Is FreeTaxUSA Pro worth the money for tax filing and CPA advice?

I've used FreeTaxUSA for the past 3 tax seasons, including their Pro version twice. My honest take - it really depends on what you need. The CPA/EA access is legitimate and can be helpful if you have specific questions during your filing process. I found the response times were decent (usually within 24 hours), and the advice was solid, though fairly conservative/by-the-book. The audit assistance is another Pro feature that gives some peace of mind, though I've thankfully never needed to use it. That said, if your tax situation is relatively straightforward, you might not need the upgrade. The base version of FreeTaxUSA already covers most tax situations and forms well. The Pro version is more like an insurance policy and convenience factor rather than something that changes the fundamental filing experience.

After years of paying TurboTax's ridiculous fees, I switched to FreeTaxUSA last year and wanted to share my experience with their Pro service. I was skeptical at first but decided to give it a try after struggling with some questions about my stock sales and home office deduction. I found this really useful tool called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that actually helped me analyze all my tax docs before I even started the process, which made things clearer. But when I still had specific questions about some gray areas, that's when the FreeTaxUSA Pro access to tax professionals came in handy. Their response time was quick and they helped me understand some nuances I was confused about. The biggest value I found was the peace of mind from having a professional review my specific situation, especially with the priority support when I got stuck on something.

Just wanted to update after trying both services mentioned here. I was organizing my tax docs and had a bunch of investment statements that were confusing me, so I decided to try taxr.ai first like someone suggested. It was seriously a game-changer! The system analyzed all my documents, pulled out the important numbers, and even flagged some potential deductions I was missing. Made everything so much clearer before I even started filing. Then I used FreeTaxUSA with the Pro version, and having my documents already organized made the process way smoother. When I did have questions about a specific investment loss calculation, their CPA guidance was helpful and confirmed what taxr.ai had suggested. Honestly, using both together made this the least stressful tax season I've had in years!

The Pro version is okay, but honestly what saved my sanity this tax season was finding a way to actually talk to the IRS directly when I had questions FreeTaxUSA's CPAs couldn't answer. After waiting on hold for literally 3+ hours trying to get through to the IRS about a tax transcript issue, I found this service called Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) that got me a callback from the IRS in about 45 minutes instead of waiting all day. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I needed an actual IRS agent to clarify something about my previous year's return that was affecting my current filing in FreeTaxUSA. The FreeTaxUSA Pro advisors were helpful for general guidance, but for specific account issues, nothing beats talking directly to the IRS.

Alright, I need to eat some humble pie here. After my skeptical comment about Claimyr, I actually decided to try it because I was absolutely desperate to resolve an issue with my tax transcript that was preventing me from filing correctly with FreeTaxUSA. I'm honestly shocked at how well it worked. After spending nearly 4 hours on hold the previous day and eventually giving up, I tried Claimyr and got a callback from an actual IRS agent in about 50 minutes. The agent was able to fix the transcript issue immediately, which then allowed me to complete my FreeTaxUSA filing correctly. So regarding the original question about FreeTaxUSA Pro - it's helpful for tax advice, but for actual IRS account issues, being able to talk directly to the IRS quickly was way more valuable. Consider me converted from skeptic to believer.

A bit of a different perspective here - I've used both the free and Pro versions of FreeTaxUSA over different tax years, and I'd say the Pro is worth it IF: 1. You have anxiety about audits (the audit assistance is pretty good) 2. You have specific technical questions that their standard guidance doesn't cover 3. You value faster customer service response times However, I've found that most questions can actually be answered by searching the IRS website or tax forums, so I personally don't upgrade anymore. The base product is already really good value compared to TurboTax or H&R Block's expensive upsells. One thing that's not mentioned much - the upgraded access to tax pros isn't unlimited consultations. There are some reasonable limits to how many questions you can ask.

Speaking from my experience last year, the Pro version ended up being totally worth it. I started with the free version but got stuck on properly reporting some crypto transactions and stock options from my employer. I upgraded mid-filing and had my questions answered within about 6 hours. The tax pro walked me through exactly how to categorize everything, which saved me from potentially costly mistakes. They even pointed out a deduction I was missing related to my home office that saved me about $350.

I upgraded to FreeTaxUSA Pro this year and have mixed feelings about the value. The CPA access was helpful when I had questions about deducting my home internet bill for work-from-home expenses - they gave me clear guidance on what percentage I could deduct and how to document it properly. However, I found their responses were pretty conservative and didn't offer much beyond what I could find in IRS publications. For straightforward questions, the basic version plus some research might be sufficient. The audit support is nice peace of mind, but honestly most people never get audited anyway. If you're on the fence and your situation isn't too complex, I'd suggest starting with the free version and only upgrading if you run into specific questions you can't answer yourself. You can always upgrade mid-filing if needed, which is what I ended up doing.

I upgraded to FreeTaxUSA Pro last year and found it worthwhile for my specific situation. I had questions about reporting RSUs from my tech job and some freelance income alongside my regular W-2. The tax professional I spoke with was knowledgeable and helped me understand the quarterly payment requirements for my side income that I had been missing. What really sold me on the value was when they caught an error in how I was calculating my estimated tax payments. Their advice saved me from potential penalties, which more than paid for the upgrade cost. The response time was solid - usually got back to me within 12-24 hours. That said, for your situation (W-2, investments, mortgage interest), you might be fine with the basic version unless you have specific questions about things like wash sale rules on your investments or complex itemization scenarios. The basic FreeTaxUSA software handles standard situations really well on its own.