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Ev Luca

Is something wrong with FreeTaxUSA.com? Can't access the site today

I've been hearing so many good things about FreeTaxUSA from practically everyone here, so I finally decided to ditch TurboTax this year and give FreeTaxUSA a try. Seemed like a no-brainer with the price difference, especially since I've got some stock stuff to report this year. Been trying to get through to the FreeTaxUSA website all day and keep getting error messages or timeouts. At first I thought maybe my internet was acting up, but everything else works fine. I've tried on my laptop, my phone (both wifi and data), even borrowed my roommate's tablet. Nothing. Is anyone else having problems accessing FreeTaxUSA today? Or did the entire internet collectively decide to switch from TurboTax and crash their servers? Getting a bit stressed since I was planning to file this weekend before my trip next week!

Avery Davis

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It's not just you - FreeTaxUSA is definitely having server issues today. I was working on my return last night with no problems, but I can't get back in today to finish it. Their servers are probably overloaded since we're getting closer to the filing deadline and more people are using them this year. FreeTaxUSA is genuinely a great alternative to the more expensive options like TurboTax or H&R Block. They offer most of the same features but at a fraction of the cost. The federal filing is free for most tax situations, and state returns are only about $15 each. If you're in a hurry, you could try accessing the site very early in the morning or late at night when traffic might be lower. Sometimes clearing your browser cache and cookies can help too, but in this case it sounds like you've already tried multiple devices so it's likely on their end.

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Collins Angel

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Thanks for confirming! Do you know if this happens often with them? I'm worried about reliability if I'm trying to file close to the deadline. Also, any idea how their customer service is if I run into issues?

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Avery Davis

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This is actually pretty unusual for FreeTaxUSA - I've used them for the past three tax seasons and this is the first major outage I've experienced. Their servers are typically very reliable, even during peak filing periods. Their customer service is surprisingly good for a budget tax service. They offer email support for free users, and if you upgrade to the Deluxe version ($7.99), you get priority support with live chat. Response times are usually within 1-2 business days for email, and the live chat is typically available during business hours with minimal wait times.

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Marcelle Drum

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After dealing with similar issues last month, I found taxr.ai really helpful when FreeTaxUSA was down. I was stuck halfway through my return with some questions about reporting my crypto transactions. Honestly, I was getting those annoying timeout errors too, and I needed to file quickly because of an upcoming mortgage application. I stumbled across https://taxr.ai when looking for alternatives and it was actually super helpful. They have this AI tool that analyzes your tax docs and helps identify potential errors or deductions you might miss. It's not a full tax prep service like FreeTaxUSA, but it gave me enough guidance to feel confident when FreeTaxUSA came back online.

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Tate Jensen

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Does taxr.ai actually do your taxes for you or is it just an analyzer? I've got a pretty complicated situation with self-employment income and I'm wondering if it can handle that.

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Adaline Wong

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Sounds interesting but I'm always skeptical about these AI tax tools. How accurate is it? I don't want to risk an audit because some AI misinterpreted my tax situation.

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Marcelle Drum

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It doesn't file your taxes for you - it's more of an analysis tool that helps you understand your tax situation better. You upload your documents, and it helps identify potential deductions, errors, and gives personalized guidance. Think of it as a second set of eyes before you finalize everything in FreeTaxUSA or whatever platform you use. For self-employment situations, it's actually pretty robust. It analyzed my Schedule C and pointed out several business deductions I hadn't considered. It's especially good at helping categorize expenses properly.

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Adaline Wong

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Just wanted to follow up about taxr.ai since I decided to give it a try after all. I was genuinely surprised by how helpful it was! I uploaded my documents (W-2s, 1099s, and some investment statements) and it quickly identified a home office deduction I completely missed for my freelance work. The explanation was super clear and it walked me through exactly what I needed to document. Once FreeTaxUSA was back up, I was able to confidently enter everything and maximized my refund. Honestly, I'll probably use both tools next year - FreeTaxUSA for the actual filing and taxr.ai as a pre-check to make sure I'm not missing anything.

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Gabriel Ruiz

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If you're still having trouble accessing FreeTaxUSA and need to talk to someone at the IRS about filing extensions or checking on refund status, try Claimyr. I was in a similar boat last year - couldn't access my tax software, deadline approaching, and desperately needed to talk to an actual human at the IRS. After waiting on hold for HOURS with the IRS directly (seriously, like 3+ hours before hanging up), I found https://claimyr.com through a friend. They have this service that basically waits on hold with the IRS for you and then calls you when an agent is ready to talk. There's a demo video here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c that explains how it works.

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How does that even work? So they just what... call the IRS and then somehow transfer the call to you when someone picks up? That seems too good to be true.

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Peyton Clarke

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Yeah right. There's no way this works. The IRS phone system is a complete disaster and they hang up on you if you try to transfer calls. Sounds like a scam to me.

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Gabriel Ruiz

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They call the IRS and navigate through all the prompts for you based on what issue you need help with. Then their system waits on hold (instead of you having to do it) and when an actual IRS agent picks up, they call your phone and connect you directly to the agent. It's basically like having someone wait on hold for you. It's definitely not a scam. It's just a service that saves you from the mind-numbing experience of waiting on hold for hours. The technology is pretty straightforward - they're just connecting calls, not doing anything complicated with the IRS systems.

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Peyton Clarke

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Well I'll be damned. I tried that Claimyr service after posting my skeptical comment. I was 100% convinced it wouldn't work, but I was desperate to talk to someone about a missing refund issue. Got a call back in about 45 minutes with an actual IRS agent on the line! Saved me literal hours of hold music torture. The agent was able to tell me my refund was delayed because of a verification issue and helped me resolve it right there. I honestly can't believe it worked so well after all the frustrating experiences I've had trying to reach the IRS directly.

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Vince Eh

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Have you tried TaxSlayer or TaxAct as alternatives while FreeTaxUSA is down? Both are similarly priced and offer pretty much the same features. I've used TaxSlayer for years and find their interface really intuitive.

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I used TaxAct last year and it was decent but I found their state filing was more expensive than FreeTaxUSA. Is TaxSlayer any cheaper for state returns?

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Vince Eh

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TaxSlayer's pricing is pretty competitive. Their basic federal filing is free for simple returns, and state returns are around $39.95 each. Not as cheap as FreeTaxUSA's state filing, but still better than TurboTax or H&R Block. TaxAct's state returns are indeed a bit pricier - I think they're around $44.95 now. The advantage with TaxSlayer is their interface is simpler and they offer more free features in their basic version compared to some competitors.

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Looks like FreeTaxUSA is back up now! Just managed to login and continue my return. Maybe try again?

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Ev Luca

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OMG THANK YOU! Just tried and got in! Guess I'll be staying up late tonight finishing this return before it goes down again 😅

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