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16 You should check out the IRS Direct File pilot program that's expanding for the 2025 filing season! It lets you file directly with the IRS for free, completely cutting out the middleman. The catch is that it's currently limited to fairly simple tax situations, but they're expanding it to include more forms. Website is just directfile.irs.gov - worth checking if you qualify before paying anything to TurboTax or others.
14 Does Direct File work if you have multiple W-2s and some 1099 interest? I've got 3 jobs and a savings account.
16 Direct File should work just fine with multiple W-2s and 1099-INT forms for interest income. The 2025 version has been expanded to handle most common simple to moderate tax situations. What it still doesn't support well are things like self-employment income, rental properties, or extensive investment transactions. But for your situation with 3 jobs and a savings account, you should qualify without issues.
4 Anyone had good experience with H&R Block's free version? They claim to be better than TurboTax for free filing but I'm suspicious after getting burned by TT's "free" claims.
11 H&R Block's free version is slightly better than TurboTax's but they still upsell HARD once you have anything beyond basic W-2 income. I tried them last year thinking I'd save money but ended up paying almost the same as TurboTax would've charged when they forced me to upgrade for my stock sales. FreeTaxUSA or Cash App Taxes are genuinely free alternatives that don't pull the bait-and-switch.
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Something nobody's mentioned yet - even if your cousin was technically allowed to claim her for 2024 taxes, you should be documenting EVERYTHING now for your 2025 taxes. Save receipts for: - Clothing/school supplies - Medical expenses - Food costs - Portion of rent/utilities - Transportation costs - Any activities or lessons The more documentation you have showing you're providing over 50% of support, the stronger your case will be next year. Also, make sure your sister is registered at school with your address! That's a big one the IRS looks at.
Thanks for this advice! I've already started keeping receipts but I didn't think about the school registration part. Her school still has my cousin's address listed as her home address. Should I get that changed right away or wait until the start of next semester?
Definitely get the school address updated immediately. Don't wait for next semester. This is one of the strongest pieces of documentation the IRS considers when determining where a child actually lives. While you're at it, make sure any doctor's offices, dentists, and other official records have your current address too. Also, if your sister sees any kind of therapist or counselor, having them document that she lives with you can be extremely helpful. The more official records showing she's under your care, the better position you'll be in for next year's taxes.
I actually work at a tax prep office and see this kind of thing all the time. One thing to consider - if your sister is over 17, the child tax credit wouldn't apply anyway. Make sure she's actually eligible before pursuing this.
Good point. The post doesn't mention the sister's age. For 2024/2025 taxes, the child tax credit is only for kids under 17 at the end of the tax year. If she's older, this would be about the dependent exemption, not the child tax credit.
She's 14, so definitely eligible for the child tax credit. I should have mentioned that in my original post, sorry for the confusion! Good to know there's an age cutoff though.
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Have you checked if you maybe had any fees deducted if you filed through a tax preparer? Sometimes if you opted to have your preparation fees taken out of your refund, that might explain the difference. Also check if you had any refund advance loans that would be recouped from your actual refund.
I did use TurboTax but paid their fee with my credit card, not out of my refund. And definitely didn't take any refund advance loans. Looking at my transcript again, it clearly shows the full $4,089 as the amount that should have been refunded. So confusing!
That is strange then. One last thing to check - did you look at your tax return transcript or your account transcript? The account transcript would be more accurate for refund information as it shows all transactions on your account. Sometimes the numbers can look similar but mean different things. If the account transcript definitely shows $4,089 as the refund amount and you only got $3,717, then something's definitely off and you'll need to contact the IRS directly. Might be worth using one of those services others mentioned since the phone lines are so jammed.
Did you maybe owe any state taxes? Sometimes the feds will take money from your federal refund to pay state tax debt. Happened to me last year and I was so confused until I got a letter explaining it a week later.
This is what happened to me too. Missing $540 from my refund, turns out I had forgotten about an outstanding state tax bill from two years ago. The really annoying part is that the notice explaining it came almost 3 weeks AFTER the reduced refund hit my account!
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Another resource worth mentioning is your local library. Many libraries offer free tax help programs during filing season. The volunteers are certified by the IRS through the VITA program and can handle returns with self-employment income up to a certain amount. They might also have hard copies of all the forms and instruction booklets you need.
This is a great suggestion, thank you! Do you know if these volunteers can handle questions about investment income too? And do I need to make an appointment or can I just walk in?
Most VITA volunteers are trained to handle basic investment income like interest, dividends, and simple capital gains. They might not be able to help with very complex investment situations though. You'll definitely want to make an appointment - these services get booked up quickly during tax season. Call your local library or check their website to see when they offer tax help and how to schedule. Some places also require you to bring specific documents, so ask about that when you call.
I've been filing paper returns for 10+ years with side income. My best advice is to look at last year's tax return if you have one, and use it as a template. The forms barely change year to year. For the new stuff, grab the specific form instructions (not the giant publications) from irs.gov. If you're doing DoorDash, just google "Schedule C example for delivery driver" and you'll find tons of examples showing exactly what expenses you can claim. Same for investments - search for examples of filled out Schedule B and Schedule D forms.
This is solid advice. I did DoorDash last year and the biggest thing was tracking mileage - you can deduct $0.67 per mile for 2023 which adds up quick! Make sure you have some kind of mileage log if you get audited.
Ellie Perry
This might be an unpopular view, but unless the loan amount is huge (like over $100k), I wouldn't worry too much about documentation. My dad loaned me $35k for grad school, and I've been paying him back $500/month for years with zero documentation. No issues whatsoever. As long as you're not trying to deduct loan interest on your taxes and the amounts aren't suspicious enough to trigger an audit, the IRS generally has bigger fish to fry. Just label your transfers as "loan repayment" if possible and keep basic records of what you've paid.
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Landon Morgan
•Terrible advice. The IRS can look back several years if they decide to audit you. Better to do things right the first time than risk problems later. I learned this the hard way.
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Ellie Perry
•You're right that documentation is ideal, but I'm just sharing my real-world experience. The IRS audits less than 1% of tax returns for people making under $200k annually. I agree it's better to do things properly, especially for larger amounts or if you're concerned about potential audit flags in your situation. My point was simply that many family loans happen informally without issues. That said, if someone has the option to document things properly from the beginning, they absolutely should.
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Teresa Boyd
Has anyone considered using a promissory note? I printed a template online when my sister loaned me money for car repairs. Super simple, we both signed it, and it clearly states the total amount, when it was loaned, and that no interest is being charged. Cost nothing but provides basic documentation.
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Lourdes Fox
•Promissory notes are definitely the way to go! I'm an accountant (not giving professional advice) and this is what I recommend to friends and family. It doesn't need to be complicated - just the amount, dates, payment terms, signatures. Keep it with your tax records.
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