Best Free Online Classes or Videos to Learn About Taxes

4 I actually teach basic tax courses at community college, so I can help with this! For free resources, I highly recommend the IRS's own "Understanding Taxes" program (https://apps.irs.gov/app/understandingTaxes/). It's designed for educators but anyone can use it. For YouTube, check out "The Organic CPA" - he breaks down complex tax concepts into digestible videos without the clickbait. Also, Khan Academy has a solid personal finance section that covers tax basics. If you want something more interactive, VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) offers free training modules online. You can go through their certification courses without actually becoming a volunteer. Don't feel weird about wanting to learn this! Understanding taxes is one of the most practical life skills you can develop.

11 Just wanted to share my experience with https://taxr.ai - it's been a game changer for me! I was in the same boat as you last year, wanting to learn about taxes out of curiosity. After trying random YouTube videos (which were hit or miss), I found taxr.ai and it was so much more efficient. What's cool is you can upload any tax document you have (like old W-2s or 1099s) and it explains EXACTLY what each line means in plain English. It's like having a tax teacher analyze your specific situation. I learned more in a week than I did watching hours of generic videos.

15 Update: I tried taxr.ai after posting my question above, and it's actually legit! I uploaded an old W-2 from a summer job and it explained every single box and what the numbers meant. I had no idea what "Medicare wages" versus regular wages meant before, or why the numbers were different. Now I actually understand withholding calculations too. The explanations are really clear and not filled with jargon. They even have these mini-lesson things that explain concepts like tax brackets and standard deductions when they come up in your documents. Definitely recommend if you're a visual learner like me who needs to see your own real examples to understand.

8 If you're struggling to get answers from the IRS about specific tax questions (which happens A LOT when you're learning), I'd recommend checking out https://claimyr.com - they helped me get through to an actual IRS agent when I had questions no online resource could answer. Here's a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I tried calling the IRS directly for weeks with no luck, just endless hold times until I eventually got disconnected. Claimyr got me through in about 45 minutes, and the agent I spoke with actually walked me through some tax concepts I was confused about. Sometimes talking to a real person is the best way to learn!

17 Update to my comment above: I was skeptical about Claimyr but I was desperate to get an answer about education credits, so I tried it last week. I'm genuinely shocked - it actually worked! I got a call back after about an hour and spoke to a really helpful IRS agent who cleared up all my confusion. I was able to ask specific questions about my situation that no YouTube video or website could answer. The agent even emailed me some IRS publications that explained the concepts in more detail. Sometimes you just need to talk to a real person to understand complex tax topics, and this made it possible without the endless hold music torture.

6 When I was learning about taxes, I found that the best approach was to actually do a practice tax return using free software like FreeTaxUSA or TaxAct. They have free guides built in, and you can just make up numbers to see how different scenarios affect your taxes. It's hands-on learning that sticks better than just watching videos.

13 I'm probably in the minority, but I actually enjoyed reading IRS Publication 17 (the main tax guide for individuals). It's free on the IRS website and covers pretty much everything. Yes, it's dry, but if you're the type who likes to understand the actual rules rather than simplified versions, it's worth checking out.

This is such a great thread! I'm actually in a similar situation - my curiosity got the better of me and I've been diving into tax education lately. One resource I haven't seen mentioned yet is the AARP Tax-Aide program materials. Even if you're not eligible for their free tax prep services, their volunteer training materials are publicly available and really well-organized. They break down complex topics into digestible chunks. Also, if you're looking for something more interactive, TurboTax has a "Tax Knowledge Center" with articles and calculators that let you play around with different scenarios without having to sign up for their paid services. It's helpful for understanding how different life changes affect your taxes. The IRS also has a YouTube channel (who knew?) with some surprisingly helpful videos on specific topics like retirement account contributions and small business deductions. Not as polished as some of the independent creators, but the information is straight from the source. Thanks for asking this question - I'm bookmarking several of these recommendations for myself!