Has anyone tried the TaxAct import feature on FreeTaxUSA? I started my return on TaxAct but want to switch to FreeTaxUSA to save money. Will that help with this issue or just create more problems?

I had the exact same issue with FreeTaxUSA last year! After spending way too much time looking for a delete button that doesn't exist, here's what I learned: The easiest approach is actually Option 2 that Riya mentioned - just go through your existing return section by section and fix what needs fixing. FreeTaxUSA's interface makes this pretty straightforward since you can jump between sections easily. If you're really concerned about accuracy, here's what I did: I printed out a summary of my first attempt, then went through each section systematically with my tax documents in hand. This way I could spot-check everything without losing the work I'd already done correctly. The review section at the end is really thorough too - it caught a couple small errors I missed during my manual review. Unless you made major structural mistakes (like filing status or number of dependents), you probably don't need to start completely over.

One thing nobody mentioned yet - if you work from home, you might be eligible for the home office deduction. There are strict requirements though - the space must be used "regularly and exclusively" for business, and it's only available if you're self-employed or a gig worker, not for remote employees of a company. But if you qualify, you can deduct a portion of your mortgage interest, property taxes, utilities, repairs, etc. proportional to your office space. Or use the simplified method which gives you $5 per square foot (up to 300 sq ft).

Be careful with mortgage insurance (PMI) deductions. This deduction has been on-again-off-again for years and Congress sometimes renews it retroactively. Also, it phases out if your AGI is over $100,000 and disappears completely at $109,000. And your loan has to be for your primary residence. I learned this the hard way last year when I assumed I could deduct PMI on my house but then found out I made too much to qualify!

Has anyone used TurboTax's tax withholding calculator? I'm in almost the exact same situation (making about $55k from two jobs) and trying to figure out if I should adjust my withholding.

I'm in a super similar situation - just picked up a second job that'll bring me from $35k to around $51k total. One thing I learned the hard way is to make sure you understand the difference between how much tax you'll owe versus how much gets withheld from your paychecks. Your employers will each withhold taxes as if their job is your only income, which usually means you'll be underwithholding overall. I had to go back and adjust my W-4 at my main job to have an extra $150 per month taken out to avoid owing at tax time. Also don't forget about state taxes if you're in a state that has them! And if either job offers benefits like health insurance or retirement contributions, those can help reduce your taxable income too. Good luck with the new opportunity!

Filed jointly with my wife late March. Got federal April 15th, PA refund May 23rd. So about 8 weeks for PA, 3 weeks for federal. Pretty normal in my experience.

PA resident here too! Just wanted to chime in that 6 weeks is totally normal for state refunds. I've been filing in PA for about 8 years now and it's always been significantly slower than federal. The state processing times are just much longer - I think it's a combination of older systems and smaller staff compared to the IRS. From what I've seen, if you filed electronically in early April, you're probably looking at another 1-2 weeks max. The "being processed" status is actually good news - it means they have your return and it's moving through the system. If there were any major issues, you would have gotten a notice by now. Try not to stress about it too much. PA is just slow but they do eventually get there!

Dont overthink this. If the water main was working before, broke, and you fixed it, its a repair. Period. Ive owned rentals for 20 years and have expensed way bigger repairs than 12k. The IRS isnt looking at every property owners water line repairs.

Based on the details you've provided, this should qualify as a repair expense that you can deduct fully this year. The key factors working in your favor are: 1) You're restoring the property to its previous functional state (working water supply), 2) The water line already existed - you didn't add new infrastructure, and 3) The expensive drilling method was necessitated by the location, not because you were upgrading the system. The IRS regulations focus on the purpose and result of the work, not the cost or complexity. Since you're dealing with a failed component that needed replacement to restore normal operations, this falls under repair rather than improvement. Just make sure your documentation clearly describes it as replacing a failed water line to restore water service to the property. That said, given the significant dollar amount, you might want to get a second opinion from a tax professional who can review your specific situation and local precedents.