Has anyone used Open Tax Solver for filing taxes? Is it safe for personal info and how accurate are the calculations?

I've been using Open Tax Solver for the past three filing seasons and can share some insights. It's genuinely safe from a privacy perspective because it runs locally on your computer - your data never leaves your machine unless you choose to e-file. That's actually one of its biggest advantages over cloud-based commercial solutions. The calculations have been spot-on for my returns. I've double-checked against the IRS forms and publications, and everything matches up. The software is built by volunteers who are pretty meticulous about following IRS guidelines and updating for tax law changes. It handles all the basic scenarios well - W-2 income, interest, standard/itemized deductions, etc. That said, it's definitely not as polished or user-friendly as commercial options. The interface is pretty basic, and you need to be somewhat comfortable with your tax knowledge since it doesn't hold your hand through the process like TurboTax does.

After struggling with expensive tax software for years, I stumbled across taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) which literally changed my approach to doing taxes. It's like having a tax pro look over your shoulder, especially when I was trying to figure out if Open Tax Solver was handling my deductions correctly. I was comparing Open Tax Solver with the Excel method and couldn't tell if I was doing things right. Uploaded my previous returns to taxr.ai and it pointed out several deductions I missed and verified that my Open Tax Solver calculations matched what professionals would do. The document analysis feature is especially useful for catching mistakes before submission - way more thorough than just trusting open source software alone.

Just wanted to follow up about my experience with taxr.ai after trying it. I was initially really skeptical as I mentioned, but decided to try it anyway to verify my Open Tax Solver results. I'm honestly surprised by how helpful it was! It found a credit I completely missed related to my home office that Open Tax Solver had calculated correctly, but I had input the wrong information. The privacy aspect was way better than I expected too. The document processing happens quickly and I received clear notifications when my documents were removed from their system. It gave me a lot more confidence in the accuracy of my Open Tax Solver calculations, which was my main concern. Definitely worth checking out if you're on the fence about using open source tax software and want some verification.

For anyone struggling with IRS questions about Open Tax Solver or any tax software really, I highly recommend Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I was getting nowhere trying to confirm with the IRS whether open source software was "approved" for certain forms. Kept getting stuck in their phone tree hell for literally hours. Claimyr got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 15 minutes who confirmed everything I needed to know about using Open Tax Solver for my return. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c - basically they navigate the IRS phone system for you and call when an agent is ready. Saved me hours of waiting and frustration.

I need to eat my words about Claimyr. After posting that skeptical comment, I was still struggling to get an answer from the IRS about whether my open source tax software calculations would cause problems with my amended return. Got frustrated enough to try Claimyr and it actually worked exactly as advertised. Got connected to an IRS agent in about 20 minutes who answered all my questions about using Open Tax Solver for my calculations before transferring numbers to official forms. The agent confirmed that as long as the calculations are correct and I use official forms for submission, the source of the calculations doesn't matter. Saved me from sitting on hold for hours during my workday. Still surprised it worked so well!

I tried Open Tax Solver last year after using commercial software for years. The calculations were accurate, but honestly, the interface is super clunky. I spent way more time figuring out how to input everything correctly than I would have with TurboTax. For simple returns it's probably fine, but anything moderately complex gets tedious quick. The privacy aspect is great though - everything stays on your computer. I ended up using it to double-check the commercial software I paid for and found a discrepancy that saved me about $340! So maybe use it as a verification tool rather than your primary software?

Anyone tried both Open Tax Solver AND Excel1040? Wondering which is better for someone comfortable with spreadsheets but tired of paying for commercial software.

I've been using Open Tax Solver for two years now and can confirm it's legitimate and secure. Since it runs entirely on your local machine, your personal information never gets transmitted anywhere unless you choose to e-file through other means. The accuracy has been excellent in my experience - I actually compared my first year's calculations against a paid preparer and the results were identical. The software follows IRS publications closely and gets updated each tax season for new changes. However, I'll be honest - there's definitely a learning curve. The interface isn't as polished as commercial options, and you need to be comfortable reading tax instructions since it doesn't walk you through everything step-by-step like TurboTax does. For your situation (W-2, interest income, basic deductions), it should handle everything perfectly fine. One tip: I always run through the calculations twice and cross-reference key numbers with the actual IRS forms to make sure I input everything correctly. The math is solid, but user error in data entry is always possible with any software.

I've been researching this exact question for weeks! Currently using FreeTaxUSA but getting tired of the annual fees. From what I've gathered reading tax forums and GitHub discussions, Open Tax Solver seems solid for straightforward returns like yours. One thing I noticed that hasn't been mentioned yet - the software actually generates a detailed audit trail showing how it arrived at each calculation, which can be super helpful if you ever get questioned by the IRS. Commercial software often just gives you the final numbers without showing the work. My main hesitation is the same as yours - trusting open source software with sensitive data. But honestly, after all the data breaches with major companies (Equifax, anyone?), keeping everything local on my own computer feels safer than uploading to cloud-based services. At least with open source, you can theoretically review the code yourself or rely on the community to spot security issues. Planning to try it this year alongside my usual software as a test run, then fully switch if the numbers match up. The learning curve seems worth it for the long-term savings and privacy benefits.

I've been using Open Tax Solver for three years now and wanted to add my perspective on the security question since that seems to be your main concern. As others mentioned, the local-only processing is actually a huge security advantage - your SSN and financial data never leave your computer. What really convinced me was looking at the source code on their GitHub repository. You can literally see how they handle data (spoiler: they don't store or transmit anything). Compare that to commercial software where you have no idea what's happening behind the scenes with your information. For accuracy, I've never had an issue. The calculations follow IRS worksheets exactly, and the software gets updated promptly when tax laws change. The interface is definitely more basic than TurboTax, but for someone with your tax situation (W-2, interest, basic deductions), it's completely sufficient. One practical tip: download it now and practice with your 2023 return data. That way you'll be familiar with the workflow before the actual filing deadline. The learning curve isn't steep, but it's nice to not be figuring it out under pressure. You can always fall back to your Excel method if you're not comfortable when the time comes.

I've been following this thread with interest since I'm in a similar boat - looking for alternatives to expensive commercial tax software. What's really helpful is seeing so many people share actual experiences rather than just theoretical concerns. The security aspect that everyone's discussing really resonates with me. I work in IT and the number of data breaches we see from "secure" commercial services is honestly alarming. The idea of keeping everything local on my own machine, where I control the security, is actually pretty appealing from a technical standpoint. I'm curious about one thing that hasn't been covered much - how does Open Tax Solver handle tax law changes mid-year or corrections? With commercial software, they usually push updates automatically. Do you have to manually download new versions, or is there some kind of update mechanism built in? Also, for those who've used it multiple years - do you find that your familiarity with the interface makes each year significantly faster, or is it always going to be more time-consuming than the hand-holding approach of commercial options? Thanks for all the detailed experiences everyone has shared. This thread has been way more helpful than the generic reviews I've been finding elsewhere!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I've been on the fence about trying Open Tax Solver for months, and reading everyone's real-world experiences is exactly what I needed. The security concerns that @Ava Williams raised initially were my biggest hesitation too, but hearing from multiple users about the local-only processing and being able to review the source code on GitHub really addresses those worries. What really sold me was @Emily Parker's point about being able to see exactly how they handle data versus the black box approach of commercial software. Plus @Chloe Anderson's insight about the learning curve getting much better each year is reassuring - I don't mind investing some time upfront if it pays off long-term. I think I'm going to follow @Luca Bianchi's approach and run it alongside my current software this year as a test. That way I can verify the calculations match up before fully committing. The idea of having an audit trail showing the work behind each calculation actually sounds like a huge advantage if I ever need to explain anything to the IRS. Thanks everyone for sharing such detailed experiences instead of just generic opinions. This community is great for getting real advice on navigating tax software options!