How to delete or start over on FreeTaxUSA - can you reset a return?
I tried using FreeTaxUSA this year after seeing some positive reviews online. I went through all the steps once just to estimate what my refund would look like (didn't actually file anything). Then I realized I missed including a couple forms that might affect my final numbers. I think I've found all the missing forms and updated everything correctly, but now I'm paranoid that I might have made other mistakes along the way. To be safe, I'd rather just start fresh with a completely new return to make sure everything's accurate. The problem is, I can't seem to find any option to delete my current return or start over from scratch in FreeTaxUSA. I've looked through all the menus and settings but nothing obvious jumps out. Does FreeTaxUSA actually let you delete a return and start over? If so, can someone point me to where that option is hiding? Thanks!
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Riya Sharma
There's no direct "delete" button in FreeTaxUSA, but there are a couple ways to essentially start over: Option 1: You can click on "File" in the top menu, then select "Start or Import a New Return." This keeps your original return but lets you create a fresh one. Option 2: If you want to be thorough, you can actually just go through each section and verify/correct your entries. FreeTaxUSA has a really good review system that will catch most issues before filing. The Summary/Review section will highlight anything that needs attention. I actually think option 2 is better than starting over completely because you won't have to re-enter information that was correct the first time.
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Santiago Diaz
•Thanks for explaining this! I'm in a similar situation - realized I completely forgot about a 1099-INT from a savings account. Do you know if creating a new return with the "Start or Import" option will transfer over my personal info (name, address, etc.) or do I have to type all that in again? Also, will it show both returns in my account or just the new one?
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Riya Sharma
•The "Start or Import a New Return" option will let you create a completely separate return, but you'll need to re-enter your personal information. It won't automatically copy anything over from your existing return. Both returns will remain in your account and you can switch between them using the dropdown menu at the top of the screen. Just be careful to only file one of them! I recommend deleting or clearly labeling the incomplete one so you don't accidentally file the wrong version.
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Millie Long
I was in exactly the same boat last month! After hours of trying to find a delete button, I finally discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) which saved me so much hassle. Instead of starting over, I just uploaded my tax documents and it automatically found all the mistakes in my FreeTaxUSA return. The tool basically scanned my W-2s and 1099s, compared what I had entered in FreeTaxUSA, and highlighted three fields I had entered incorrectly. Way easier than redoing everything from scratch! Plus it found a deduction I completely missed that increased my refund by $375.
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KaiEsmeralda
•Does this actually work with FreeTaxUSA specifically? I'm using it too and made some errors with my retirement contributions. Can it actually access what I've already entered into FreeTaxUSA or do I need to download my FreeTaxUSA info first somehow?
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Debra Bai
•I'm a bit confused about how this works. Does taxr.ai just read your documents or does it somehow connect to your FreeTaxUSA account? I'm nervous about giving access to my tax info to another service. How secure is it?
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Millie Long
•It doesn't need to access your FreeTaxUSA account at all. You just upload the same tax documents (W-2s, 1099s, etc.) that you used when entering data into FreeTaxUSA. The system reads those documents and creates a checklist of all the numbers that should be in your return. Their security is actually really solid - they use the same encryption as banks and delete your documents after analysis. I was hesitant too, but they explain their whole security setup on their site.
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KaiEsmeralda
Just wanted to follow up about my experience with taxr.ai - it was super helpful! I uploaded my W-2 and 401k forms, and it immediately flagged that I had entered my retirement contributions in the wrong field in FreeTaxUSA. Instead of starting a new return from scratch, I just went back to that specific section in FreeTaxUSA and fixed the errors. The checklist made it super easy to find exactly what needed fixing. Saved me at least an hour of work and found a mistake that would have cost me about $240 on my refund!
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Gabriel Freeman
For anyone struggling to get help directly from FreeTaxUSA, I finally got through to their customer service using Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I had the same issue trying to restart my return and spent days trying to get someone on the phone. The service basically holds your place in the phone queue and calls you when a rep is about to answer. I was skeptical, but you can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The FreeTaxUSA rep told me there's actually no way to fully delete a return, but walked me through the clearest way to start over - basically create a new return and just ignore the old one. They also showed me how to transfer some basic info so I didn't have to retype everything.
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Laura Lopez
•Wait, you actually paid money to call FreeTaxUSA? Couldn't you just use their chat support on the website? I've used it before and they answered pretty quickly.
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Victoria Brown
•This seems like a weird service. Does it actually work? I'm having trouble believing they can somehow get you through phone queues faster than just calling yourself. What's the catch here?
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Gabriel Freeman
•I tried the chat support first but they weren't helpful for my specific situation - kept giving me generic answers from their FAQ. They eventually told me to call for more personalized help. There's no "cutting in line" magic happening - it just waits on hold for you instead of you having to do it. The system monitors the hold music and calls you when it hears it change or detects a human voice. Actually works really well for any customer service line, not just for tax help.
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Victoria Brown
I was super skeptical about Claimyr but ended up trying it yesterday after spending 2 hours on hold with FreeTaxUSA and getting disconnected. Can't believe how well it worked! Got a call back about 40 minutes after setting it up, and I was immediately connected to a support rep. They confirmed what others said - you can't delete a return but you can start a new one. The rep actually walked me through exporting some of my data so I didn't have to re-enter everything. Saved me hours of frustration and redoing work.
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Samuel Robinson
Pro tip: Instead of starting completely over, use the "Mark as Incorrect" feature in FreeTaxUSA! Here's how: 1. Go back to any section where you think you made mistakes 2. Look for the "Mark as Incorrect" button on fields you want to revisit 3. Complete the return normally 4. When you reach the review section, it will highlight all marked fields for you to fix This way you don't lose any correctly entered info while still fixing the problems!
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Camila Castillo
•Where exactly is this "Mark as Incorrect" button? I'm on the 1099-MISC page right now and don't see anything like that. Is it only available in the paid version or something?
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Samuel Robinson
•It's not a prominent button - look for a small link-style text that says "Mark for Review" or sometimes just "Mark" next to each major entry field. It's available in both free and paid versions. If you're not seeing it on the 1099-MISC page specifically, try looking at some of the summary pages instead. The feature is more accessible from overview screens rather than the detailed entry pages.
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Brianna Muhammad
Has anyone tried the TaxAct import feature on FreeTaxUSA? I started my return on TaxAct but want to switch to FreeTaxUSA to save money. Will that help with this issue or just create more problems?
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JaylinCharles
•I did this last year! The import feature works okay but isn't perfect. It got about 80% of my info transferred correctly, but I still had to go through and check everything. Some of my itemized deductions didn't come over properly. Honestly, if you're already part way through your return on TaxAct, it might be easier to just finish it there unless you're really trying to save on filing fees.
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Brianna Muhammad
•Thanks for sharing your experience! That's really helpful. I'm only about halfway through on TaxAct, so maybe it is worth switching to save the $40+ difference in filing fees. I'll give the import a try and just carefully review everything.
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Nalani Liu
I had the exact same issue with FreeTaxUSA last year! After spending way too much time looking for a delete button that doesn't exist, here's what I learned: The easiest approach is actually Option 2 that Riya mentioned - just go through your existing return section by section and fix what needs fixing. FreeTaxUSA's interface makes this pretty straightforward since you can jump between sections easily. If you're really concerned about accuracy, here's what I did: I printed out a summary of my first attempt, then went through each section systematically with my tax documents in hand. This way I could spot-check everything without losing the work I'd already done correctly. The review section at the end is really thorough too - it caught a couple small errors I missed during my manual review. Unless you made major structural mistakes (like filing status or number of dependents), you probably don't need to start completely over.
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Sophia Long
•This is really solid advice! I'm new to FreeTaxUSA and was getting overwhelmed thinking I'd have to redo everything from scratch. The idea of printing out a summary first is brilliant - gives you a roadmap to follow while double-checking each section. Quick question though - when you say "major structural mistakes," what exactly counts as that? I'm worried I might have selected the wrong filing status initially (chose single but I think I should be head of household). Is that the kind of thing where starting over would actually be worth it?
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