Does FreeTaxUSA allow free amendment filing for Federal returns?
Hey tax folks, I'm trying to figure out if I can amend my Federal return using FreeTaxUSA's free version. I already filed my taxes for 2024 but realized I forgot to include some stuff. I can't seem to find any clear info on their website about whether amendments are included in their free tier or if you need to upgrade to Deluxe or Pro. I'm hoping to avoid paying for an upgrade if possible since the original filing was free. Has anyone done an amendment with FreeTaxUSA recently who can tell me if it's included in the free version? Their site is weirdly vague about this specific feature. Thanks for any info you can share!
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Sean Kelly
FreeTaxUSA's free version does NOT include free amendments to your Federal return. You need to upgrade to the Deluxe version to get the amendment feature. The amendment feature costs $7.99 as part of the Deluxe package, which also includes priority support and audit assistance. If you only filed using the free version initially, you'll need to pay for the upgrade to amend. However, $7.99 is still much cheaper than most other tax software amendment fees which typically run $30-50.
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Zara Mirza
•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.
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Sean Kelly
•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.
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Luca Russo
I was in the same boat last year and discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) after struggling with the same FreeTaxUSA amendment confusion. I was about to pay for the Deluxe version when a friend told me about this service. They analyzed my tax documents and actually found that I didn't need to file an amendment at all - just needed to wait for the IRS to send a correction notice! Saved me from unnecessarily paying for the amendment and potentially making things worse.
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Nia Harris
•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?
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GalaxyGazer
•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.
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Luca Russo
•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.
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GalaxyGazer
Just wanted to update after trying taxr.ai from the recommendation above. Holy crap - they saved me from making a huge mistake! I was about to amend my return to add a 1099 I found late, but they showed me it was actually for 2023, not 2024! Would have created a total mess with the IRS. Their document review caught what I completely missed, and now I know to include it on next year's return instead. Their interface was super simple to use too.
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Mateo Sanchez
If you're trying to contact the IRS to ask about whether you even need to amend, good luck getting through on the phone... I spent 3 hours on hold last week before giving up. Then I found Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) through a YouTube video (https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c) and they got me connected to an IRS agent in under 30 minutes. The agent confirmed I needed to amend but gave me specific guidance on what forms to include. Saved me hours of frustration!
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Aisha Mahmood
•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.
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Ethan Moore
•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.
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Mateo Sanchez
•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.
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Ethan Moore
I owe everyone an apology. I was the skeptic above who called Claimyr a scam, but I was desperate to talk to the IRS about my amendment situation so I tried it anyway. IT ACTUALLY WORKS! I got a call back in 33 minutes with an IRS agent already on the line. The agent confirmed exactly what I needed to do with my FreeTaxUSA amendment. I'm honestly shocked this service exists and that it worked so well. Totally worth it just for the time saved!
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Yuki Kobayashi
Just to add my experience - I amended through FreeTaxUSA last year and yes, you definitely need the Deluxe version for amendments. But honestly it was still the easiest/cheapest option compared to TurboTax which wanted to charge me $60+ for the privilege of fixing my own mistake! The FreeTaxUSA amendment process was pretty straightforward once I paid for the upgrade.
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Carmen Vega
•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.
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Yuki Kobayashi
•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.
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QuantumQuester
What about using the IRS Free File Fillable Forms instead? They're free and you can file amendments without paying anything. Downside is there's no guidance, but if you know what you're doing it works fine.
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Andre Moreau
•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.
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Ruby Knight
Another option to consider is TaxAct - their amendment feature is included in their free version for simple returns. I used it last year when I forgot to include a small 1099-INT and it worked great. No upgrade fees required like with FreeTaxUSA. However, if your return is more complex (like if you itemize deductions or have business income), you'd still need to pay for their premium version. But for basic amendments like adding forgotten interest income or correcting filing status, their free tier handles it just fine. The interface walks you through the amendment process step by step. Worth checking out before paying for FreeTaxUSA's Deluxe upgrade, especially if your amendment is straightforward!
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Ethan Clark
•This is really helpful info about TaxAct! I had no idea their free version included amendments for simple returns. Just to clarify - when you say "simple returns," does that include things like standard deduction with W-2 and maybe a couple 1099s? I'm trying to add a 1099-MISC I forgot about, so this could save me the FreeTaxUSA upgrade fee if TaxAct's free tier can handle it.
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Salim Nasir
•Yes, exactly! TaxAct's free tier handles standard deduction returns with W-2s and various 1099 forms (including 1099-MISC) just fine for amendments. I was in almost the exact same situation - forgot a 1099-MISC from some freelance work and was able to amend through their free version without any issues. The process was pretty smooth too. You just log back into your TaxAct account, select "Amend Return," and it pulls up your original return data. Then you add the missing 1099-MISC info and it automatically generates the 1040-X form showing the changes. Definitely worth trying before paying for FreeTaxUSA's upgrade!
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Zadie Patel
Thanks everyone for all the helpful info! I'm in a similar situation and was dreading having to pay for an upgrade. Based on what I'm reading here, it sounds like I have a few options: 1. Pay for FreeTaxUSA Deluxe ($7.99) - seems reliable but costs money 2. Try TaxAct's free amendment feature - could save money if my return qualifies 3. Use the IRS Free File Fillable Forms - free but risky if you're not confident I think I'll try the TaxAct route first since my amendment is pretty simple (just adding a forgotten 1099-INT). If that doesn't work out, I'll bite the bullet and pay for the FreeTaxUSA upgrade. One question though - if I start the amendment process with TaxAct but then need to switch back to FreeTaxUSA, will that create any issues with having multiple amendment attempts in the system?
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LongPeri
•Good question about multiple amendment attempts! As long as you don't actually submit/file an amendment with TaxAct, just exploring their system won't create any issues. The IRS only sees what you actually file, not what you start but don't complete. If you do file with TaxAct but then realize you need to make additional changes, you'd technically be filing a second amendment (amending your amendment), which is possible but creates more paperwork. So I'd recommend being thorough with whichever service you choose the first time. Your plan sounds solid though - TaxAct first for the free option, then FreeTaxUSA as backup. For a simple 1099-INT addition, TaxAct's free version should definitely handle it without any problems!
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