I went to Jackson Hewitt once and never again. The "tax professional" was literally reading from a script and typing my answers into the same software I could use at home. When I asked about deducting home office expenses for my freelance work, they seemed confused and had to ask someone else. If u have a simple return, save ur money and DIY. If ur situation is complex like yours sounds, find a real CPA or EA (enrolled agent). National chains are basically just using the same software you can buy, but charging you $300+ for the privilege.

I went through something very similar last year - W-2 job until August, then multiple freelance clients with different 1099s, plus I moved states in July. I ended up going with Jackson Hewitt and honestly, it was worth it for the peace of mind. The key thing is what others mentioned - ask specifically for someone experienced with self-employment and multi-state returns. My preparer caught several deductions I never would have thought of, like the moving expense deduction (which is more limited now but still applies in some situations), partial business use of my car between freelance clients, and some startup costs for my freelance work. The multi-state part was especially tricky because I had to file as a part-year resident in both states, and there were some reciprocity rules I didn't understand. She walked me through everything and made sure I wasn't double-taxed on any income. I paid about $380 total for federal and two state returns with Schedule C. Yeah, it's pricey, but considering I would have probably screwed something up doing it myself and potentially faced penalties or missed deductions, I felt it was worth it. This year I might try one of the AI options people are mentioning though - seems like the technology has gotten a lot better.

This is really helpful timing! I just got my W-2 and was dreading the whole tax filing process. I've used TurboTax for years but the fees keep going up - paid almost $120 last year for federal and state filing plus some "premium" features I probably didn't even need. Quick question though - when you say AGI under $41,000, is that before or after standard deduction? I'm a teacher and my gross salary is around $43k, but after my 403(b) contributions and other pre-tax deductions, my taxable income is definitely under $41k. Want to make sure I understand the qualification correctly before I get started with FreeTaxUSA. Also appreciate all the discussion about the other tools mentioned here. Sounds like there are more resources available than I realized for making tax season less stressful!

Thanks for sharing this Julian! I'm definitely in that AGI range and have been putting off thinking about taxes. Quick question - do you remember if FreeTaxUSA handled multiple income sources well? I have a part-time W-2 job and also do some freelance work with 1099s. Some of the free services I've looked at in the past seemed to get confused when I had both types of income, or they'd suddenly want to charge me extra for the 1099 forms. Also really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences with the various tools and services. It's so frustrating how tax filing has become this maze of hidden fees and limitations. Sounds like there are actually some good resources out there if you know where to look!

This is a great discussion that highlights a really important distinction. I've seen this confusion come up repeatedly with small business owners who think paying themselves a W-2 salary will somehow legitimize their business or provide better tax benefits. The key takeaway here is that tax structure should follow legal structure, not personal preferences. A disregarded single-member LLC cannot create an employer-employee relationship with itself - it's legally impossible. Your friend's reasoning that it "feels more like a real business" doesn't change the fundamental tax law. Beyond the compliance issues everyone's mentioned, there are practical problems too. If your friend is filing employment tax returns (940, 941) for these phantom wages, he's creating a paper trail that doesn't match his actual business structure. This inconsistency is exactly what can trigger IRS scrutiny. The irony is that if he wants the benefits of paying himself a salary (like potential self-employment tax savings), he should consider making an S-Corp election. Then he'd be legally required to pay himself reasonable compensation as a W-2 employee, and any additional profits could be distributed without self-employment tax. But that's a completely different tax structure with its own requirements and limitations. Bottom line: work with the structure you have, not against it.

I went through this exact situation with my LLC two years ago and learned the hard way that what feels right business-wise isn't always what's correct tax-wise. Like your friend, I thought paying myself a W-2 would make everything more "official" and help with business credit applications. The wake-up call came during a routine IRS notice review when they questioned why I was filing payroll returns (Forms 941) for a single-member LLC that hadn't made any elections. The agent explained that I was essentially trying to be my own boss and employee simultaneously, which creates a circular relationship the tax code doesn't recognize. Here's what I learned about the QBI impact: You're absolutely right that treating wages as a business expense would reduce your QBI deduction base. But since those wages shouldn't exist in the first place, the IRS would likely reclassify them as self-employment income anyway during an audit. So you'd lose the QBI deduction benefit AND create compliance headaches. The fix was straightforward - I stopped the W-2 nonsense, filed amended returns for the affected years, and switched to proper Schedule C reporting with owner's draws. No penalties since it was clearly an honest mistake, but definitely a lesson learned about following tax law rather than personal preferences. If your friend really wants the structure and potential tax benefits of paying himself a salary, he should seriously consider an S-Corp election. Then the W-2 becomes not just allowed but required!

5 Did your brother get a mortgage to buy you out or did he pay cash? Just wondering because when I went through this with my family, my sister needed a mortgage and the bank required a formal appraisal, which then really helped with documenting the stepped-up basis for tax purposes.

I'm dealing with a very similar situation right now - inherited my mom's house with my siblings and had to figure out the tax implications when we sold it. The stepped-up basis rule that others mentioned is absolutely correct and will likely save you from owing much (if any) tax on this. One thing I'd add is to keep really good records of everything - the informal appraisal, any expenses related to the sale or transfer, and documentation of when your father passed away. Even if your brother's real estate agent friend just gave a verbal estimate, try to get that in writing if possible. Also, don't forget that you might be able to deduct certain expenses from the sale that could reduce any potential gain even further - things like legal fees, transfer taxes, or other costs associated with the property transfer between siblings. These can add up and further reduce your tax liability. The IRS is generally pretty reasonable about inherited property situations as long as you can show you made a good faith effort to determine fair market value at the time of death.

Make sure you get things in writing from that sleazy preparer if possible! I went through something similar and the texts where my preparer admitted to "being creative" with my deductions were crucial evidence that I wasn't trying to commit fraud. Also, don't forget to check your state tax situation! If your federal returns were messed with, chances are your state returns have issues too. My federal audit triggered a state audit automatically, and I wasn't prepared for that.

I'm so sorry you're going through this - it's incredibly frustrating when someone you trusted puts you in this position. The good news is that you're taking all the right steps, and the IRS does understand the difference between taxpayers who were deceived versus those who intentionally committed fraud. A few additional thoughts based on what others have shared: 1. Document everything with timestamps - not just emails, but also phone calls (write down dates, times, what was discussed). This creates a clear timeline showing your good faith efforts. 2. Consider requesting a copy of your preparer's PTIN (Preparer Tax Identification Number) history from the IRS to see if there were any prior complaints against him. This could strengthen your case that you weren't aware of his practices. 3. When you meet with the auditor, bring a written statement outlining exactly what happened, including how you discovered the fraud and what steps you've taken to correct it. Being organized and proactive will work in your favor. The fact that you refused his suggestion to lie to the IRS and that you're voluntarily correcting the other years shows clear intent to comply. Criminal prosecution is extremely rare for cases like yours where taxpayers were victims of preparer fraud and are cooperating fully. You're doing everything right - stay the course and keep documenting everything!