Best Tax Software for 2025? Tired of TurboTax prices

Did you find it easy to switch? I'm worried about having to re-enter all my info since TurboTax carries everything over year to year. Also, does FreeTaxUSA handle stock sales well? I have maybe 10-15 transactions I need to report.

Switching was pretty painless. You'll need to enter your personal info again the first year, but it's not that time-consuming. FreeTaxUSA does save your info for future years just like TurboTax does. For stock sales, FreeTaxUSA handles them well. You can enter transactions manually or import a spreadsheet if your broker provides one. I had about 20 transactions last year and didn't have any issues. The interface for entering them is straightforward and they guide you through determining cost basis if needed.

How does it actually work? Do you just upload your tax documents and it tells you stuff about them? Does it actually fill out the tax forms for you or just give advice?

I'm a bit skeptical about uploading my financial docs to some random website. How secure is this? Seems risky to give all your tax info to a third party that's not the actual tax software.

It works by analyzing your documents with AI to identify important line items and explain their tax implications. You upload your forms, and it breaks down what each number means and where it should go on your tax return. It doesn't file your taxes - you still use your preferred tax software for that. Security is definitely a priority - they use bank-level encryption and don't store your documents after analysis. I was hesitant at first too, but they explain their security measures on their site, and the documents are processed and then deleted, not stored long-term. I've been using it for two tax seasons now without any issues.

Wait, so how does this actually work? The IRS has notoriously long hold times. Does it just call and wait on hold for you? I'm confused how this service would get me through any faster than if I called myself.

This sounds like a scam. There's no way to "skip the line" with the IRS. Everyone knows they're understaffed and there's no magic solution to get through faster. I doubt this actually works.

It uses an automated system that navigates the IRS phone tree and waits on hold for you. Once an agent actually picks up, you get a call connecting you directly to that agent. So instead of you personally waiting on hold for hours, their system does the waiting. I was skeptical too before trying it, but it actually works. It doesn't "skip the line" - it just waits in the queue for you. I was in the same position thinking it sounded too good to be true, but when I had been trying to reach the IRS for weeks with no success, I figured it was worth a shot. The time saved was absolutely worth it for me, and I got my issue resolved in one call.

Do any of these let you file multiple state returns without paying extra? I lived in two states last year and TurboTax wanted to charge me for each state filing separately.

Unfortunately, all the major tax software options charge per state. FreeTaxUSA charges about $15 per state, which is still cheaper than TurboTax's $50+ per state, but you'd still need to pay for each state separately. If you have a very simple tax situation, you might consider using each state's free filing portal directly for the state returns after completing your federal return. Some states have surprisingly good free filing systems now.

I used the IRS Free File option last year with an AGI under $73k. It basically directs you to free versions of the major tax software options that participate in the program. I was directed to TaxSlayer and it was completely free for federal and state. Interface was decent, not as nice as TurboTax but definitely usable. Worth checking if you qualify!