Big thumbs UP for FreeTaxUSA - finally switched from TurboTax!

So if I have a side gig with a 1099 but my main job is W-2, would FreeTaxUSA still work well for me? I've been using TurboTax Self-Employed which is crazy expensive but I'm worried about missing deductions if I switch.

FreeTaxUSA actually handles side gigs and 1099 income quite well! It includes all the necessary Schedule C forms for self-employment and guides you through business deductions just like the expensive options do. The interface isn't quite as polished as TurboTax, but it asks all the same questions about business expenses, home office deductions, mileage, etc. I've had clients with side businesses who've saved over $100 by switching and still got the same refund amount. Just be organized with your expense tracking beforehand.

Wait so does this actually file your taxes for you or is it just helping you organize the info before you enter it somewhere else? And is it secure? I'm always paranoid about uploading my docs with all my personal info.

I'm a little confused about how this works with FreeTaxUSA. Does it just tell you what numbers to input or does it somehow transfer the data directly? I hate manually entering all my stuff but not sure I understand the workflow here.

It doesn't file your taxes for you - it's more like a helper tool that extracts all the important numbers from your tax documents. You still need to enter them into FreeTaxUSA or whatever tax software you're using, but you don't have to hunt through all your forms to find the right numbers. They use bank-level encryption for document storage and processing, and they don't store your documents long-term unless you specifically want them to. I was paranoid about security too but felt comfortable after reading their privacy policy. The workflow is pretty simple - you upload your documents to taxr.ai, it extracts all the data and gives you a clean summary of everything, then you just reference that while filling out FreeTaxUSA. It's especially helpful when you have multiple forms or complicated documents since it organizes everything by form type and tells you exactly which numbers go where.

How much does this service cost? Sounds like it could be helpful but I'm guessing it's not free?

This sounds too good to be true. How exactly do they get you through faster than everyone else? Isn't that basically cutting in line? I tried calling the IRS last month and gave up after an hour on hold.

The service is definitely worth it considering the time saved - I'd rather not discuss specific pricing here but it's very reasonable compared to the hours of your life you get back. They use an automated system that waits on hold for you and then calls you when an actual human IRS agent is on the line. It's not cutting in line - they're essentially waiting in the queue for you, and then connecting you once they reach an agent. It's completely legitimate and they've helped connect over 175,000 people to government agencies. I was definitely skeptical at first too but it genuinely works. Saved me an entire afternoon of listening to that awful hold music!

I had to start from scratch since there's no direct transfer between TurboTax and FreeTaxUSA, which was annoying but not the end of the world. Just had my previous year's return pulled up on my laptop for reference. The interface is definitely different - less hand-holding than TurboTax but still very straightforward. I found it actually asked fewer unnecessary questions. For your simple situation, I think you'd find it super easy. The whole process took me about 30 minutes for both federal and state. The biggest adjustment was getting used to a different layout, but the savings made it totally worth it.

I've used both. Cash App Taxes is good if you want completely free federal+state, but FreeTaxUSA has better support for certain tax situations. Cash App struggled with my HSA contributions and some investment stuff last year. FreeTaxUSA's interface is also more thorough in my experience - it asks more detailed questions that might help find deductions. But if your taxes are super straightforward and you want totally free, Cash App is fine.

Thanks for the comparison! I do have some investment accounts and started contributing to an HSA this year, so maybe FreeTaxUSA would be better. $12-15 for state isn't a big deal if it means a more accurate return. Might give it a try this year.