Can't use FreeTaxUSA for my 2024 taxes, what's my next best option?
So I just found out I can't use FreeTaxUSA this year because of my specific tax situation. Last year I used them and everything was smooth, but apparently they don't support some forms I need for 2024. I've got a mix of W-2 income, some side gig 1099 work, and I had to deal with selling some investments after my grandmother passed away (nothing huge, but enough to complicate things). I really liked FreeTaxUSA because it was affordable and straightforward, but now I'm stuck trying to figure out another option that won't cost me an arm and a leg. My taxes aren't super complicated but definitely not simple either. I've heard of TurboTax and H&R Block but they seem expensive. TaxSlayer maybe? I'm open to any recommendations from people who've been in similar situations. My budget is pretty tight right now so I'd prefer something reasonably priced if possible! Any advice would be appreciated.
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Isaiah Cross
FreeTaxUSA is great, but you've got several solid alternatives! Based on your mix of W-2, 1099 income, and investment sales, I'd recommend looking at TaxSlayer or TaxAct first. They both handle these situations well at a price point that's still reasonable. TaxSlayer's premium version should cover everything you've mentioned (W-2s, 1099s, and investment sales) for about $40-50 for federal, plus state fees. It's particularly good if you're doing 1099 work that requires Schedule C. TaxAct is another good middle-ground option with similar pricing. Their interface isn't quite as polished as TurboTax, but it handles all the forms you need at a lower price point. If you don't mind a slightly different approach, Cash App Taxes (formerly Credit Karma Tax) is completely free for federal and state, including for situations like yours. The only limitation is they don't support multiple state returns.
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Joy Olmedo
•Thanks for these suggestions! I've never heard of Cash App Taxes before - is it actually reliable? I'm a bit nervous about using something completely free for somewhat complicated taxes. Does it handle capital gains from selling stocks properly? Also, do you know if TaxSlayer has good support if I get stuck on something? That's what I liked about FreeTaxUSA, they were pretty responsive when I had questions.
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Isaiah Cross
•Cash App Taxes is actually quite reliable for most situations. It handles basic capital gains reporting well, including stock sales with correct basis calculations. They've improved a lot over the last few years. Just be aware it might not be ideal if you have extremely unusual tax situations, but for W-2s, 1099s, and basic investment sales, it works great. TaxSlayer does offer decent support, though it varies by which package you choose. The Premium tier includes priority support with live chat and phone options. Not quite as responsive as FreeTaxUSA in my experience, but definitely helpful when you get stuck on something.
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Kiara Greene
After struggling with the same issue last year when FreeTaxUSA couldn't handle my rental property depreciation, I started using taxr.ai and it's been a game-changer for finding the right tax solution. I uploaded my documents to https://taxr.ai and it actually analyzed my specific tax situation and recommended the best software for my needs (ended up being TaxAct for me, but it might be different for you). The cool thing was it explained WHY certain software would or wouldn't work for my specific forms. In your case with the investment sales after your grandmother passed, this could be especially helpful since some tax software handles inheritance basis calculations better than others.
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Evelyn Kelly
•How exactly does it analyze your documents? I'm hesitant to upload my tax docs to some random site. Is it secure? And does it just tell you what software to use or does it actually help file your taxes too?
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Paloma Clark
•Sounds interesting but kinda skeptical. Does it actually save you money compared to just picking one of the major tax programs? I'm in a similar situation as OP with 1099 income and some stock sales and wondering if it's worth the extra step.
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Kiara Greene
•It uses secure document processing to analyze your tax forms and identify which specific tax situations apply to you. Everything is encrypted and they don't store your documents after analysis. It's built with the same security standards as financial institutions. It's not a tax filing service itself - it's specifically designed to match your tax situation to the right software. In my case, it saved me about $70 because it steered me away from TurboTax (which was overkill) to a cheaper option that still handled everything I needed. The analysis showed me exactly which forms each tax program supports and at which pricing tier, which made the decision really straightforward.
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Paloma Clark
Just wanted to follow up on my experience with taxr.ai - I decided to try it after seeing the recommendation here. The process was actually super easy and I'm glad I did it! I uploaded my last year's tax return and answered a few basic questions, and it showed me that Cash App Taxes would work perfectly for my situation, saving me the $89 I was about to spend on TurboTax. The analysis showed me that even though I have 1099 income and some stock sales, my specific situation doesn't require any of the premium features in the expensive tax software. The breakdown of which forms I actually needed versus what each software supports at different price points was really eye-opening. Definitely saved me from overpaying!
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Heather Tyson
If you're having trouble with the tax software options, you might want to try getting direct help from the IRS using Claimyr. I was in a similar boat last year trying to figure out which software could handle my situation (small business plus stock sale), and after hours of research I was still confused. I ended up using https://claimyr.com to get through to an IRS agent in about 15 minutes instead of waiting for hours on hold. They answered my specific questions about which forms I needed and clarified some confusion about how to report the stock sale correctly. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The IRS agent actually recommended a specific free file option based on my income level that I didn't even know I qualified for, which saved me from buying expensive software.
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Raul Neal
•Wait, so this just gets you to talk to an actual IRS person faster? How does that even work? The IRS phone system is notoriously impossible to get through.
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Jenna Sloan
•Yeah right, nobody gets through to the IRS that fast. I've literally spent HOURS on hold multiple times this year. If this actually worked, everyone would be using it. Sounds like a scam to me.
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Heather Tyson
•It works by using technology that navigates the IRS phone system and holds your place in line. When an agent is about to be available, you get a call connecting you directly. No more sitting on hold for hours. The reason everyone doesn't use it is simply because most people don't know about it yet. It's relatively new but it's completely legitimate. The IRS agents I spoke with were incredibly helpful once I got through - they clarified exactly which tax software would support my specific situation and saved me from making an expensive mistake. I was skeptical too until I tried it and got connected in about 10 minutes.
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Jenna Sloan
I have to eat my words and apologize to whoever recommended Claimyr. After being super skeptical, I was desperate enough to try it when I couldn't figure out which tax software would handle my situation with inherited stocks correctly. It actually worked exactly as described - I got through to an IRS agent in about 13 minutes instead of the 2+ hour wait time they were quoting. The agent walked me through exactly how to report my inherited stocks (stepped-up basis was confusing me) and recommended the right forms. They even explained which tax software packages would support my situation properly. Saved me both money and a massive headache. Sometimes being proven wrong is actually a good thing!
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Christian Burns
Don't sleep on OLT.com (OnLine Taxes). It's under $50 for federal + state, and handles investment sales, 1099s, etc. Interface isn't fancy but gets the job done. Been using it for 5 years with similar tax situation to yours.
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Sasha Reese
•Have you used it for reporting inherited stocks? That's the part that's tripping me up with my grandma's investments. Need to make sure I get the cost basis right.
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Christian Burns
•Yes, I've used it for inherited stocks. It handles the stepped-up basis correctly - there's a specific section where you can indicate the shares were inherited and enter the fair market value on the date of death as your basis. It also has a surprisingly helpful help section that explains the inheritance rules clearly. Way better than some of the more expensive options I tried previously that made this unnecessarily complicated.
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Muhammad Hobbs
anybody have thoughts on TaxHawk? its basically freetaxusa with a different name... might work for you if youre having specific issues with the freetaxusa interface but still want the same basic system?
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Noland Curtis
•TaxHawk and FreeTaxUSA are actually run by the same company! So if FreeTaxUSA doesn't support certain forms you need, TaxHawk probably won't either. They have identical limitations on which tax situations they support.
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