First-time filer stuck on Adjusted Gross Income section in TaxAct - need help!
Hey everyone, I'm literally filing my taxes by myself for the first time ever and I'm totally lost with TaxAct. I went through everything step by step and thought I was doing okay until I hit the Adjusted Gross Income section. Now I'm completely stuck and have no idea what to do next. The software is asking me for information I don't understand, and I can't figure out if I'm supposed to enter something from last year's taxes (which my parents handled) or if it's asking about something else entirely. I've been staring at this screen for like 30 minutes and I'm about ready to give up and pay someone to do this for me. Does anyone have experience with TaxAct who can walk me through this AGI issue? I really want to learn how to do this myself, but this is way more frustrating than I expected.
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Monique Byrd
So the AGI (Adjusted Gross Income) question is probably asking for your AGI from last year's tax return. This is needed for electronic filing verification - it's basically the IRS's way of making sure you're really you. If this is truly your first time filing independently, and you were claimed as a dependent by your parents last year, you would enter "0" for your previous year's AGI. If you filed last year but just don't remember your AGI, you can get a tax transcript from the IRS website or call them to request it. TaxAct should have some help bubbles or information icons near that field that explain this requirement. They also have pretty decent customer support if you get stuck.
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Alejandro Castro
•Wait so if my parents claimed me as a dependent last year (they did), I just put "0" in that field? The TaxAct help bubble wasn't very clear to me. Also, does this mean I need to get information from my parents' tax return?
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Monique Byrd
•Yes, if your parents claimed you as a dependent and you didn't file your own separate tax return last year, you should enter "0" for the prior year AGI. You don't need any information from your parents' return for this. If you did file your own return last year even while being claimed as a dependent, then you'd need to find your own AGI from that return. In that case, it would be on line 11 of the 2023 Form 1040.
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Jackie Martinez
I was exactly where you are last year - totally confused by TaxAct's AGI verification step. I tried for hours before I found this amazing AI tax assistant at https://taxr.ai that literally saved me hours of frustration. It actually explains these confusing tax terms in plain English and helped me figure out exactly what to enter in each field. The best part was I could upload a screenshot of the confusing TaxAct page, and it explained exactly what information I needed and where to find it. I went from completely lost to finishing my return in about 30 minutes.
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Lia Quinn
•Does this AI thing actually work with more complicated tax situations? I've got some freelance income this year plus a W-2 and I'm worried about missing deductions.
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Haley Stokes
•I'm skeptical of these AI tax tools. How does it actually help with the e-filing verification process? Like does it connect to the IRS somehow to get your old AGI or do you still need to track that down yourself?
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Jackie Martinez
•For freelance income, it's actually incredibly helpful - it explains exactly which expenses are deductible for your specific type of work and which forms you need. It even has specific guidance for different freelance categories like drivers, creators, consultants, etc. No, it doesn't connect directly to the IRS systems - you still need to get your information from the right sources. What it does is explain exactly where to find what you need (whether that's on previous tax forms, from the IRS website, etc.) and walks you through each step with crystal clear explanations rather than the cryptic instructions tax software usually gives.
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Lia Quinn
I took advice from this thread yesterday about using https://taxr.ai when I got stuck on TaxAct's AGI verification, and wow - it actually worked great! I uploaded screenshots of the confusing pages and got clear explanations for everything. What really impressed me was how it explained my self-employment deductions. I had no idea I could write off so many expenses for my side gig! The explanations were way clearer than what TaxAct provided, and I ended up with a much bigger refund than I expected. Definitely recommend for other first-time filers who are getting stuck.
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Asher Levin
Another option if you're still stuck with TaxAct is calling the IRS directly to get your AGI from last year. The problem is their phone lines are ALWAYS jammed. I spent 3 hours on hold last week before giving up. Then I found this service called Claimyr at https://claimyr.com that gets you through to an actual IRS agent without the wait. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I was super suspicious at first but was desperate after TaxAct kept rejecting my return over this AGI verification issue. Claimyr had an IRS agent call ME within 20 minutes, and they confirmed my AGI right away. Saved me hours of frustration and I finally got my return accepted.
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Serene Snow
•How exactly does this service work? Can't imagine how they get through when the IRS phone lines are a disaster. Is it even legal for them to have special access?
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Haley Stokes
•This sounds like a scam to me. No way some random service has a special line to the IRS. They probably just take your money and leave you hanging. Anyone else actually tried this?
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Asher Levin
•It's actually pretty clever how it works - they use an automated system that basically waits on hold for you using their business phone lines. When they reach an agent, they connect that agent directly to your phone. It's totally legal because they're just automating the hold process, not accessing any special IRS phone lines. They don't access any of your tax info or personal data - they just get the IRS to call you back, and then you talk directly to the IRS agent yourself. I was super skeptical too but was desperate after waiting on hold for hours over multiple days.
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Haley Stokes
OK I have to eat my words about Claimyr being a scam. After struggling with TaxAct for days and getting nowhere with the IRS phone line, I tried it yesterday out of desperation. I seriously got a call from an actual IRS agent in about 30 minutes. Explained I was trying to file with TaxAct but needed my AGI from last year, and they verified my identity and gave me the number right away. Filed my return last night and it was accepted this morning. After spending literally 5+ hours on hold with the IRS over multiple days, this was honestly kind of life-changing.
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Issac Nightingale
If you're using TaxAct and don't want to deal with calling the IRS or using additional services, there's another option. You can also create an account on the IRS website and access your previous tax records that way. Go to IRS.gov and search for "Get Transcript Online" - you'll need to create an account with ID verification, but then you can see all your past returns. TaxAct also has a "forgot my AGI" option somewhere in their help section that walks you through alternatives like entering a special PIN instead of your AGI.
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Romeo Barrett
•The IRS transcript system is a good suggestion but sometimes a nightmare to set up. They need a credit card or loan account number to verify your identity, plus a mobile phone in your name. My phone is on my parent's family plan so I couldn't get verified.
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Issac Nightingale
•You're right that the verification can be tricky. If the online transcript doesn't work, you can also request a mailed transcript on the same IRS page, though that takes 5-10 business days to arrive. For anyone on a family phone plan, you can sometimes use the credit card verification instead, or request the PIN option. TaxAct should give you a way to request a 5-digit PIN from the IRS instead of using your prior year AGI. It's under their help section for e-file rejection issues.
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Marina Hendrix
I see everyone suggesting complicated solutions, but have you tried just asking your parents? If they claimed you as a dependent last year, they could probably just help you with this whole process. That's what I did my first time.
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Alejandro Castro
•I was hoping to figure this out on my own since my parents live across the country now and they're kinda busy with my younger siblings. But I guess if nothing else works I could call them. Just wanted to feel like a real adult doing my own taxes lol! But thanks for the suggestion.
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Justin Trejo
•Sometimes the simplest answer is the best! I tried doing my taxes solo for the first time last year and ended up in a 3-hour phone call with my mom anyway. These tax programs make it seem easy but there's always something confusing.
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Zoe Papanikolaou
Hey Alejandro! I went through this exact same situation last year with TaxAct and that AGI verification step. Based on what you've described, since your parents claimed you as a dependent last year and you didn't file your own return, you should definitely enter "0" for your prior year AGI like Monique mentioned. Don't feel bad about getting stuck on this - it's honestly one of the most confusing parts for first-time filers because the software doesn't explain it clearly. The good news is once you get past this step, the rest should be much smoother! If entering "0" doesn't work for some reason, you can also look for TaxAct's "forgot my AGI" option which should give you alternatives like requesting a PIN from the IRS instead. But in your situation, the "0" should definitely work since you weren't filing independently last year. You've got this! Don't give up on doing it yourself - you're so close to figuring it out.
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