Has anyone tried H&R Block's self-employed software? My situation is similar to the original poster - about $80k income, minimal expenses. Not sure if it's worth the higher price compared to TaxAct or TurboTax Self-Employed.

I made the switch from an accountant to DIY last year and it was honestly easier than I expected! For someone at your income level with straightforward expenses, you're probably right about saving money. I ended up going with TurboTax Self-Employed because it integrates well with QuickBooks if you decide to use that for tracking during the year. The software does a good job walking you through Schedule C and catches a lot of deductions I might have missed - things like business use of home, professional subscriptions, even some travel expenses I hadn't thought about. One tip: start tracking everything now rather than trying to reconstruct it all at tax time. Even if you just use a simple spreadsheet or app to categorize expenses as you go, it'll save you hours come April. The mileage deduction alone can add up to significant savings if you drive for work at all. The peace of mind was worth way more than the software cost, and I actually learned a lot about my business finances in the process!

Just want to throw out there that if you're making decent money as a freelancer (sounds like you are), it might be worth hiring a CPA who specializes in self-employment. I tried all the apps and still ended up with tax issues. I now pay my CPA about $1200/year and she handles EVERYTHING - quarterly estimates, annual filing, business expense tracking, and tax planning. She's actually saved me more than her fee by finding deductions and helping me set up a Solo 401k that reduced my tax liability by thousands. The peace of mind is worth it, and I can focus on my actual work instead of stressing about tax calculations. Sometimes the best app is no app!

Great thread! I've been using a hybrid approach that might work for you. I use Wave Accounting (free) to track income and expenses throughout the year, then export everything to TaxAct Self-Employed for actual filing. Wave automatically categorizes most transactions and has a solid mobile app for receipt scanning. It doesn't handle quarterly payments directly, but it gives you really accurate profit/loss reports that make calculating quarterlies super easy. I just use the IRS safe harbor rule (pay 100% of last year's tax liability divided by 4) to avoid underpayment penalties. The combo costs me about $50/year total vs. hundreds for the all-in-one solutions, and I've never had issues with accuracy. Plus Wave's customer support is actually responsive when you need help, unlike some of the bigger names. For your multi-state situation, TaxAct handles that well and walks you through the allocations step by step. Might be worth trying since both have free tiers you can test out first.

dont forget to still report ALL income even with wrong SSN. i messed up once and didnt report a 1099 with wrong info and got hit with underreporting penalty 3 yrs later. nightmare!!! better to overeport than underreport.

Just wanted to add my experience - I had the same exact issue with DoorDash last year where they had my SSN completely wrong on the 1099. After weeks of getting nowhere with their support, I ended up filing Form 4852 like others mentioned here. One thing I learned is to be very detailed on the form about your attempts to get it corrected. I listed every date I called, the reference numbers they gave me, and even took screenshots of the emails showing they kept sending the same wrong form. The IRS processed my return normally and I got my refund in about 3 weeks, which was actually faster than some of my friends who had no issues with their 1099s. Also, make sure you keep that incorrect 1099 for your records even though you're not using it directly. The IRS may ask for it later to verify your explanation. Don't stress too much about it - this happens more than you think and the IRS has procedures in place to handle it.

3 Has anyone used TurboTax's W2 import feature? I'm wondering if I should just wait for my official W2 to use that or if I should manually enter everything from my paystub.

Great question! I've been through this exact situation multiple times. Your last pay stub can give you a pretty good estimate, but there are definitely some key differences to watch out for. The main numbers like gross wages, federal/state taxes withheld, Social Security, and Medicare should be very close between your final paystub and W2. However, your W2 will likely include additional reporting that doesn't show up on regular paystubs: - Box 12 codes for things like 401k contributions, health insurance premiums, dependent care assistance - Taxable fringe benefits that get added at year-end - Any stock compensation or bonuses that were processed after your last paycheck - Corrections to previously reported amounts One thing I always tell people - if you're just trying to get a rough idea of whether you'll owe or get a refund, your paystub numbers are usually close enough for planning purposes. But definitely wait for the actual W2 before filing, since the IRS will have the official numbers and any discrepancies could cause processing delays. Your employer should have W2s to you by January 31st, so hopefully not much longer to wait!

The IRS is like a slow-moving train this year - once it's on the tracks, it'll get to the station, but nobody can tell you exactly when. I had the exact same codes appear on 2/10, called on 2/15, got the same "still processing" line, then magically had my DDD appear on 2/17 with the money in my account on 2/22. It's like they have a script they're required to read regardless of what your account actually shows. The codes you have are like seeing the train on the horizon - it's definitely coming, but the conductor won't announce the arrival time until it's pulling into the station.

Your situation sounds very similar to mine from last year! I was also a cycle 0605 filer and got those exact same codes about a week before my refund actually hit my account. The IRS phone agents are trained to say "still processing" until the very last step when the 846 code appears with your direct deposit date. It's frustrating because technically your return IS processed - they're just waiting to release the funds due to PATH Act requirements. I'd recommend checking your transcript early Friday morning since that's when most 0605 updates happen. The "significant movement" comment from the agent is actually encouraging - they usually don't mention timelines unless something is about to happen. Hang in there, you're almost at the finish line!