One other tip from another F1 student: for state residency in FreeTaxUSA, after selecting "non-resident," make sure you're only reporting income that was earned in that specific state. The software should limit taxation to state-source income, but sometimes you need to verify this manually. In my case, I had a summer internship in a different state from where my university is located. Had to file as a non-resident in both states, but only report the income earned in each respective state.

As someone who went through this exact same confusion last year, I completely understand your frustration! The lack of clear guidance for international students in tax software is really frustrating. Based on what others have shared and my own experience, you should definitely select "non-resident" for Massachusetts. Since you're on an F1 visa and have only been in the US for 15 months, you're considered a non-resident alien for federal tax purposes, and Massachusetts generally follows that determination. One thing I learned the hard way is to double-check that FreeTaxUSA is only taxing your Massachusetts-source income (like your campus job) and not trying to tax any income from other sources. The software should handle this automatically when you select non-resident, but it's worth verifying. Also, don't forget about Form 8843 that someone mentioned - it's required for F1 students even if you don't owe any taxes. FreeTaxUSA can help you prepare it, but you have to look for it specifically in the foreign income section. Good luck with your filing! The first year is definitely the most confusing, but it gets easier once you understand your status.

Are you writing off all your business expenses correctly? I'm self employed too and was shocked at my tax bill until I learned what I could deduct. Car mileage, home office, cell phone, internet, laptop, software subscriptions, health insurance premiums, business travel, professional development... the list goes on. My tax guy found over $20k in legit deductions I was missing.

I feel your pain! I went through something similar my first year hitting six figures as a freelancer. That 45-50k total tax bill is unfortunately pretty normal for self-employment income at your level. A few things that might help reduce the sting: 1. **Quarterly payments for next year** - Since you now know your income level, increase those quarterly payments to avoid another big surprise. Aim for about 35% of your gross income. 2. **Business structure** - At your income level, it might be worth exploring an S-Corp election. You'd pay yourself a reasonable salary (subject to payroll taxes) and take the rest as distributions (no SE tax). Could save you several thousand annually. 3. **Maximize retirement contributions** - A Solo 401k lets you contribute as both employer and employee, potentially up to $69,000 for 2024. Even a $20k contribution could save you $5-7k in taxes. 4. **Track EVERYTHING** - Business meals (50% deductible), equipment, software, professional memberships, continuing education. I use QuickBooks Self-Employed to categorize expenses automatically. The good news? You made $160k! That's amazing. The tax bite hurts but it means your business is thriving. Just plan better for next year so there are no surprises.

Quick tax tip: If you do get a 1099-K for personal item sales, make sure you document everything as best you can. Take screenshots of listings showing these were personal items, note approximate purchase dates/prices of original items, etc. The burden of proof is on you to show these were personal and not business sales if questioned.

I got a 1099k for $2800 last year for selling personal stuff and just ignored it because I didn't make a profit. Got a nasty letter from the IRS 6 months later. Don't make my mistake! Even if you don't owe taxes, you need to account for the 1099k on your return!!

Anyone else notice that TurboTax has gotten worse over the years? I used to be fine paying for it back when it was like $50 all-in, but now with all the upsells and add-ons it was gonna be over $150 for me this year!! Absolutely crazy. Just made the switch to FreeTaxUSA after seeing this post. Thanks for the recommendation.

Made the switch from TurboTax to FreeTaxUSA this year too and I'm honestly shocked at how much better the experience was. No constant pop-ups trying to sell me "audit protection" or "maximum refund guarantees" that I never needed anyway. The thing that really got me was when TurboTax tried to charge me extra just to download a PDF copy of my own tax return! FreeTaxUSA gives you everything upfront with clear pricing. Federal was free, state was $15, done. No surprises at checkout. I've been telling everyone I know about it - maybe I'll be someone's "7th mention" that finally gets them to switch too!

My parents were exactly like your mom - loyal TurboTax customers forever. What finally changed their mind was when the news broke about TurboTax deliberately hiding their free filing options and misleading customers. Remember that whole scandal? The company had to refund millions to users they tricked into paying. FreeTaxUSA has been around for over 20 years but they focused primarily on word-of-mouth rather than massive ad campaigns. That's why they seemed to "come out of nowhere" when they started gaining popularity. The main reason I trust them is they've never had major data breaches (unlike certain big-name tax services) and they're actually more transparent about their pricing.

I switched to FreeTaxUSA three years ago after getting tired of TurboTax's yearly price increases and aggressive upselling tactics. What sealed the deal for me was researching their background - they're actually TaxHawk Inc., founded in 2001 by a CPA named Brad Schwarzenbach in Utah. They've been profitable for years without venture capital funding, which explains why they can keep prices low without needing to maximize revenue per customer. The security concerns are totally valid, but they use 256-bit SSL encryption (same as online banking) and are SOC 2 Type II certified, which means they undergo annual independent security audits. They also don't sell your data to third parties - their revenue model is based on charging for state returns and optional services, not harvesting personal information. I've filed with them for complex situations including rental property income, stock sales, and multiple state returns. Never had an issue with accuracy or IRS acceptance. The interface isn't as flashy as TurboTax but it's actually more straightforward in some ways - less marketing fluff, more focus on getting your taxes done correctly.