Does FreeTaxUSA allow free amendment filing for Federal returns?

Do you know if I'd have to pay the state filing fee again too if I amended? I paid $14.99 for state filing already, and I don't want to get hit with another state fee just to fix my federal return.

You only need to pay for the Deluxe upgrade to amend your federal return. If you need to amend your state return too, you would need to pay the state filing fee again, which is separate from the Deluxe upgrade fee. The state amendment fee is typically the same as the original state filing fee. If you're only amending your federal return and not your state return, then you just need the Deluxe upgrade fee of $7.99.

How accurate is taxr.ai? I'm worried about trusting some random website with my tax info. Like, do actual tax pros review the documents or is it just some AI thing?

Does it work for more complicated returns? I'm self-employed and have multiple 1099s plus rental income. FreeTaxUSA handles it fine but I'm worried about messing up an amendment.

They use a combination of AI and tax professionals to review documents. I was skeptical at first too, but their security is really solid - they explain all of it when you sign up. My documents were reviewed within a day and I got clear guidance. For self-employed situations with multiple income sources, that's actually where they seem to excel. My friend is a freelancer with three 1099s and rental income too, and they helped identify some deductions he missed that FreeTaxUSA didn't prompt him about. They can analyze the full return and pinpoint exactly what needs amendment versus what doesn't.

How does this actually work? Like, they somehow jump the phone queue for you? That seems too good to be true with IRS wait times.

Sounds like a scam honestly. Why would anyone be able to get through IRS phone lines faster than just calling directly? The IRS doesn't have a "fast pass" system like Disney World lol.

They use a system that keeps dialing and navigating the IRS phone tree automatically until it connects, then they call you when an agent is on the line. You don't have to sit there listening to hold music for hours - you just get a call when an actual human at the IRS is ready to talk. It's basically just automating the horrible wait process. No, it's not a "fast pass" - they're just handling the tedious part of waiting on hold so you don't have to. The system keeps trying different connections until it gets through. When I used it, I was skeptical too but got connected in about 25 minutes when I had previously wasted hours trying myself.

Did you have to re-enter all your tax info again or did it pull from your original return? I'm worried about having to start over from scratch.

You don't have to re-enter everything! FreeTaxUSA pulls all the information from your original return, and then you just make the specific changes needed for the amendment. It walks you through what sections need updating and then shows you the differences between the original and amended return. It also generates the proper 1040-X form showing the original amounts, the amended amounts, and the differences. Much easier than I expected it to be.

Free Fillable Forms are great if you're tax-savvy, but be careful! I tried using them for an amendment last year and accidentally used the wrong year's form. The IRS rejected it after 6 weeks and I had to start over. The interface is pretty bare-bones.

That's really good advice about checking whether an amendment is actually necessary first! I think a lot of people (myself included) panic when we realize we forgot something and assume we need to file an amendment right away. Could you give some examples of what kinds of "mistakes" typically don't require amendments? I'm in a similar situation where I think I might have missed reporting some small freelance income (under $100), and I'm wondering if that's something the IRS would just correct automatically or if I really need to go through the amendment process. It would be great to know before I start exploring all these different software options if I might not even need to amend in the first place!

Great question! Generally, for small amounts of unreported income (like your under $100 freelance situation), the IRS will often just send you a CP2000 notice showing the discrepancy and the additional tax owed, rather than requiring you to file an amendment. This typically happens when they receive 1099s that don't match what you reported. However, there are some situations where you should definitely amend proactively: - If the unreported income would change your filing status or eligibility for credits - If you're claiming deductions that offset the income (like business expenses) - If the total unreported income across all sources is significant (generally over $400 for self-employment) For your $100 freelance income, if it was reported on a 1099-NEC or 1099-MISC, the IRS likely already knows about it and will send you a correction notice. You'd just pay the additional tax and interest rather than going through the amendment process. But if you want to be proactive and avoid the interest charges, you could still choose to amend. The taxr.ai service mentioned earlier in this thread might be helpful for getting a professional opinion on whether your specific situation requires an amendment!

Great question about what kinds of mistakes don't require amendments! Generally, for small amounts like your under $100 freelance income, the IRS often handles these through automated matching rather than requiring you to amend. Here are some examples of situations that typically DON'T need amendments: - Bank interest under $10 (often ignored by IRS) - Small freelance income under $400 (below self-employment tax threshold) - Minor math errors (IRS recalculates automatically) - Forgotten bank interest that was already reported on 1099-INT to IRS However, if you received a 1099-MISC for that freelance income, you should probably report it since the IRS has a record of it being paid to you. The good news is that $100 in freelance income likely won't change your tax liability much, especially if you're employed elsewhere. You could try calling the IRS to ask, but given the wait times mentioned in this thread, you might want to use that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier to get through to them quickly. They can give you definitive guidance on whether your specific situation requires an amendment.

Great question! Generally, the IRS will automatically correct small discrepancies and send you a notice rather than requiring an amendment. This typically includes: - Bank interest under $10 (as Andre mentioned) - Small amounts of freelance income under $600 where you didn't receive a 1099 - Minor math errors or calculation mistakes - Missing or incorrect Social Security numbers that they can verify from other sources For your situation with under $100 in freelance income, if you didn't receive a 1099-NEC for it, the IRS likely won't catch it unless it's reported by the payer. However, if you did receive a 1099 (even for a small amount), you should probably amend since the IRS will be expecting that income to be reported. When in doubt, you could try one of those services mentioned earlier like taxr.ai or use Claimyr to actually speak with an IRS agent about whether your specific situation requires an amendment. Sometimes a quick call can save you time and money compared to going through the amendment process unnecessarily!