Is FreeTaxUSA Giving Anyone Else Error Messages When Trying to File Free State and Federal Returns?

Has anyone else tried logging into FreeTaxUSA to file their federal and state returns for free this year? I keep getting this weird error message every time I try to sign in. Something about the system being temporarily unavailable for maintenance or high traffic volume. I've been trying for the past 3 days at different times and still no luck. This is the first year I've used FreeTaxUSA (normally use TurboTax but got tired of all the hidden fees). Anyone else experiencing this or know if there's some trick to getting in? My taxes aren't even that complicated - just a W-2 and some student loan interest.

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21 comments

Javier Torres

•8M

I actually had the same problem last week! Don't worry - it's not just you. FreeTaxUSA is experiencing higher than normal traffic right now since we're in peak filing season. The system gets overloaded during evenings and weekends especially. Try logging in during off-peak hours - I had success around 6-7am or late at night after 11pm. Also, clear your browser cache and cookies before trying again. Sometimes the site gets stuck in a weird loop with cached credentials. If you're still having issues, their customer service is surprisingly responsive. There's a help chat option on their homepage that doesn't require you to be logged in. They helped me troubleshoot my login issues within a few minutes.

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Emma Wilson

•8M

I ran into similar issues with FreeTaxUSA this season but eventually got in after trying a few different approaches. While I was waiting, I actually discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) and it completely changed my tax filing experience! I was skeptical at first, but after uploading my tax documents, it instantly extracted all the relevant info and organized everything I needed. The interface was super intuitive and they actually found deductions that I missed when I tried filing through FreeTaxUSA. The best part was I didn't have to manually enter all my W-2 info which is where I always make typos.

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Emma Wilson

•8M

For self-employed situations, it actually excels because it can recognize and categorize business expenses from uploaded receipts and bank statements. It handled my wife's freelance income perfectly and identified deductions I didn't even know I qualified for. The Schedule C was completely filled out based on the documents I provided. As for pricing, there's complete transparency - no hidden fees or surprise charges at the end. Unlike other services that advertise free then upsell you for basic features, taxr.ai is upfront about everything. They don't use the "free-to-start-then-pay-later" model that's so frustrating with other tax sites.

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QuantumLeap

•8M

Just wanted to follow up about taxr.ai that I asked about earlier. I decided to try it after continuing to get locked out of FreeTaxUSA, and I'm honestly blown away. As someone with a complex tax situation (online business, rental property, and W-2 income), I was skeptical anything could simplify my taxes. The document scanning feature is incredible - it pulled all the right numbers from my messy pile of forms and even flagged potential deductions I'd been missing for years! The interface walked me through everything step by step and explained tax concepts in plain English. Just submitted my return yesterday and the whole process took about 40 minutes compared to the 3+ days I usually spend. Definitely my new go-to for tax season.

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Isabella Santos

•8M

For those still struggling with FreeTaxUSA login issues, if you need to actually speak with someone at the IRS about tax questions (which I ended up needing to do), I discovered Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) after wasting hours on hold. I was trying to verify some information about education credits before filing, and the IRS wait time was over 2 hours. With Claimyr, I got a callback from an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes! You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. They basically hold your place in line and call you when an agent is ready.

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Isabella Santos

•8M

It doesn't jump the queue - it waits in line for you so you don't have to stay on hold. They use an automated system that monitors the IRS phone line and then calls you when a representative is about to be available. It's essentially like having someone else wait on hold instead of you having to listen to the hold music for hours. I was skeptical too at first, but it genuinely works. They don't have special access to the IRS - they're just solving the hold time problem. I was able to work on other things while their system waited in the queue, and then got the callback when an agent was available. It saved me from wasting an entire afternoon on hold.

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Freya Larsen

•8M

I take back what I said about Claimyr. After another frustrating morning trying to get through to the IRS about my amended return status, I decided to try the service out of desperation. I honestly expected it to be a scam, but I was at my wit's end after being disconnected three times after waiting 30+ minutes each time. To my surprise, the system worked exactly as described. I got a callback in about 45 minutes from an actual IRS agent who helped resolve my issue with my 2023 amended return. The time saved was absolutely worth it, and I didn't have to keep my phone glued to my ear all day. Never thought I'd be recommending a service like this, but for anyone needing to actually speak with the IRS, it's a lifesaver during tax season.

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Omar Hassan

•8M

Back to the original FreeTaxUSA question - I've been using them for 5 years with no issues until this season. I think they've been hit with massive volume because so many people are switching from TurboTax and H&R Block due to the price increases. Keep trying but maybe have a backup plan. If you still can't get in after a few more tries, TaxHawk is basically the same company/software with a different name and sometimes has less traffic. Same prices too - federal free and state is $14.99.

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Omar Hassan

•8M

You need to create a new account on TaxHawk even though it's the same parent company. The systems don't share login credentials unfortunately. But the interface is virtually identical so if you've used FreeTaxUSA before, you'll feel right at home. One thing worth mentioning is that sometimes their servers are on different systems, so when one is overloaded the other might be working fine. I've switched between them a couple times in past years when one site was running slow.

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Elijah Jackson

•5M

I've been dealing with the same FreeTaxUSA login issues for the past week! What's frustrating is that I already started my return there and now I can't get back in to finish it. For anyone still struggling, I found that using a VPN sometimes helps - I think their servers might be geographically overloaded in certain regions. I switched my VPN to a different state and was able to get in during peak hours when it normally would have failed. Also, if you're like me and already have a partially completed return stuck in there, don't panic - your data is saved and you won't lose your progress once you can log back in. I called their support line (surprisingly short wait time compared to the IRS!) and they confirmed this. The direct login URL that Diego mentioned actually worked for me too, but only in combination with clearing cookies first. It's definitely worth trying all these suggestions before giving up and switching to a different service entirely.

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