Has anyone used the free file fillable forms on the IRS website with zero income? Wondering if there are any special instructions or if it gets confused when you put zeros everywhere.

Great question! As others have mentioned, you can absolutely file with zero income, and there might actually be some good reasons to do so in your situation. Since you mentioned being a student, here are a few things to consider: Even if your parents claim you as a dependent, you might still qualify for education-related credits like the American Opportunity Tax Credit if you paid for qualified education expenses (tuition, fees, required books). This can potentially get you money back even with no income. Also, filing establishes a paper trail with the IRS that can be helpful for future financial aid applications, loan applications, or other situations where you need to prove your tax filing history. Some programs require tax returns even if you had no income. The filing threshold for someone your age who can be claimed as a dependent is pretty low anyway - if you had even a small amount of income from odd jobs, interest, or other sources during the year, you might need to file regardless. Since you're graduating soon and entering the workforce, getting familiar with the tax filing process now (when it's simple) isn't a bad idea either. Better to learn when there's less at stake!

Anyone else notice that the IRS seems to be auditing way more returns lately? I've had more clients get audit notices in the past 6 months than the previous 3 years combined.

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - my 2024 return got flagged for audit in February and the examiner assigned to my case has been completely unresponsive. My tax preparer has tried calling the practitioner priority line at least a dozen times over the past two months with zero success. What's worked for me so far is documenting everything. I keep a detailed log of every call attempt, including dates, times, and how long we waited on hold before giving up. This documentation has been crucial when escalating the issue. A few things that might help in your situation: 1. Request a case transfer if your examiner continues to be unresponsive. You can do this in writing and cite the lack of communication as grounds for reassignment. 2. The Taxpayer Advocate Service threshold is usually when you can demonstrate that normal IRS procedures aren't working. Two months of no response definitely qualifies. 3. Make sure your written response includes a statement about the communication attempts and requests a phone conference within a specific timeframe (like 30 days). 4. If you have TurboTax audit defense, make sure they're documenting all of this for potential escalation to higher levels within the IRS. The whole system is overwhelmed right now, but persistence and good documentation usually pay off eventually. Don't let the silence make you panic - keep pushing through the proper channels.

Has anyone tried Credit Karma Tax (now called Cash App Taxes)? It's completely free for federal and state filing. I switched from TurboTax last year and it was pretty good, handled my somewhat complicated return with no issues. No hidden fees or fake guarantees.

I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now! Filed with TurboTax online three weeks ago and discovered they miscalculated my child tax credit. When I called about their "satisfaction guarantee," the rep told me it only applies to desktop software. But their website shows the guarantee right on the online filing pages with no clear distinction! I've been going back and forth with customer service for days. They keep saying "we stand behind our products" but won't actually do anything to fix the error or refund my fees. It's so frustrating because I specifically chose TurboTax because of that guarantee. Thanks for posting this - at least I know I'm not the only one dealing with their misleading marketing. Definitely looking into those alternative services people mentioned here for next year.

Sorry to hijack, but this thread reminded me - did anyone else notice that they changed some of the 1098 form options for 2025? Box 10 specifically mentions "mortgage insurance premiums" now instead of just "insurance" like it used to. Makes it clearer what belongs there. I think the IRS finally realized people were confused!

Great observation about the 2025 form changes! That definitely makes things clearer. For anyone still confused about Box 10, here's a quick summary: if there's an amount there, it's your mortgage insurance premiums (PMI, MIP, etc.) that may be deductible. If it's blank, you either don't pay mortgage insurance or your lender determined it's not the deductible type. One thing to watch out for - some lenders split mortgage insurance between what they report in Box 10 versus what they include in your escrow. Always double-check your annual escrow statement against your 1098 to make sure you're not missing any deductible amounts. The income limits for this deduction are pretty generous, so most first-time homebuyers can take advantage of it. @Ryan Kim - definitely worth following up with your lender about that $89/month PMI not showing up in Box 10!

Has anyone had experience with actually getting audited over this kind of situation? I've been worried about the same thing - my sister sends me her half of our parents' birthday gifts through Venmo and it adds up to a few thousand per year. Wondering if the IRS really goes after small personal transfers or if they're more focused on actual businesses trying to hide income.

Just to add another perspective - I work as a bookkeeper and see these payment app issues all the time with my clients. The key thing to remember is that the burden of proof is on YOU to show these weren't taxable transactions if you get a 1099-K. For your specific situation with your roommate, I'd strongly recommend creating a simple written agreement between you two documenting that you're acting as a cash withdrawal intermediary for his family support funds. Something like "I [your name] am helping [roommate's name] convert digital transfers from his family into cash to avoid withdrawal fees. These funds belong to [roommate's name] and are not income to me." Have you both sign and date it, and keep copies of his family's transfer records if possible. This creates a paper trail showing the money flow: family → roommate's CashApp → your CashApp → cash to roommate. If you ever need to explain it to the IRS, you'll have documentation that clearly shows you were never the beneficial owner of these funds. Also, consider having your roommate Venmo you small amounts for "cash withdrawal service" to cover any bank fees you incur - this makes the arrangement more obviously legitimate and creates a record that you're providing a service, not receiving income.