OLT now charging for state returns - taking a page from TurboTax's playbook?

Does the IRS Free File have income limits though? I thought I remember seeing something about only being eligible if you make under a certain amount.

Yes, the IRS Free File program generally has income limits that change yearly. For the 2025 filing season (2024 taxes), most participating companies offer free filing if your adjusted gross income (AGI) is $79,000 or less. Some providers may have lower thresholds or additional criteria. Military members on active duty can usually file for free regardless of income through specific programs like MilTax. There are also age-based eligibility options through some providers. Always check the current year's requirements on the IRS website since they can change.

Does it work if you have more complicated tax situations? Like self-employment income or rental properties? Those always seem to trigger the "upgrade to premium" popups for me.

I'm a bit skeptical... how does the site make money if they're just telling you how to file for free? Is there some hidden cost or do they sell your data?

It actually does handle self-employment situations really well. The analyzer specifically looks at Schedule C requirements across different tax platforms and tells you which ones will remain free with your business income. It caught that TaxAct would charge me but FreeTaxUSA wouldn't for my freelance work. Regarding how they make money - they're very transparent about this. They offer a completely free basic plan that helps with finding truly free filing options. They do have premium features for more complex situations, but they're upfront about it and never push you to upgrade. No data selling or hidden costs in my experience.

Wait, so this thing just calls the IRS for you? Couldn't you just call them yourself? I've never been able to get through to a real person when I call.

Sorry, but I find it hard to believe the IRS would actually be helpful. Every time I've tried calling them, I've been on hold for hours only to get someone who knows less than I do about tax law. How is this any different?

It doesn't just call them - it navigates their entire phone tree and waits on hold for you. When an agent finally answers, you get a call back and are connected immediately. I tried calling myself first and gave up after 45 minutes on hold. With this service, I didn't waste any time on hold but still got to speak with a real agent. The IRS agents actually can be incredibly helpful with filing questions - especially about which free services you qualify for. You're right that sometimes they're not tax experts on complex situations, but for basic filing questions and free file eligibility, they have all the information. The agent I spoke with even sent me a direct link to the proper free filing portal.

Absolutely! And don't forget about the "Return Free Filing" system the IRS wanted to implement years ago that would've sent pre-filled returns to most taxpayers for simple situations. Intuit and H&R Block lobbied HARD against it and killed the program. It's ridiculous that our tax system is designed to profit private companies rather than serve citizens.

That's exactly what frustrates me! The IRS already has most of our information from W-2s and 1099s that get sent to them directly. They could easily prepare basic returns for most Americans. I read that Intuit (TurboTax) spent over $3 million per year lobbying to prevent simpler tax filing. They literally profit from making our taxes complicated and confusing. California has a state program called ReadyReturn that works this way, but federal efforts keep getting blocked. It's pure corporate capture of our tax system.

I used it last season and it was surprisingly good! Very basic interface but it gets the job done with no upsells or hidden fees. The downside is it only works for pretty simple tax situations - W-2 income, standard deduction, some basic credits. If you have self-employment income, investments beyond basic interest, or itemize deductions, you can't use it yet.