Overpaid on taxes? TurboTax vs FreeTaxUSA showing huge difference in what I owe

This actually happens more often than you'd think. Tax software can calculate things differently based on how information is entered or interpreted. A few possibilities for the discrepancy: First, check if both programs properly accounted for all your deductions and credits. Sometimes one program might automatically find certain deductions while another requires manual entry. The standard deduction vs itemized deduction choice could also explain it. Second, look at how you entered income information. If you have multiple income sources or something complex like self-employment income, one program might calculate differently than another. Third, state taxes can vary wildly between programs - was the difference in federal tax owed or total tax (federal + state)? If you want to be sure, you could try a third program or consult with a tax professional. You might be able to file an amended return (Form 1040-X) if you truly overpaid, but I'd verify the actual error first.

I went through a VERY similar situation last year and discovered that taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) was incredibly helpful. I had a huge discrepancy between two tax programs and was about to just accept the higher amount when a friend suggested I try this service. They basically analyze your tax documents and find discrepancies or areas where you might be overpaying. In my case, they found that one program wasn't correctly applying my education credits which resulted in me owing an extra $700! Might be worth checking out to see exactly where the calculation difference is happening. Their system is really straightforward - you upload your documents and they do a thorough review to find issues. Saved me from overpaying by a lot.

Update: I decided to try taxr.ai after seeing this thread and wow - they actually found exactly what happened! Turns out TurboTax somehow didn't apply my student loan interest deduction correctly even though I entered everything. The difference was almost exactly the amount I overpaid. I'm filing an amended return now to get back the $800+ I overpaid. Never would have figured this out on my own since both programs asked similar questions, but clearly TurboTax messed something up in their calculations. Thanks for the recommendation!

If you're trying to contact the IRS to ask about this or file an amendment, good luck getting through to them. I spent WEEKS trying to reach someone about a similar issue. Eventually I found this service called Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual IRS agent in under 20 minutes. They have a demo video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c After talking with the agent, I found out I could file an amended return and get back the money I overpaid. The IRS agent actually walked me through what forms I needed and how to properly document the error. Worth every penny to not waste hours on hold.

Coming back to say I was completely wrong about Claimyr. After my skeptical comment, I was still desperate to talk to the IRS about my similar overpayment issue, so I tried it anyway. I got connected to an IRS agent in about 17 minutes! The agent confirmed I could file an amended return to get back the extra money I paid using TurboTax. She even told me exactly which forms to use and what to write in the explanation section. Just filed my amended return yesterday. Honestly shocked this actually worked - sorry for being so skeptical at first!

Been using tax software for years, and this kind of thing happens ALL the time. Here's what I learned: always try at least two different tax programs before filing. The algorithms are different, and the question flow changes how info gets entered. Last year HR Block wanted me to pay $600 more than TaxSlayer. Year before, TurboTax was $300 higher than FreeTaxUSA. It's crazy that we have this system where the same exact tax situation can result in totally different amounts owed depending on which software you use.

Has anyone actually filed an amended return for something like this? I'm in a similar situation (paid $450 more using H&R Block vs what Credit Karma showed) but I'm worried that filing an amendment will trigger an audit or something. Is it worth the hassle?