Anyone else notice that TurboTax has gotten worse over the years? I used to be fine paying for it back when it was like $50 all-in, but now with all the upsells and add-ons it was gonna be over $150 for me this year!! Absolutely crazy. Just made the switch to FreeTaxUSA after seeing this post. Thanks for the recommendation.

Made the switch from TurboTax to FreeTaxUSA this year too and I'm honestly shocked at how much better the experience was. No constant pop-ups trying to sell me "audit protection" or "maximum refund guarantees" that I never needed anyway. The thing that really got me was when TurboTax tried to charge me extra just to download a PDF copy of my own tax return! FreeTaxUSA gives you everything upfront with clear pricing. Federal was free, state was $15, done. No surprises at checkout. I've been telling everyone I know about it - maybe I'll be someone's "7th mention" that finally gets them to switch too!

Has anyone dealt with a situation where the partnership owned both a business and rental properties in the same entity? We have a partnership that has both an operating business and owns the building they operate from. Currently showing all income on page 1, but reading this thread makes me think we need to split it up.

This is a great discussion thread - I'm dealing with a very similar situation with one of my clients. Reading through all the responses has been incredibly helpful, especially the clarification about how the self-rental rule affects passive/nonpassive treatment without making the income subject to SE tax. One question I haven't seen addressed: What about the partnership agreement language? Should we recommend that clients update their partnership agreements to specifically address how rental income will be allocated and characterized for tax purposes? I'm wondering if having clear language about rental vs. business activities could help prevent these classification errors in the future. Also, for those who have successfully amended returns for this issue - did you run into any pushback from the IRS, or were the amendments generally accepted without additional scrutiny? I want to set proper expectations with my client about the amendment process timeline and potential complications.

Has anyone tried TaxSlayer? Their website says they include the American Opportunity Credit in their free version if your AGI is under $60k. I'm thinking of giving them a try this year.

I went through this exact same frustration last year! TurboTax definitely pulls that bait-and-switch move with the education credits. After doing some research, I ended up using Cash App Taxes and it was completely free for both federal and state, even with the American Opportunity Credit. One thing I learned is to always check the IRS Free File website first - they have a tool that helps you find which services you qualify for based on your income and tax situation. Most of the legitimate free options will tell you upfront what's included rather than surprising you at the end like TurboTax does. Just make sure you have your 1098-T form handy (from your school) before you start filing - you'll need the information from that form to claim the American Opportunity Credit properly. Good luck!

I've been using credit cards for tax payments for the past 3 years and wanted to share some additional tips based on my experience: 1. Set up account alerts on your credit card before making the payment - some processors can take 24-48 hours to show the pending charge, which can be nerve-wracking if you're not expecting it. 2. If you're using this strategy primarily for a welcome bonus (like your Amex), consider timing your payment earlier in the tax season rather than waiting until the deadline. This gives you more buffer time to resolve any potential issues. 3. Keep a copy of your tax return along with the payment confirmation - I had one year where the IRS applied my payment to the wrong tax period, and having both documents made it much easier to get corrected. For your specific situation with the Blue Cash Everyday, that's a great card for this strategy since it has no annual fee. Just make sure the processing fee doesn't eat into too much of your welcome bonus value. In my calculations, as long as the welcome bonus is worth more than about 3x the processing fee, it's usually worth doing. Good luck with whichever processor you choose!

I've been using ACI Payments for the past two years specifically with my Amex cards and haven't had any issues. While their fees are slightly higher (around 1.99% as mentioned), I've found their system to be very reliable even during peak filing season. A few things that might be helpful for your decision: 1. ACI has a really clean interface that clearly shows the total fee before you confirm the payment, so there are no surprises. 2. They send immediate email confirmations with a reference number, and I've always been able to track the payment status through their portal. 3. The payments have consistently posted to my Amex as regular purchases (not cash advances) and counted toward both my minimum spend requirements and earned normal rewards. 4. Their customer service has been responsive the one time I needed to call them about a question. Given that you're trying to hit a welcome bonus with your Blue Cash Everyday card, the slightly higher fee with ACI might be worth it for the peace of mind, especially if this is your first time using a credit card for tax payments. The difference in fees between processors is usually pretty minimal compared to the value of hitting a signup bonus. Just make sure to factor in the processing fee when calculating whether the welcome bonus makes this worthwhile overall!

will the irs come after me if i dont report my lyft income? its only like $400 and they dont even know about it since theres no 1099 right?

I went through this exact same situation last year! You're right to be concerned about reporting everything properly. Even though Lyft won't send you a 1099 for that $480, you absolutely need to report it along with your Uber income. The good news is it's actually pretty straightforward - just log into your Lyft driver account and download your annual earnings summary. They provide this even when they don't send a 1099. You'll report both income sources on a single Schedule C under something like "Rideshare Services" as your business activity. Also, don't forget to track your vehicle expenses! Since you're doing this across two platforms, your mileage deduction could easily offset a big chunk of that income. I wish someone had told me that my first year - I left hundreds on the table by not tracking my business miles properly.