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For what it's worth, I've been using FreeTaxUSA for the past 3 years after getting fed up with TurboTax's rising prices and constant upselling. The federal filing is free regardless of complexity, and state returns are like $15. The interface isn't as polished as TurboTax, but it asks all the same questions and finds the same deductions in my experience. I'd recommend filling out your return there too as a comparison - it won't cost anything to prepare the federal return, only to file. But like others said, the software isn't usually the issue - it's likely something with your withholding or a missed deduction. Different software won't magically make you owe less unless there's a specific deduction or credit that TurboTax is missing (which is rare).
Thank you for this suggestion! We'll definitely try FreeTaxUSA as a comparison. When we put our info into TurboTax, we only got to the W-2 part before seeing the amount we owe. We haven't added any deductions yet, but I'm worried TurboTax will make us pay for upgrades to add things like student loan interest. Do you know if FreeTaxUSA lets you enter student loan interest and charitable donations without upgrading to a paid version?
FreeTaxUSA includes ALL federal tax forms and deductions in their free version, including student loan interest, charitable donations, investment income, self-employment, etc. The only thing you pay for is state filing ($15) or audit assistance if you want it. That's actually one of the biggest differences - TurboTax's "free" version is only free for very simple returns, then they charge for adding forms like student loan interest deductions. FreeTaxUSA doesn't do that bait-and-switch thing. I usually run my taxes through both just to double-check my results, and they've always matched within a few dollars.
Something to consider - did you receive any unemployment benefits? Those are taxable and if you didn't elect to have taxes withheld, that could explain the surprise bill. Also, check if you got any advanced Child Tax Credit payments if you have kids. That can make a big difference in what you owe vs. what you expected.
Or stimulus payments! Some people think those were tax-free but they actually impact your return if you got them.
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Everyone's talking about refunds like they're free money from the government. A $21 refund is PERFECT - it means you loaned the government almost nothing during the year. If you're getting a $3000 refund, that means you gave the government an interest-free loan of your own money!! I always aim for owing a small amount (but not enough to trigger penalties). That way I keep my money throughout the year and can invest it or use it how I want.
I understand your point theoretically, but most regular people aren't investing that extra $50-100 per paycheck. It's just getting spent. For many people, tax refunds function as a forced savings plan. I personally prefer getting a chunk back because otherwise that money would just disappear into my daily spending.
You're making a fair point about the psychological benefit. The math doesn't lie though - if you're getting $3000 back, that's $250 per month you could have had in your pocket. Even if you just put that in a high-yield savings account at 4%, you'd earn an extra $70+ over the year. Not life-changing but still better than giving it to the government for free. The real solution is to improve financial discipline rather than using the tax system as a savings account.
Has anyone else noticed TurboTax is pushing their paid audit defense add-on really hard this year? I wonder if they're showing artificially low refunds to scare people into thinking they're at higher audit risk so they'll upgrade.
I noticed this too! I was getting a really low refund and right after showing me that number, they immediately tried to sell me audit defense for an extra $49.99. Seems predatory to me.
That's exactly what happened to me! It honestly feels like they're using scare tactics. When I went through the same info with FreeTaxUSA instead, I got a much higher refund estimate without all the upsell attempts. I'm never using TurboTax again.
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Have you considered looking into why your withholding changed so dramatically? Before paying for a tax pro, you might want to check if there was a mistake in how your W-4 was filled out or processed by your employer. I had a similar situation last year and discovered my employer had accidentally classified me as "exempt" from withholding for several months. If it's not a mistake, then something significant changed in your tax situation that you need to address going forward too - not just for filing this year's return. Otherwise, you'll be in the same boat next year.
That's actually a really good point I hadn't thought about. I did fill out a new W-4 when our company changed payroll providers last March. I should check my recent paystubs to see if the withholding amounts look right. Do you know if there's an easy way to calculate what my proper withholding should be?
The IRS has a Tax Withholding Estimator tool on their website that's pretty helpful. You enter your income, filing status, dependents, and some other basic info, and it tells you how to fill out your W-4 for the right amount of withholding. If you find that your employer made an error in processing your W-4, definitely talk to your payroll department right away to fix it for this year. Unfortunately, that won't help with what you owe for 2024, but at least you won't have the same problem next year.
I'm an enrolled agent (tax professional), and I'd add that owing money isn't necessarily a bad thing or means your taxes were done incorrectly. Many people view refunds as free money when it's actually just your own money you overpaid throughout the year. That said, with freelance income, you should look into making quarterly estimated tax payments to avoid a big bill (and potential penalties) at tax time. This is especially important if you plan to continue freelancing. While a tax pro might find some additional deductions TurboTax missed, be wary of anyone who promises to dramatically reduce your tax liability without seeing your actual documents. Legitimate tax professionals help you claim everything you're entitled to, but won't suggest aggressive positions that could land you in trouble.
That makes sense about refunds just being your own money. I guess I've always used tax refunds as a forced savings plan, so it was a shock to owe instead. How do you figure out how much to pay for quarterly estimated taxes? Is there a simple formula or percentage I should follow for freelance work?
For quarterly estimated taxes, a safe harbor approach is to pay either 100% of last year's tax liability (110% if your income is over $150,000) or 90% of your current year's anticipated liability, whichever is less. This helps you avoid underpayment penalties even if your income fluctuates. For freelance work specifically, a rough calculation is to set aside about 30% of your net profit for taxes - this covers both income tax and self-employment tax. The actual amount varies based on your total income, filing status, deductions, etc. The IRS Form 1040-ES includes worksheets to help calculate the exact amount, or you can use tax planning software to get more precise figures.
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The IRS is massively understaffed right now and processing times are all over the place. My brother filed in January and got his refund in 9 days. I filed TWO WEEKS before him and just got mine yesterday (54 days later!) with zero explanation for the delay. There's literally no rhyme or reason to it sometimes - it's like a lottery. Fingers crossed you're one of the lucky ones who gets processed quickly!
Were there any differences between your return and your brother's? Like did you claim any credits or deductions that he didn't? Sometimes certain things trigger additional review.
First-time filer advice: download the IRS2Go app!! It's the official IRS app and lets you check your refund status anytime. Way easier than constantly logging into the website, and it updates at the same time as the "Where's My Refund" tool. My direct deposit refund took 11 days total this year (filed early February), but my girlfriend who filed in March waited almost 4 weeks. Filing early definitely seems to help speed things up.
Zoe Papadopoulos
Another option to consider - if you consistently owe because of income that doesn't have taxes withheld (like 1099 work, investments, etc.), you should be making quarterly estimated tax payments. The due dates are April 15, June 15, September 15, and January 15 of the following year. This spreads out your tax burden throughout the year instead of getting hit with one big bill. You can use Form 1040-ES to calculate and submit these payments. Bonus: doing this helps avoid underpayment penalties that the IRS charges when you owe too much at filing time.
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CyberNinja
•Is there an easy way to figure out how much to pay for those quarterly payments? Our situation involves some rental income on top of our regular jobs, and I think that might be why we keep owing so much.
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Zoe Papadopoulos
•For rental income, you'll want to estimate your annual rental profit (income minus expenses) and multiply by your tax bracket percentage. Then divide that amount into four equal payments. A simple approach is to take whatever you owed last year and divide by 4 - that's usually enough to avoid underpayment penalties under the "safe harbor" rule. The IRS only requires you to pay 90% of this year's taxes or 100% of last year's tax amount (110% if your income is over $150,000), whichever is smaller. If your rental situation is complex, you might want to consult with a tax professional for the first calculation, then you can handle the quarterly payments yourself going forward.
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Jamal Washington
Owing vs. getting a refund is really just personal preference. I intentionally have extra withheld because I'm terrible at saving. My tax refund is my forced savings account that funds my vacation every year. Mathematically, yes, I could invest that money throughout the year instead. But realistically, I wouldn't. I'd spend it. So for me, getting a refund IS actually the better financial choice despite what the optimization folks say. Do what works for YOUR financial personality and situation!
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Mei Wong
•This is exactly right! The "don't give the government an interest-free loan" advice only makes sense if you're disciplined enough to actually invest that money instead. For many people, slightly overwithholding is a painless way to save.
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