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If I could give 10 stars I would If I could give 10 stars I would Such an amazing service so needed during the times when EDD almost never picks up Claimyr gets me on the phone with EDD every time without fail faster. A much needed service without Claimyr I would have never received the payment I needed to support me during my postpartum recovery. Thank you so much Claimyr!
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An incredibly helpful service! Got me connected to a CA EDD agent without major hassle (outside of EDD's agents dropping calls ā which Claimyr has free protection for). If you need to file a new claim and can't do it online, pay the $ to Claimyr to get the process started. Absolutely worth it!
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Regardless of which software you use, I'd strongly recommend keeping your own separate records of all transactions. I've used TokenTax, CoinTracker, and ZenLedger over the past few years, and all of them made different mistakes. The worst part is when the API connections to exchanges suddenly break mid-year and you end up with incomplete data. I now download CSV reports from each exchange quarterly just to be safe. Also take screenshots of any unusual transactions. For short sales specifically, I had to manually adjust every single one last year. No software got them right.
Do you use a specific spreadsheet template for tracking? I'm wondering if I should just give up on software entirely and track everything manually from the start.
I created my own spreadsheet that specifically labels transaction types (buy, sell, short open, short close, staking reward, etc.) and calculates gains according to the actual tax rules. It was time-consuming to set up initially, but saves me headaches during tax season. I don't recommend giving up on software entirely though. I use it as a starting point and to catch transactions I might have missed, then reconcile with my own records and make manual adjustments where needed. The software is also helpful for generating the final tax forms.
Zainab Ali
Has anyone tried just using mark-to-market accounting even though it's not technically the required method for crypto? I'm a trader and use mark-to-market for my securities, and I've been treating crypto the same way for simplicity.
Be careful with that approach. Unless you've made a formal mark-to-market election that covers your crypto trading (which is questionable since crypto isn't technically a security), you're supposed to track each transaction individually. The IRS has been increasingly focused on crypto compliance, and using an unauthorized accounting method could create problems if you're audited. They've specifically stated that cryptocurrency should be treated as property, subject to capital gains rules with specific lot identification.
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Rami Samuels
Anyone else notice how confusing the IRS makes these forms? Like why do we even need Form 8606 for Roth contribution withdrawals when they're not taxable anyway? The whole system feels designed to trip us up!
Because the IRS doesn't know whether your distribution is contributions, conversions, or earnings without you telling them. That's what Form 8606 does - it helps you calculate and show which part of your distribution is taxable. Without it, they'd have to assume the worst (that it's all earnings).
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Carmen Reyes
Former tax preparer here - for your specific situation, TurboTax is probably fine if you're comfortable using it. The child tax credits are pretty straightforward and TT asks all the right questions. The ONE area where a pro might help is with the house sale. There are some nuances around basis calculation, improvements you've made to the home, partial rental use, etc. that might be worth discussing. If the potential tax impact of the sale is large (like if you made a lot on the sale), it might be worth a consultation just for that piece. A middle ground could be using TT for most things but paying for a one-hour consultation with a CPA just to review the house sale portion. Might cost $150-200 but could save you more if there are strategies you've missed.
Andre Moreau
ā¢What kinds of things could be missed on a home sale? I thought it was pretty simple - if you lived there 2 of 5 years you get the exemption up to $250k/$500k depending on if you're single or married?
Carmen Reyes
ā¢The basic exemption rule is straightforward, but there are several areas where people commonly miss opportunities or make mistakes. Home improvements can be added to your basis (original purchase price + improvements), which reduces your capital gain. Many people don't keep good records of these or don't know which improvements qualify. This includes major renovations, additions, new roof, HVAC systems, etc. - not regular repairs or maintenance. If you ever used part of your home for business or rental purposes, the calculation gets more complex since that portion may not qualify for the full exemption. This requires proper allocation and depreciation recapture considerations.
I used to use TurboTax but found FreeTaxUSA way better and cheaper. Works great for W-2s, investment accounts, and child credits - basically everything you mentioned. The house sale might be a bit trickier but they have good support articles.
Second FreeTaxUSA! Used it for the last 3 years and it's just as good as TurboTax for way less. I had a home sale last year too and it walked me through it fine. Saved like $120 compared to TT.
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Be careful about filing with "estimates" as some people are suggesting. If your estimates are significantly off from what your employers reported to the IRS, you could face penalties for underreporting income. The IRS has a transcript request service online where you can request your Wage and Income Transcript which shows all W-2s and 1099s filed under your SSN: https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript If the online system doesn't work for you (it requires some specific verification), you can also file Form 4506-T to request the transcript by mail. This might take longer but gives you the exact numbers your employers reported.
Thanks for the warning. I tried the online transcript request but couldn't verify my identity because my phone isn't in my name (I'm on my parents' family plan). How long does the mail request usually take? I'm worried it won't arrive in time for my deadline.
Mail requests generally take 5-10 business days to process plus mailing time, so you're right to be concerned about meeting your deadline. Since you're in a time crunch, I would recommend using Claimyr as others have suggested to get through to an IRS agent who can provide your wage information immediately over the phone. Alternative verification methods for the online transcript system include using a credit card number (doesn't have to be in your name) or getting a one-time code mailed to your address of record, but that also takes 5-10 days. The fastest solution is definitely speaking directly with an IRS agent who can read your wage information to you from their system.
Emma Davis
Just a quick tip from someone who works in a university financial aid office - once you file your taxes, call your school's financial aid department immediately with your confirmation number from the IRS. We can often manually override the FAFSA non-filer hold on our end once we have proof you've filed, rather than waiting for the FAFSA system to update automatically (which can take 1-2 weeks). Also ask about emergency loans or payment plan options that might be available while waiting for your FAFSA to process. Many schools have short-term emergency funds specifically for situations like this.
LunarLegend
ā¢This is great advice! I had a similar issue and my school's financial aid office was able to give me a 30-day extension on tuition payments once I showed them proof I had filed my taxes. Saved me from having to drop my classes while waiting for the loan disbursement.
Dylan Evans
For what it's worth, I used Liberty Tax last year and they gave me a $50 Amazon gift card as a new customer bonus. The preparation was fine - nothing special but they didn't mess anything up. Total cost was around $220 for a fairly simple return. I think most of these places have similar "new customer" deals if you look around.
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Sofia Gomez
ā¢$220 for a simple return?? That seems really expensive. Was that including state filing too?
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Dylan Evans
ā¢Yes, that included both federal and state filing fees. You're right that it's not cheap - and honestly that's why I'm not going back this year. The $50 gift card was nice but when I looked at the total cost, I realized I could have done it myself for much less. I'm using one of the self-prep software options this year since my tax situation hasn't changed much. The "bonus" isn't worth the extra fees when you do the math.
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StormChaser
Pro tip: If you made under $73k last year, you can file for FREE through the IRS Free File program. Most people don't know about this! Go directly through the IRS website to find the participating providers. Much better than paying for tax prep just to get a small bonus!
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Dmitry Petrov
ā¢Is that the same as the free version that TurboTax advertises? I tried that last year but they kept trying to upsell me and eventually said I needed to pay because of my student loan interest form.
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