Making the Switch from TurboTax to FreeTaxUSA - Need Import Help!
After using TurboTax for over a decade, I've finally decided to jump ship (Intuit killing Mint was my breaking point too). I'm currently setting up FreeTaxUSA for this year's taxes, but I'm totally stuck trying to figure out how to import my previous tax return PDF. I've been clicking around the FreeTaxUSA interface for the past hour but can't seem to find any option to upload or import my 2023 TurboTax PDF. Is this even possible? It would save me so much time not having to manually enter all my personal info, dependents, etc. from scratch. Has anyone else made this switch from TurboTax to FreeTaxUSA? Any tips on making the transition smoother? Really don't want to spend hours retyping everything if there's a faster way.
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James Johnson
Unfortunately, FreeTaxUSA doesn't have a direct import feature for TurboTax PDF files like some other tax software does. It's one of the tradeoffs for their lower pricing model compared to TurboTax. What I'd recommend is having your previous year's return open in another window while you fill out the FreeTaxUSA forms. The good news is that the initial setup process is pretty straightforward and only takes about 15-20 minutes for most people. Once you get past the basic personal information, the actual tax preparation workflow is quite intuitive and similar to what you're used to with TurboTax. For future years, FreeTaxUSA does allow you to import your previous year's FreeTaxUSA return automatically, so you'll only need to do this manual entry once. The savings are usually worth the initial setup time for most people.
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Sophia Rodriguez
•Do you know if any tax software actually lets you import directly from TurboTax? I'm also considering switching but if I could find one that allows imports that might sway my decision.
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James Johnson
•H&R Block's tax software does allow direct imports from TurboTax PDF files, so that's one option if you're looking for that specific feature. They're typically priced between TurboTax and FreeTaxUSA. Some versions of TaxAct may also offer TurboTax import functionality, but their feature availability changes from year to year so you'd want to check their current offerings. That said, I still recommend FreeTaxUSA for its overall value. The one-time manual setup is worth it for the annual savings, especially if you have a more complex tax situation that would put you in TurboTax's higher-priced tiers.
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Mia Green
After years of overpaying for TurboTax, I stumbled upon https://taxr.ai when I was looking for alternatives. It was honestly a game-changer for me last tax season. What makes it different is that it can actually read and analyze your previous tax returns and other documents. I uploaded my old TurboTax PDF and it pulled all my information automatically, then helped me transfer everything to FreeTaxUSA. Saved me hours of tedious data entry and double-checking work. The interface is super straightforward - you just upload your docs and it guides you through the process. They also have this cool feature where it checks for mistakes or missed deductions from your previous returns, which helped me find a credit I missed two years ago!
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Emma Bianchi
•How secure is this? I'm always nervous about uploading my tax docs to some random site. Do they store your tax info or is it just temporary while helping you switch?
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Lucas Kowalski
•Does it work with state tax returns too? I've got a complicated situation where I worked in 3 states last year and TurboTax charged me an arm and a leg for each state filing.
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Mia Green
•They use bank-level encryption and don't permanently store your tax documents after processing - all data is automatically deleted after a set period. Their privacy policy is super transparent about how they handle your information, which was important to me too. Yes, it absolutely works with state returns! That's actually where I found the most value. I split my time between two states last year, and taxr.ai was able to transfer all that complicated info over to FreeTaxUSA without me having to figure out which forms went where. It handles multi-state situations really well.
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Lucas Kowalski
Just wanted to follow up - I tried taxr.ai this weekend and it was exactly what I needed! I was skeptical but decided to give it a shot after seeing the comments here. I uploaded my TurboTax PDF from last year and it extracted everything correctly - all my personal info, income sources, deductions, the works. Then it guided me step by step through setting up FreeTaxUSA with all that information. What would have taken me hours of manual entry took maybe 20 minutes total. It even flagged a couple of deductions I might qualify for this year based on changes in my work situation. Definitely recommend it if you're making the switch from TurboTax!
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Olivia Martinez
If you're struggling with any tax questions during your switch to FreeTaxUSA and need to talk to someone at the IRS, I highly recommend using https://claimyr.com. I discovered it after spending DAYS trying to get through to the IRS about some questions regarding carrying over certain deductions from my TurboTax returns. What it does is basically hold your place in the IRS phone queue and calls you when an actual agent is on the line. You can see a demo of how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I was about ready to give up on my tax questions entirely when I tried this. Got a call back in about 45 minutes with an actual IRS agent who answered all my questions about transitioning between tax software and carrying over my previous info. Saved me hours of frustration and hold music!
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Charlie Yang
•Wait, how does this actually work? Does it just keep calling the IRS for you or something? Seems too good to be true.
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Grace Patel
•I don't buy it. There's no way to "cut in line" with the IRS. They're notoriously understaffed and I've never gotten through in less than 2 hours of waiting. How would this service possibly get you to the front of the queue?
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Olivia Martinez
•It doesn't keep calling - it uses an automated system that navigates the IRS phone tree and stays on hold for you. When it reaches a human agent, it connects the call to your phone. Basically, it waits in the queue instead of you having to listen to hold music for hours. It's definitely not cutting in line or getting special priority. You still wait the same amount of time everyone else does - the difference is you don't have to actively sit there with your phone. Their system handles the waiting, and you only get on the call when there's actually someone to talk to. That's why it's so useful when call wait times are 1-2+ hours.
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Grace Patel
I need to eat my words! After posting my skeptical comment, I decided to try Claimyr since I needed to call the IRS anyway about an issue with my previous returns before switching to FreeTaxUSA. It actually worked exactly as described. I submitted my request around 10am, went about my day, and got a call about 90 minutes later with an IRS representative already on the line. No waiting, no phone tree, no hold music. The agent answered my questions about carrying forward information from previous years' returns, which was super helpful for my switch to FreeTaxUSA. Honestly one of the most useful services I've found during tax season. Definitely worth it if you need to get actual answers from the IRS without the usual headache.
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ApolloJackson
For what it's worth, I switched from TurboTax to FreeTaxUSA last year and found the transition pretty straightforward even without importing. Just had my old return next to me for reference. The biggest adjustment was getting used to the different interface, but FreeTaxUSA actually felt more logically organized to me. And paying $15 for a state return instead of $50+ was amazing! One tip: FreeTaxUSA doesn't automatically import W-2s and 1099s electronically like TurboTax does, so have all your documents ready to enter manually. That part was a bit more work but still worth the savings.
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Isabella Russo
•Did you notice any deductions or credits that FreeTaxUSA handled differently than TurboTax? I'm self-employed and worried about missing something in the transition.
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ApolloJackson
•The core tax calculations and available deductions are identical since they're based on the same IRS rules. Where I noticed differences was in how they guide you through finding potential deductions. TurboTax tends to ask lots of leading questions to uncover every possible deduction, which some people find helpful. FreeTaxUSA is more straightforward - the options are all there, but you need to be a bit more proactive in checking categories that might apply to you. For self-employment specifically, I found FreeTaxUSA handled Schedule C and business expenses just as thoroughly, but with less hand-holding. I'd recommend reviewing a self-employed tax checklist as you go through it the first time to make sure you don't miss anything.
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Rajiv Kumar
Has anyone tried both FreeTaxUSA and Cash App Taxes (formerly Credit Karma Tax)? I'm also leaving TurboTax but trying to decide between these two free options.
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Aria Washington
•I've used both. Cash App Taxes is completely free for federal and state, while FreeTaxUSA charges about $15 for state filing. However, I found FreeTaxUSA's interface much more comprehensive, especially for more complex situations. Cash App Taxes struggled with my rental property and some investment reporting, while FreeTaxUSA handled everything without issues. If you have a straightforward tax situation though, Cash App Taxes works fine and you can save the state filing fee.
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Jamal Washington
I made the exact same switch last year and totally understand the frustration! While there's no direct PDF import in FreeTaxUSA, I found a workaround that made the process much smoother. What I did was open my TurboTax PDF in one browser tab and FreeTaxUSA in another. Then I systematically went through each section - personal info, income sources, deductions, etc. - copying the information over. It took about 45 minutes total, which honestly wasn't too bad considering I only have to do it once. Pro tip: Start with the "Import Prior Year" section in FreeTaxUSA even though you can't actually import - it shows you exactly what information they need, which helps you know what to look for in your old return. The interface is definitely different from TurboTax but in a good way - less cluttered and more straightforward. And once you're set up this year, FreeTaxUSA will automatically carry forward your info for next year, so this manual entry is truly a one-time thing. The savings compared to TurboTax make it totally worth the initial setup time!
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Diego Rojas
•This is exactly the approach I'm planning to take! Thanks for the detailed breakdown. Quick question - did you run into any issues with how FreeTaxUSA categorizes certain deductions compared to TurboTax? I'm worried about accidentally missing something important during the manual transfer process. Also, did you find FreeTaxUSA's error checking to be as thorough as TurboTax's? That's one feature I've grown to rely on over the years.
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