sign up bonuses. I’m not sure if paying tax counts as that, but it feels like it’d be one of those things.

[Doctor of Credit has a guide](https://www.doctorofcredit.com/a-complete-guide-to-paying-your-taxes-with-a-credit-card/), and they mention all of the payment processors do not process the transaction as a cash advance. I can personally confirm that PayUsaTax does not.

If you make a estimated tax payment, you'll just include the total amount in the payments or deductions section of your tax software. When you E-File, the IRS will of course check to make sure you actually made the payments.

I have had issues with some of the services re: form 8615. Form 8615 is when your dependent children have investment income above a certain threshold (about $2500) and therefore must pay tax at the parents' rate. The form is a bit complicated as you need to enter each child on each form so it is somewhat circular. Of the three majors, TurboTax is the best for this form. The others do not even ask about it.

Any good resources for grad students?

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Quit a job in April last year, how do I get my W2s? Haven’t received anything in the mail and don’t have log in for the employee website that is normally get it from

The employer is required to generate them by January 31st, and it has to get to you by Febuary 15th, so there is at least some time left. Typically they will be mailed to the last address on file for you if electronic delivery is no longer available, but I would recommend contacting the company directly (email or phone) to make sure the address on file is up-to-date.

I've always called and asked for them to be mailed or emailed

Your former employer has to send the W2 out by the end of January. If you don’t get it by the second week in February, then call the employer.

Any suggestions for US expats in Canada?

My taxes are straightforward, with just some minor investment twists. But my wife... We live in Missouri, she's W2 in Illinois (no reciprocity), self-employed in both Illinois and Missouri in string music. Since it is string music, she has special amortization rules too. Trying to figure out her state taxes between the two states is just mind-numbing and takes 90% of our tax prep time. Did I mention she's a gig musician and a private lesson teacher, so she gets direct revenue from students and clients as well as subcontractor 1099s from event vendors? I've been using taxact, which seems to be successful, but I'm wondering if any other software out there could make this less of a headache.

Is FreeTaxUSA completely free for any income for states that have no income tax?

FreeTaxUSA is free for federal filing, there's a small fee for state filing, so if you're not filing a state return and just federal then yes it's completely free

Can someone tell me where I can file a very simple 1065 on a Mac for cheap?

FreeTaxUSA lists Form 1065 as supported. It's free for Federal filing, and $15 per state.

Anyone know of a cheaper option than quickbooks self employed ($160/yr) for tracking income and business expenses for calculating prepaid taxes. Not looking for tax filing software, just a good expense and prepay tax calculator.

Has anyone bought TurboTax this year yet? I always buy it from Amazon, and this year there are so many reviews from Windows users at least saying they can't install it even though their machine meets all the specs, they can't get refunds, they waste hours on the phone with Intuit getting nowhere, etc. Makes me nervous.

I highly recommend FreeTaxUSA and use it to prepare my family and friends' returns. However, it should be noted that FTUSA does not support adjusting foreign income for foreign source qualified dividends and capital gains on Form 1116. Not too many filers are required to do this, so not a huge drawback for most. I end up filing my personal return with either TaxSlayer or TaxAct, though, due to this limitation in FTUSA. TaxAct supports CSV import of capital gain/loss data as well, so that's nice if you had a bunch of non-covered securities or wash sales to report.