I work as a tax preparer and want to clarify something that might save you time and headaches. While the IRS Free File Fillable Forms is definitely your best option for avoiding the interview-style questionnaires, there's an important limitation to be aware of: you can only use it if your adjusted gross income is below certain thresholds (it changes yearly, but it's typically around $79,000 for 2024 returns). If your income is above that threshold, you'll need to use commercial software or paper filing. However, there's a lesser-known workaround: many of the major tax software companies are required by the IRS to offer a "Free File" version of their software for qualifying taxpayers, but they also have separate "free editions" available to everyone that cover basic tax situations. The key is to look for the software company's "free edition" (not their "Free File" version) which usually allows you to prepare and e-file simple returns without the income restrictions. These versions typically handle Form 1040 with standard deductions and common schedules, though they might not support every form you need. Since you've already done the work of figuring out which forms you need and completing them, you should be able to breeze through any of these options much faster than starting from scratch with the interview process.

As someone who's been through this exact frustration, I completely understand your situation! The good news is there are several viable options that don't require you to start over with those annoying interview questionnaires. Your best bet is probably the IRS Free File Fillable Forms (accessible directly through irs.gov). It's essentially the digital version of the paper forms you've already completed - you'll see the same Form 1040 and schedules in web format, and you can just transfer your numbers directly. No interviews, no upsells, just straightforward data entry. If you don't qualify for Free File Fillable Forms due to income thresholds, consider FreeTaxUSA's basic version, which allows more direct form entry without extensive questionnaires. You can jump straight to entering your data rather than answering lifestyle questions. One important tip: always access these services directly through the official websites (irs.gov for Free File, or the company's direct site) to avoid getting redirected to paid services that look similar. The process should be much faster since you've already done the hard work of determining which forms you need and completing the calculations. You're essentially just copying numbers from your PDFs to identical online forms. Just double-check your entries since these systems have minimal error checking compared to the full interview-style software.

anyone else notice the massive amount of 570/971 codes lately?

@Liam O'Sullivan check your account transcript on the IRS website - look for the 8-digit cycle code (usually starts with 2025). If it ends in 01-04 you get daily updates, if it ends in 05 you're on weekly (Fridays). The cycle code tells you which processing center you're at and when they batch your return. Don't panic about no movement - some returns just take longer especially if there are any reviews or verifications needed. Keep checking Friday mornings if you're on weekly cycle!

I'm in exactly the same situation with my single-member S-corp! After reading through all these responses, I'm leaning toward trying TaxBandits first since the cost seems reasonable at around $150-180/year. The quarterly payroll schedule makes sense for cash flow too. One question I haven't seen addressed - how do you all handle the actual payroll tax deposits? Do you just calculate them yourself and pay online through EFTPS, or does TaxBandits help with that part? I'm worried about missing deposit deadlines since I know the penalties can be steep even for small amounts. Also, has anyone tried combining TaxBandits with QuickBooks for the record keeping side? I'm already using QB for my regular business bookkeeping, so I'm wondering if there's a good workflow that connects the two.

I've been using TaxBandits for my single-member S-corp photography business for about 18 months now, and I can definitely recommend it for your situation. The learning curve isn't too steep, and the cost savings compared to full-service providers is significant. A few practical tips from my experience: 1. Set up a dedicated business checking account just for payroll if you haven't already. It makes tracking so much easier when you're paying yourself. 2. I run payroll quarterly and it works perfectly fine. Just make sure you're consistent with your schedule and document everything well. 3. The biggest challenge initially was figuring out the right amount for "reasonable compensation." I ended up researching salary ranges for photographers in my area and settled on about 40% of my net business income as W-2 wages, with the rest as distributions. 4. Don't forget about workers' comp insurance requirements - some states require it even for single-member LLCs electing S-corp status. TaxBandits has been reliable for all my federal filings (941s, 940, W-2s), though I did have to figure out my state unemployment filing separately. Overall, for a solo business owner, it strikes the right balance between cost and functionality.

I totally get your confusion - this happened to me my first year filing with multiple jobs too! The key thing to understand is that your refund isn't really "money you're getting back" - it's just the IRS returning the extra taxes you overpaid during the year. When you only entered your first W-2, TurboTax calculated your tax liability based on just that income. But when you added the second W-2, your total income increased, which means your actual tax liability for the year is higher than what either employer withheld individually. Think of it like this: if you owe $3,000 in total taxes but your employers only withheld $2,500 combined (because they each calculated withholding as if their job was your only income), then you'd actually owe $500 rather than getting a refund. For next year, definitely look into adjusting your W-4 withholding using the IRS multiple jobs worksheet or their online estimator. And remember - a smaller refund isn't necessarily bad! It just means you got to keep more of your money in your paychecks throughout the year instead of giving the government an interest-free loan.

Hey Ethan! I totally understand your confusion - this is one of the most common tax surprises people face when filing for the first time with multiple jobs. Everyone's already given you great explanations about why this happens (the tax bracket issue is spot on), but I wanted to add a practical tip that might help you feel better about the situation. Even though your refund dropped from $1,850 to $740, you're still getting money back! That $740 refund means you actually overpaid your taxes by that amount throughout the year. If you think about it, you essentially got to use that extra $1,100 in your paychecks all year long instead of lending it to the government interest-free. For next year, definitely use the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator tool after you start any new job. It'll help you figure out exactly how to fill out your W-4s so you don't get surprised again. You can access it at irs.gov - just search for "Tax Withholding Estimator." This way you can decide whether you want a bigger refund (by having more taxes withheld) or more money in each paycheck (by having less withheld, but potentially owing at tax time). And definitely don't leave off that second W-2 - the IRS will definitely catch it and the penalties aren't worth it!

Has anyone here actually reported their GoFundMe on their taxes? I ran one last year and got about $12k, used it all for my medical bills, and honestly didn't report anything. Did I screw up??

This is a really thoughtful way to handle the excess funds, Sean! One additional consideration I'd mention is timing - if you're planning to redistribute the $9,000 before the end of this tax year, make sure to space out your donations if you're concerned about hitting the $18,000 annual exclusion limit per recipient. Also, since you mentioned tax season is coming up, keep detailed records of everything: your original GoFundMe description, all incoming donations with dates and amounts, your medical expenses, and then all outgoing transfers to other campaigns. The IRS loves documentation, and having a clear paper trail will make everything much smoother if you ever need to explain the transactions. One last tip - consider reaching out to the recipients of your donations to let them know the funds are coming from your redistributed GoFundMe rather than directly from you personally. This can help establish that you're fulfilling your original campaign promise rather than making independent personal gifts, which could support the "conduit" argument Carmen mentioned above.