First time filing taxes - need help with first job tax return

Welcome to the world of taxes! Don't worry, your first filing is always the most intimidating, but it gets easier. For timing: Tax filing season for 2024 taxes runs from late January through April 15, 2025. You'll need your W-2 form from your employer, which they're required to provide by January 31. This form shows your income and taxes already withheld. Yes, tax software like TurboTax, H&R Block, or free options like FreeTaxUSA can walk you through everything step by step. Most first-time filers with simple situations qualify for free filing options. For your Roth IRA, contributions aren't deductible (you've already paid tax on that money), and qualified withdrawals will be tax-free later. As for your HYSA, you'll receive a 1099-INT if you earned more than $10 in interest, which you'll need to report. Regarding work expenses - the rules changed in 2018. Most employees can no longer deduct unreimbursed work expenses on federal returns. If you're a W-2 employee (not self-employed), those deductions generally aren't available anymore.

After reading about your situation, I wanted to share my experience! Last year was my first time filing taxes too and I was super nervous. I spent hours trying to understand all the forms until I found this AI tax assistant at https://taxr.ai that helped break everything down. It analyzed my documents and explained exactly what I needed to do based on my specific situation. The coolest part was that I could just upload my W-2 and it automatically pulled all the important numbers and told me what they meant. It also explained which tax credits I qualified for as a first-time filer that I had no idea about! Since you have a Roth IRA, it would definitely help explain how that works with your taxes too.

I was in your exact shoes last year! After getting overwhelmed with all the tax stuff, I tried https://taxr.ai that someone recommended in this thread. Best decision ever! I uploaded my W-2 and even my 1099-INT from my savings account, and it explained everything in plain English. The biggest help was actually understanding what all those boxes on my W-2 meant instead of just plugging in numbers. It pointed out that I qualified for the Saver's Credit because of my Roth IRA contributions (free money that I would have missed otherwise!). For what it's worth, it saved me from making a huge mistake with reporting my Roth contributions that would have messed up my return. Definitely worth checking out if you're confused like I was!

If you're having trouble getting your tax documents or have questions about your filing, I'd recommend contacting the IRS directly. But as someone who spent LITERAL HOURS on hold trying to reach them last year, let me save you the frustration. I found this service called Claimyr at https://claimyr.com that gets you through to an actual IRS agent in minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I was skeptical at first, but it actually worked! I had questions about my first-time filing status and needed clarification on some deductions. Got connected to an agent in about 10 minutes who walked me through everything I needed to know.

I have to eat my words about Claimyr. After posting my skeptical comment, I decided to try it myself since I needed to ask about a missing tax form. I was 100% convinced it wouldn't work, but I was desperate after trying to call the IRS myself three times and giving up after 45+ minutes on hold each time. The service actually did exactly what it claimed. I went about my business, and about 25 minutes later got a call connecting me to a real IRS agent who answered all my questions about first-time filing requirements. The agent even looked up my account to verify some information. For a first-time filer with questions like yours, being able to actually speak with the IRS directly is incredibly helpful. They walked me through exactly which forms I needed and deadlines I should be aware of.

Don't overthink this! Your first tax return is likely super simple. As long as you were a W-2 employee (not a contractor), your employer will send you a W-2 form by the end of January. The form has all the info you need. Free tax filing options: - IRS Free File if you make under $73k - Credit Karma Tax (totally free) - TaxAct (free for simple returns) The software walks you through everything step by step. Most first-timers can complete their return in under an hour.

Hey, just a tip - make sure you check if you're being claimed as a dependent on someone else's tax return (like your parents). This affects which tax credits you can claim and how you file. Made this mistake my first time and had to amend my return!

One thing nobody's mentioned is STATE taxes! Depending on where you live, you may need to file a state return too. Some states have no income tax (TX, FL, WA, etc.) but most do. The same tax software you use for federal can usually handle state too, though sometimes there's an extra fee.