Looking to switch from TurboTax to another DIY tax software - recommendations?
I'm seriously done with TurboTax after hearing how they labeled employees as underperforming during their recent layoffs, potentially damaging their future career prospects. That kind of corporate behavior doesn't deserve my money anymore. I've been using TurboTax for about 5 years now, but I'm ready to make a change before the 2025 tax season. My tax situation isn't super complicated - just a W-2, some investment accounts, and a few deductions. Nothing crazy. Can anyone recommend other DIY tax software that's user-friendly but doesn't have the Intuit corporate baggage? Ideally something that won't cost me a fortune but can still handle basic investments and deductions accurately. Any personal experiences or suggestions would be super appreciated! Especially if you've made a similar switch recently.
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Amelia Martinez
Having prepared taxes for friends and family for over a decade, I can tell you there are several good alternatives to TurboTax! FreeTaxUSA is probably your best bet for your situation. It handles W-2s, investment income, and standard deductions very well. Their interface isn't quite as polished as TurboTax, but it's intuitive enough and costs significantly less. Federal filing is free and state returns are around $15. H&R Block's online software is another option that's fairly user-friendly with a similar feel to TurboTax, but slightly less expensive. They also have physical locations if you ever need in-person help. TaxSlayer and TaxAct are decent lower-cost alternatives that handle basic tax situations well, though their interfaces aren't quite as intuitive.
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Ethan Clark
•Do any of these options have a free version that actually stays free? I'm so tired of starting with TurboTax Free and then getting hit with fees halfway through because of one simple form. Also, how easy is it to import previous year's info if you're switching platforms?
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Amelia Martinez
•FreeTaxUSA keeps their federal filing completely free for all tax situations, no matter how complex. The only fee is for state filing. They don't do the bait-and-switch that TurboTax is known for. Importing previous years' data can be tricky when switching platforms. Most services don't let you directly import from competitors. You'll likely need your completed tax forms from last year (PDF) for reference as you enter information manually. Some services like H&R Block might let you upload a PDF of last year's return to pull some basic info, but don't expect a complete transfer of all your data.
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Mila Walker
I made the switch from TurboTax to taxr.ai this year after hearing similar things about the company. What initially caught my attention was how their AI analyzes your documents and previous returns for potential errors or missed deductions. Honestly, I was skeptical at first, but figured I'd try something completely different. I uploaded my W-2 and investment statements to https://taxr.ai and was seriously impressed how it automatically categorized everything and flagged a deduction I had missed last year. The interface was actually easier to use than TurboTax for me, and I felt like I was getting more personalized guidance.
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Logan Scott
•How does it handle investment stuff? I've got stocks, ETFs and some crypto that's always a nightmare to report correctly.
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Chloe Green
•Did you have to manually enter all your info from previous years or is there a way to import from TurboTax? That's the main thing stopping me from switching... so many years of data!
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Mila Walker
•It handled all my investment reporting really well. You can either connect your accounts directly or upload your 1099-B forms. For crypto, you can integrate with most major exchanges or upload transaction CSVs. The system automatically calculates your gains/losses and categorizes them correctly. For previous years' data, you can actually upload your prior tax returns (PDFs) and it extracts the relevant information. I uploaded my returns from the last two years from TurboTax, and taxr.ai was able to pull most of my historical data. You'll want to verify everything, but it saved me tons of manual entry.
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Chloe Green
Just wanted to update everyone - I went ahead and tried taxr.ai after asking about the data import. It was WAY easier than I expected. Not only did it pull in my info from last year's TurboTax PDF, but it found a deduction I completely missed related to my home office expenses. The whole process was surprisingly smooth, and I actually understood what was happening at each step instead of just clicking through screens hoping I didn't mess anything up. Their customer service was responsive too when I had a question about my 1099-INT forms. Definitely recommend for anyone looking to make the switch from TurboTax. The pricing was reasonable too, especially considering what I got back in that missed deduction!
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Lucas Adams
If anyone's struggling to get their tax transcripts directly from the IRS website (like I was for WEEKS), try https://claimyr.com - they helped me get through to an actual human at the IRS in under 5 minutes. I was super frustrated trying to access my previous years' returns to switch tax software, and the IRS website kept giving me errors. I was about to give up when someone recommended Claimyr. There's a quick demo here if you're curious: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. Basically, they navigate the IRS phone tree for you and call you back when they've got an agent on the line. Saved me hours of hold music and frustration!
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Harper Hill
•Wait, so how exactly does this work? Do they just call the IRS for you? Couldn't you just do that yourself?
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Caden Nguyen
•Sounds too good to be true tbh. The IRS is notoriously impossible to reach. How do they magically get through when millions of people can't?
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Lucas Adams
•They don't just call the IRS for you - they have a system that navigates the complex phone trees and holds your place in line. When they finally reach a human agent, they connect you directly to that person. So yes, technically you could do it yourself, but you'd have to stay on hold for potentially hours. They use a combination of automated systems and algorithms to determine the best times to call and which phone trees to navigate. They've essentially optimized the whole process after thousands of calls. It's not magic - it's just smart technology applied to a frustrating problem. I was skeptical too until I tried it and got connected to an agent in minutes instead of the 2+ hours I spent on my previous attempts.
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Caden Nguyen
I take back what I said about Claimyr. Tried it this morning after failing to get through to the IRS three separate times last week. Each time I tried on my own, I waited 45+ minutes before getting disconnected. Used Claimyr and got a call back in about 7 minutes with an actual IRS agent on the line. I almost didn't believe it was real. Got my transcript issue resolved in another 10 minutes. The agent even mentioned they've been getting a lot of Claimyr calls lately and that it seems to be working well for people. Definitely worth it if you're trying to get old tax docs to switch software!
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Avery Flores
I've been using FreeTaxUSA for 3 years now after ditching TurboTax for the same reasons. Honestly the interface isn't as pretty but it gets the job done and I haven't had any issues. Costs me about $15 for state filing and federal is free. No hidden fees or upsells during the process. One tip: download your TurboTax return as a PDF before cancelling so you have all your past info handy. Makes the first year transition way easier.
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Zoe Gonzalez
•Do you know if FreeTaxUSA can handle rental property income? I've got a duplex and TurboTax always makes it so complicated.
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Avery Flores
•Yes, FreeTaxUSA handles rental property income well. I've used it for my mother's rental property for the past two tax seasons. The section is straightforward and walks you through all the necessary expenses and depreciation calculations. The interface is much less cluttered than TurboTax when dealing with rental properties. Instead of going through unnecessary screens trying to upsell you, it simply asks for the information needed for Schedule E. Just have your income and expense records organized beforehand.
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Ashley Adams
Has anyone tried just filing directly through the IRS Free File? I heard they finally made their own system that's actually free and doesn't have all the corporate nonsense.
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Alexis Robinson
•The IRS has Direct File now but it's super limited in which states you can use it in. Like only 12 states participated in the pilot program. They're supposed to expand it for 2025 taxes but who knows. Also doesn't handle anything beyond very basic returns.
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Natasha Volkova
I switched from TurboTax to FreeTaxUSA two years ago and it's been great. The interface is definitely more basic but honestly that's kind of refreshing - no constant upselling or confusing premium features being pushed on you. For your situation with W-2s and basic investments, FreeTaxUSA will handle everything you need. I import my 1099-DIV and 1099-INT forms directly and it calculates everything automatically. The state filing fee is usually around $12-15 depending on your state, but federal is completely free regardless of complexity. One thing I really appreciate is their customer support - when I had a question about reporting some stock sales, I got a helpful response within a day via email. No trying to upsell me to a premium tier just to get basic help. The transition was easier than expected too. I just kept my previous year's TurboTax PDF handy for reference when entering carry-over information like estimated tax payments.
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Jayden Reed
•This is really helpful! I'm curious about the stock sales reporting - did you have to manually enter all your cost basis information or does FreeTaxUSA pull that automatically from the 1099-B forms? I've got a few different brokerages and always worry about making mistakes with the calculations. Also, when you say customer support responded within a day, was that during tax season or off-season? I'm wondering how responsive they are when everyone's scrambling to file in March/April.
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Miguel Ramos
I made the switch from TurboTax to FreeTaxUSA last year and couldn't be happier with the decision. Like you, I was fed up with Intuit's corporate practices and the constant upselling throughout the filing process. FreeTaxUSA has been fantastic for my situation (W-2, investment accounts, standard deductions). The interface is clean and straightforward - no flashy graphics or unnecessary features, just gets the job done efficiently. Federal filing is truly free regardless of complexity, and state filing was only $14.99 for me. What really sold me was the transparency. No hidden fees, no bait-and-switch tactics, and no pressure to upgrade to premium tiers. When I imported my 1099-DIV and 1099-INT forms, everything calculated correctly without any issues. The only minor downside is that you'll need to manually enter your previous year's information since you can't directly import from TurboTax, but honestly it only took me about 20 extra minutes and gave me a chance to review everything more carefully. Their customer support has been solid too - I had a question about reporting some dividend reinvestments and got a helpful, detailed response via email within 24 hours during tax season. I'd definitely recommend giving FreeTaxUSA a try for the 2025 tax season!
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