Has anyone tried using both FreeTaxUsa and Cash App Tax by entering the same tax information to see if they give different refund amounts? I've heard that different software can sometimes calculate things slightly differently.

Great question! I've been using FreeTaxUsa for the past three years and it's been solid for my situation. As someone who also has self-employment income, I can confirm it handles Schedule C really well and walks you through all the common deductions like home office, business expenses, etc. One thing I'd add to the discussion is that FreeTaxUsa has a really nice feature where you can save your return and come back to it multiple times before filing. I usually start my taxes early and work on them in chunks, so being able to save progress is huge for me. The $14.99 state filing fee is a bit of a bummer compared to Cash App Tax's free state filing, but honestly the interface and thoroughness of FreeTaxUsa has been worth it for me. Their tax guidance is really comprehensive - they explain WHY you might qualify for certain deductions rather than just asking yes/no questions. For your investment income, both should handle basic stuff like dividends and capital gains just fine. If you have more complex investment situations (like wash sale rules or partnership income), FreeTaxUsa tends to have better explanations of how to report those correctly.

bruh the IRS be playing hot potato with our money fr 🤣

Ugh this is so frustrating! I'm dealing with the exact same thing right now - been waiting 2 months for my refund check that supposedly got "mailed" twice already. The IRS customer service is absolutely useless, they just keep giving me the runaround. At this point I'm convinced they're just hoping we'll give up and forget about our money 🙄 Have you tried filing a complaint with the Treasury Inspector General? Might be worth a shot since the normal channels aren't working.

One thing to watch out for - make sure the tax person you find actually understands startup equity. I had a horrible experience where I hired a "tax professional" who said he understood 83(b) elections, but he completely messed up my filing! I ended up having to hire a specialist to fix everything, which cost WAY more than just starting with the right person. Ask specifically about their experience with startup stock options, 83(b) elections, and QSBS. If they can't immediately explain the 5-year holding period for QSBS or the 30-day deadline for 83(b) without looking it up, find someone else!

Based on everyone's experiences here, it sounds like there are really two key things: finding someone with actual startup equity expertise (not just general tax knowledge) and making sure you don't miss that 30-day 83(b) deadline. I'm in a similar boat - my company gave me stock options last month and I'm trying to figure out if I should early exercise. The QSBS angle is particularly confusing because it seems like you need to think about it now even though the benefits don't kick in for 5 years. Has anyone here actually gone through the full process from 83(b) election through to eventually selling QSBS-qualified stock? I'm curious about the long-term record keeping requirements - like what documentation do you need to maintain over that 5-year period to prove QSBS eligibility? Also, for those who used the AI tools mentioned - did they help you understand the interaction between 83(b) elections and QSBS? That's the part I'm most confused about.

Code 806 is your withholding credit (taxes taken from your paychecks) and code 768 is your Earned Income Credit. The 4/15/22 date shows when these were processed. These are both credits in your favor! If you already received a refund on 3/9/22 but these codes are dated later, you might be getting an additional refund payment. Keep checking for an 846 code which means "refund issued" - that's when you'll know money is coming your way.

Code 806 is your withholding credit - that's the federal taxes that were taken out of your paychecks during the year. Code 768 is your Earned Income Credit (EIC). Both of these are credits in your favor! The 4/15/22 date just shows when these transactions were processed in the IRS system. Since you mentioned you already got a refund on 3/9/22, these codes appearing with a later date might mean you're getting an additional refund. Keep an eye out for code 846 with a recent date - that's the "refund issued" code that means money is being sent to your bank account.

Has anyone here actually had an issue with the IRS because of an employer address mismatch? I've lived in WA but had TX, NY, and CA addresses on W-2s over the years and never once had a problem. This seems like worrying about nothing.

I had a similar situation last year with my W-2 showing my employer's corporate headquarters address instead of where I actually lived and worked. The key thing is to look at boxes 15-17 on your W-2 - these show which states actually had taxes withheld from your paychecks. Since you lived in Maryland and worked in both MD and VA, you'll need to file: 1. A Maryland resident return for all your income 2. A Virginia non-resident return for the portion of income earned while working in VA 3. You'll likely get a credit on your MD return for taxes paid to VA to avoid double taxation The Delaware address is just administrative - many large companies process payroll through subsidiaries or third-party processors in different states for business reasons. As long as the income amounts and state withholding boxes are correct, you're good to go. Don't let the address throw you off - it's one of the most common tax questions people have but it's really not a problem at all.