First time tax filer looking for help & guidance for 2025 filing
Guys I'm seriously overwhelmed right now. Just turned 18 last month and I'm completely lost about filing taxes for the first time. I worked two jobs this year - one at a coffee shop where I made around $14,300 (they took taxes out of my paychecks) and then I did some freelance graphic design stuff for about $3,800 where nothing was taken out. My parents always filed jointly and claimed me as a dependent before, but now they're saying I need to file on my own since I made "too much money" this year. I have no idea where to even start! Do I need to file federal AND state taxes? Will I owe a ton for that freelance work? My friend mentioned something about a 1099 form but I never got one from the people I did design for. Also, I'm starting college next fall - does that change anything with my taxes? I'm literally so confused and don't want to mess this up and get in trouble with the IRS or something. Any help would be seriously appreciated!!
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Amun-Ra Azra
Welcome to the world of adulting! Filing taxes for the first time can definitely feel intimidating, but you've got this. First, yes - you'll need to file both federal and state taxes since you had income. For your coffee shop job, they should provide you with a W-2 form by the end of January showing your earnings and what was withheld. For your freelance work, even if you didn't receive a 1099 form, you still need to report that income on Schedule C as self-employment income. The freelance income will be subject to self-employment tax (about 15.3%) plus regular income tax. Since no taxes were withheld from those payments, you'll likely owe some money there. Starting college doesn't immediately change your current tax situation, but keep track of education expenses for next year as there are education credits you might qualify for. Don't worry about getting in trouble - the fact that you're asking questions shows you're trying to do the right thing! I'd recommend using a free tax filing software like FreeTaxUSA or even IRS Free File to guide you through the process.
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Summer Green
•What if they made less than $400 in freelance work? I heard there's some threshold where you don't have to report it? Also is it too late to put some money into a retirement account to lower what they might owe??
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Amun-Ra Azra
•The $400 threshold applies to when you have to pay self-employment tax, but technically all income should be reported regardless of amount. However, in this case they made $3,800 in freelance income, which definitely exceeds that threshold. You can actually contribute to an IRA until the tax filing deadline (usually April 15th) and have it count for the previous tax year. So yes, opening and funding a traditional IRA could reduce their taxable income if they qualify. For 2025, they could contribute up to $7,000 or their total earned income, whichever is less.
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Gael Robinson
Hey there! I was in a similar situation last year - totally overwhelmed by filing my first tax return with both W-2 and freelance income. I ended up using https://taxr.ai and it was literally a game changer. All I did was upload pictures of my tax forms and it analyzed everything, showed me all the deductions I could take for my freelance work (like part of my phone bill, software subscriptions, etc.) and walked me through the whole process. The best part was that it explained everything in normal human language instead of confusing tax jargon. I ended up getting a way bigger refund than I expected because of all the business expenses it helped me claim that I didn't even know were deductible!
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Edward McBride
•Does it handle state taxes too? I've used other tax software before but they always charge extra for state filing which is annoying.
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Darcy Moore
•How does it compare to something like TurboTax? I've heard those big companies hide their free options and try to upsell you constantly. Does taxr.ai do the same thing with surprise fees at the end?
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Gael Robinson
•Yes, it definitely handles state taxes! It automatically determines which state forms you need based on your information and includes them without any separate charges. It's actually much more straightforward than TurboTax and those other big companies. There aren't any hidden fees or surprise charges at the end. What you see is what you get, and they're super transparent throughout the process. No upselling or trying to trick you into premium versions - it just focuses on getting your taxes done correctly and maximizing your refund.
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Darcy Moore
Just wanted to update everyone - I decided to try taxr.ai after asking about it here and WOW it was honestly so much easier than I expected. It basically held my hand through the whole process and found like $840 in deductions from my side gig that I had no clue about! It even explained how to handle not having a 1099 form from my clients (turns out it's not a big deal). For a first-time filer with both W-2 and self-employment income, it made everything super clear. Definitely recommend for anyone in a similar situation. I was freaking out about owing a ton in taxes but ended up with a decent refund!
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Dana Doyle
If you're planning to call the IRS with questions (which might be a good idea for a first-time filer), I'd highly recommend using https://claimyr.com to get through. I spent HOURS trying to reach someone at the IRS last month and kept getting disconnected or told to call back later. I was super skeptical but tried Claimyr after seeing it recommended on Reddit, and they actually got me connected to an IRS agent in about 20 minutes instead of the usual endless hold times. There's a video that shows how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The IRS agent I spoke with was surprisingly helpful and answered all my questions about reporting income without a 1099 and what deductions I qualified for. Saved me a ton of stress!
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Liam Duke
•Wait, how does this actually work? Does it just call and wait on hold for you? I'm confused how a service can get you through faster than just calling yourself.
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Manny Lark
•Sounds like a scam tbh. The IRS phone system is the same for everyone. There's no "skip the line" service that's legitimate. They probably just connect you to some random person pretending to be IRS.
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Dana Doyle
•It basically uses an automated system to navigate the IRS phone menus and wait on hold for you. When an actual IRS agent picks up, you get a call connecting you directly to them. So you don't have to waste hours listening to hold music - they just call you when a real person is on the line. I was skeptical too, but it's actually legitimate. You're still talking to real IRS agents through the official IRS phone system. They just handle the waiting part for you. I double-checked everything the agent told me on the IRS website after the call, and it was all accurate official information. It's not a shortcut - you're still in the same queue as everyone else, but you don't have to actively wait on the phone.
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Manny Lark
I have to admit I was wrong about Claimyr. After posting that skeptical comment, I decided to try it myself since I had some questions about my student loan interest deduction that I couldn't find clear answers to online. It actually worked exactly as described. I got a call back in about 35 minutes, and I was connected to a real IRS agent who verified my identity and everything. The agent walked me through exactly what forms I needed and how to properly claim my education credits. Saved me hours of frustration and probably prevented me from making mistakes on my return. Sometimes it's worth admitting when you're wrong, and in this case, I definitely was!
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Rita Jacobs
One thing nobody mentioned yet - keep track of ALL your expenses related to your freelance work! As a self-employed person, you can deduct: - Portion of your phone bill used for business - Any design software subscriptions - Computer equipment (partially) - Home office space (if you have a dedicated area) - Marketing expenses - Website costs I learned this the hard way my first year freelancing and missed out on tons of deductions. Start a simple spreadsheet now to track everything!
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Harold Oh
•What about stuff I already bought last year? Can I still claim those expenses even if I don't have all the receipts anymore?
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Rita Jacobs
•You can absolutely claim expenses from last year even without receipts, though having some documentation is always better. Bank or credit card statements showing the purchases can work as backup. The IRS doesn't require receipts for expenses under $75 (though it's still good practice to keep them). For bigger purchases like a computer or equipment, definitely try to find some proof of purchase. Remember you can only deduct the percentage used for business - so if your laptop is 60% for freelance work and 40% personal, you'd deduct 60% of the cost. Start keeping better records now for this year!
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Khalid Howes
quick question - if your parents are still providing more than half your support (like paying for housing, food, etc) can they still claim you as a dependent even if you file your own taxes? my situation is similar to OP's.
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Amun-Ra Azra
•Yes! This is a common misunderstanding. You can file your own tax return AND still be claimed as a dependent on your parents' return if you meet the criteria (which includes them providing more than half your support). The key thing is that if you're claimed as a dependent, you can't claim your own personal exemption. But you still need to file your own return if you meet the income thresholds, which it sounds like you do.
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