This is exactly the kind of breakdown I was looking for! I've been paying TurboTax's Self-Employed version for the past 3 years ($170+ each time) mainly because I have some freelance income and wasn't sure if the free options could handle it properly. From what you're describing, it sounds like Cash App Taxes might actually work for my situation since I don't have anything super complex - just W-2 income plus some 1099-NEC freelance work and basic deductions. The $120+ I could save would definitely be worth having to do a bit more research on my own. One question though - when you say "less hand-holding," do you mean it doesn't walk you through potential deductions as thoroughly? I'm always worried I'm missing something that could save me money, which is part of why I stuck with TurboTax's more guided approach.

This whole thread has been super enlightening! I had no idea about the Intuit acquisition and divestiture story - that totally explains the confusion. I'm in a similar boat as some of you - been paying TurboTax's higher tiers for years ($120-150 annually) mostly out of habit and fear of missing something important. But after reading everyone's experiences, I think I'm going to give Cash App Taxes a try this year. My situation is pretty straightforward - W-2 income, some investment gains/losses, mortgage interest, and charitable deductions. Nothing too exotic. If I can save over $100 and it handles these basic scenarios well, that seems like a no-brainer. One thing that gives me confidence is hearing from people who actually made the switch and had success. Sometimes these threads are all theoretical, but it's helpful to hear real experiences from @Leo McDonald and @Esmeralda Gómez about the transition process. Thanks everyone for the detailed breakdown - this saved me a lot of research time!

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet - make sure you understand the first-year depreciation rules if you do choose the actual expenses method. With Section 179 and bonus depreciation, you might be able to deduct a huge chunk of your vehicle's cost in year one, but there are some important limitations for vehicles. The Section 179 deduction for vehicles used over 50% for business is capped at $12,200 for 2025 (plus potential bonus depreciation). So even though your car cost $18,000, you couldn't deduct the full amount immediately. Also, if your business income isn't high enough, you might not be able to use the full deduction anyway. Given your high mileage situation (18,000+ business miles annually), I'd definitely echo what others said about starting with the standard mileage rate. It's so much simpler and likely more beneficial. You can always crunch the numbers both ways next year to see if switching to actual expenses makes sense as your car depreciates further. Just make sure whatever method you choose, you're consistent and keep detailed records from day one!

As someone who went through this exact confusion when I started contracting, I'd strongly recommend keeping it simple with the standard mileage rate for your first year. With 350-400 miles weekly, you're looking at around $12,000-13,500 in deductions, which is likely going to be better than the actual expenses method anyway. Here's what saved me a ton of headaches: get a simple mileage tracking app or even just use a basic logbook. Record date, starting/ending odometer, destination, and business purpose for every trip. The IRS loves detailed records for vehicle deductions. One tip nobody mentioned - if you're doing delivery/courier work, make sure you understand what counts as "business miles." Generally, it's from your first business stop to your last business stop of the day. The commute from home to your first delivery and back home from your last delivery typically doesn't count unless your home is your official business location. Also, don't stress too much about Section 179 - it's way more complex than you need right now and the standard mileage rate will likely save you more money anyway. Focus on keeping good records and you'll be fine!

This is such a helpful thread! I was in the exact same situation and was getting really worried that my employer had made some kind of mistake with my Roth 401k contributions. One thing I'd add is that if you want to be extra sure everything is correct, you can also request a "Summary Plan Description" from your HR department. This document explains exactly how your company's 401k plan works and should clarify how Roth vs traditional contributions are handled on your paystubs and tax documents. I also learned that some payroll systems will show a breakdown on your final pay stub of the year with separate lines for "401k Roth" and "401k Traditional" contributions, which makes it easier to track. But even if your pay stubs don't break it down that clearly, as long as your total retirement contributions match what you intended to contribute, you should be good to go. The key thing to remember is that Roth 401k contributions are treated like regular income for tax purposes (since you pay taxes on them now), while traditional 401k contributions reduce your current taxable income (which is why they show up separately in box 12a).

I went through this exact same confusion last year! What really helped me was creating a simple spreadsheet to track everything. I listed my gross pay, traditional 401k contributions, Roth 401k contributions, and other deductions, then calculated what my Box 1 wages should be. The formula is basically: Gross Pay - Traditional 401k - Other Pre-tax Deductions = Box 1 Wages (which includes your Roth 401k contributions since they're after-tax). Once I did this calculation and compared it to my actual W-2, everything made perfect sense. My Roth contributions were indeed "invisible" on the W-2 because they're already included in the taxable wages amount. It's definitely counterintuitive at first, but the math works out correctly. If your numbers don't match up when you do this calculation, then you might have a legitimate issue to discuss with your HR department. But in most cases, everything is probably correct even though it doesn't look like what you'd expect.

This is exactly the kind of HSA confusion that trips up so many people! Your W-2 is actually correct - Box 12 Code W should show the combined total of both your contributions ($1,950) and your employer's contributions ($975), which equals $2,925. The key thing to remember is that your payroll deductions for HSA are pre-tax contributions, so they get lumped together with employer contributions in Box 12W. This is different from retirement plans where employee and employer contributions might be reported separately. Since your total is $2,925 and well under the 2024 limit of $4,150 for individual coverage (or $3,650 if this was for 2023), you're in good shape. No red flags here - your employer reported everything correctly!

I had this exact same confusion last year! Your W-2 is correct - Box 12 Code W should include both your employee contributions AND your employer's contributions. The $2,925 total you're seeing is exactly right ($1,950 from your payroll deductions + $975 employer match). What helped me understand this is that when you make HSA contributions through payroll deduction, they're taken out pre-tax, which means they're treated similarly to employer contributions for reporting purposes. That's why they get combined in Box 12W rather than reported separately. The good news is you're well under the contribution limits, so no worries about red flags with the IRS. For 2024, the limit is $4,150 for individual coverage, so you have plenty of room if you wanted to contribute more. Just make sure to keep good records of your contributions throughout the year to avoid any confusion next tax season!

I've been dealing with this exact same issue! What worked for me was using the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator mid-year to check if I was on track. Since you both have steady jobs and know your approximate incomes, I'd recommend: 1. Fill out new W-4s for both of you using the current 2020+ version (not the old allowances system) 2. Both check box 2(c) for the "spouse also works" option 3. Only claim the $4,000 child tax credit on ONE form (probably yours since you make less) 4. Run the IRS calculator quarterly to fine-tune One thing that really helped us was looking at our previous year's "total tax" line on our 1040 and dividing by total paychecks to see what we should be withholding per paycheck. Then we adjusted line 4(c) to get as close as possible to that target. With your combined $170k income, you'll definitely want to be careful about underwithholding since you're in a higher bracket. Better to owe a small amount than get hit with underpayment penalties!

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is the importance of timing when you submit your updated W-4s. If you're making changes mid-year, try to do it early in a pay period so you get the full benefit of the adjustment. Also, keep in mind that with your husband's potential promotion and salary increase next year, you'll want to update your W-4s again once that goes into effect. A jump from $98k to potentially $110k+ could push you into different withholding territory. I'd also suggest keeping a simple spreadsheet throughout the year tracking your federal withholding from each paycheck. This makes it super easy to see if you're on track when you run those quarterly checks with the IRS calculator. Takes 2 minutes per pay period but gives you peace of mind that you won't have any surprises come April. The good news is that once you get this dialed in for your situation, it becomes much easier to maintain going forward!