Can I file my taxes using two different tax software platforms for comparison?

Yes, you can absolutely use multiple tax software platforms to prepare your taxes before deciding which one to submit! The IRS doesn't know or care how many programs you use to prepare your return - they only receive the actual filed return. I do this every year to compare results. It's actually a smart strategy to make sure you're getting the biggest refund possible. Different software might ask questions in different ways or make certain deductions easier to find. Just be sure you're entering the exact same information in each platform for a fair comparison. The only thing that matters to the IRS is that you only submit ONE final return. As long as you only file once, you're completely fine comparing different platforms.

I was in the same boat last year when I had both W-2 income and some side gig stuff. I tried three different platforms and was getting different results on each! Frustrated, I found this AI tool called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that actually analyzes your tax documents and compares different filing options for you. It saved me so much time because I didn't have to manually input everything multiple times. It showed me which deductions each platform was finding or missing and explained why my refund amounts were different. For my situation, it found that one platform wasn't correctly handling my home office deduction and another missed some eligible business expenses. Ended up getting almost $740 more than what I would've gotten with my first choice!

Just wanted to update after trying taxr.ai that the previous commenter mentioned. It actually found a pretty significant difference between how TurboTax and FreeTaxUSA were handling my freelance income! Apparently one was categorizing some of my business expenses incorrectly which was affecting my self-employment tax calculation. I would have missed out on about $430 if I had gone with my first choice. The analysis showed exactly which forms and sections had discrepancies so I knew exactly what to fix. Definitely worth checking out if you're comparing platforms.

If you're having issues with figuring out your taxes or have questions about specific deductions, trying to call the IRS directly can be a nightmare. I spent HOURS on hold last year and never got through. Then I found Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) which got me connected to an actual IRS agent in under 20 minutes when I was worried about reporting some freelance income correctly. They have this system that navigates all the IRS phone menus for you and holds your place in line, then calls you when an agent is actually available. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c Saved me so much frustration and the agent I spoke with gave me confidence I was filing correctly across all my income sources.

I need to eat my words. After posting my skeptical comment earlier, I decided to try Claimyr because I was absolutely desperate to talk to someone at the IRS about my freelance tax situation before filing on multiple platforms. I fully expected it to be a waste of money, but I actually got connected to a real IRS agent in about 27 minutes. The agent helped clarify exactly how I should report income on multiple platforms and confirmed that preparing returns on different software is completely fine as long as I only file once. Still can't believe it worked after spending literally days trying to get through on my own. The peace of mind was worth it since I got official confirmation directly from the IRS.

Another approach is using one of the completely free filing platforms like FreeTaxUSA or Cash App Taxes (formerly Credit Karma Tax) to compare with the paid options. I've found that sometimes the free ones actually give the same or better results than the expensive ones, especially if your tax situation isn't super complicated. Just be aware that each platform has different strengths. TurboTax tends to be more thorough with self-employment stuff in my experience, while H&R Block sometimes catches more education-related deductions. The free ones are surprisingly good too, just sometimes less hand-holdy with the guidance.

Whatever you do, just make sure you're entering EXACTLY the same information in each platform! I tried comparing three different platforms last year and got totally different results, but it was because I accidentally entered some expenses differently or categorized things inconsistently. When I went back and made sure everything matched exactly, the results were much closer. There were still small differences (about $120 between highest and lowest refund), but nothing like the $800+ difference I saw initially when I wasn't being consistent with my inputs.

One thing to watch out for when comparing platforms: some will advertise a big refund upfront but then hit you with fees at the very end of the process. I've had situations where Platform A showed a $50 higher refund than Platform B, but then charged $75 more in filing fees, making it actually worse overall. Make sure you go all the way to the payment screen on each platform to see the TRUE final amount you'll receive after all fees are deducted!

Great question! I've been doing this for years and it's totally allowed. The IRS only cares about the one return you actually submit - they have no visibility into how many different software programs you used to prepare it. I'd definitely recommend trying both TurboTax and H&R Block for your situation since you have both W-2 and freelance income. In my experience, TurboTax tends to be more user-friendly for self-employment stuff and walks you through business deductions really well. H&R Block sometimes catches things differently though. A few tips from someone who does this annually: - Keep a spreadsheet of all your numbers so you enter them exactly the same way in each platform - Don't just look at the refund amount - factor in the filing fees too since they can vary significantly - Pay attention to how each platform categorizes your freelance expenses, as that's usually where the biggest differences show up You're being smart about maximizing your refund. Just remember to only hit "submit" on whichever platform gives you the best net result after fees!