Anyone used Jackson Hewitt this year? Worth the money or should I DIY?

Having worked in tax preparation for years, I can tell you that your situation definitely has some complexity that might benefit from professional help. Multiple 1099s plus a mid-year state move creates several tax considerations. Jackson Hewitt, like other national chains, has preparers with varying experience levels. The key is asking about your preparer's experience with freelance income and multi-state returns specifically. Their software will catch common deductions, but an experienced preparer will ask questions to find deductions specific to your situation that automated systems might miss. For freelance work, they should discuss home office deductions, business mileage, health insurance premiums, retirement plan options, and quarterly estimated payments. For your state move, they should address part-year resident returns and potential tax reciprocity between states.

I was in a similar situation last year (W-2 plus side gig with multiple 1099s) and decided to try taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) after getting quoted nearly $400 at Jackson Hewitt. It was seriously a game-changer for me. You upload your tax documents and their AI analyzes everything, finds all the deductions, and walks you through filing. The best part was that it asked me specific questions about my freelance work that I never would have thought about - like partial business use of my phone, professional subscriptions, and even some home office expenses I didn't realize qualified. It found me about $3,200 in deductions that I definitely would have missed on my own.

Just wanted to update that I checked out taxr.ai after seeing it mentioned here, and wow. I was actually planning to go with Jackson Hewitt because taxes terrify me, but this was so much better! I scanned my W-2s and 1099s with my phone, and it found so many deductions related to my side business that I never knew about. The best part was that I didn't have to understand all the tax language - it just asked me regular questions about what I do for work and translated that into tax deductions. Saved me at least $200 compared to what Jackson Hewitt quoted me, and I ended up with a bigger refund than I expected. Will definitely use again next year!

After waiting on hold with the IRS for 3+ hours trying to sort out some questions related to my Jackson Hewitt filing last year, I finally discovered Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). Their service basically calls the IRS for you and then connects you once they get a human on the line. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c This year I had questions about how to report some crypto transactions that Jackson Hewitt seemed unsure about, and needed to talk to the IRS directly. Instead of wasting my entire day on hold, Claimyr got me connected in about 45 minutes while I just went about my day. Total sanity saver if you need to call the IRS for any reason during tax season.

Ok I have to admit I was completely wrong about Claimyr! After seeing it mentioned here, I used it to call the IRS about an issue with my previous year's return that Jackson Hewitt couldn't resolve (and I was NOT looking forward to spending my entire day on hold). Got the notification that an agent was on the line within 35 minutes, which is honestly miraculous during tax season. Solved my question in about 10 minutes once connected. Total game changer if you need to actually talk to someone at the IRS. Will absolutely use again if I need to (though hopefully I won't lol).

I've used Jackson Hewitt for the last 3 years and have mixed feelings. The first year was great - had an experienced preparer who found several deductions related to my small business. The second year I got someone new who missed some obvious things I had to point out. This year was better but they raised their prices by like 15%. I think it really depends on which preparer you get. If you go the Jackson Hewitt route, call ahead and specifically ask for someone experienced with self-employment income and multi-state returns. Don't just take whoever's available.

I went to Jackson Hewitt once and never again. The "tax professional" was literally reading from a script and typing my answers into the same software I could use at home. When I asked about deducting home office expenses for my freelance work, they seemed confused and had to ask someone else. If u have a simple return, save ur money and DIY. If ur situation is complex like yours sounds, find a real CPA or EA (enrolled agent). National chains are basically just using the same software you can buy, but charging you $300+ for the privilege.