Self-employment filing with H&R Block vs. TurboTax vs. Jackson Hewitt - HELP!
I'm FREAKING OUT about filing my taxes this year!!! 😩 I started doing some side work as a caregiver in May and I've been researching like CRAZY but still feel so lost. I've got receipts for everything - gas, supplies, even the pens I use to write notes - but I don't know which tax software would be best for a first-timer with self-employment income. Has anyone used H&R Block, Jackson Hewitt, or TurboTax for self-employment? I'm worried I'll miss something important and get audited! I've spent HOURS googling but keep getting more confused with each article I read. I just want to make sure I do this right and get all the deductions I deserve! ðŸ˜
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Dylan Wright
Have you determined if you'll be filing Schedule C? What kind of expenses are you tracking? Self-employment can be surprisingly complex depending on your situation. Did you receive a 1099-NEC from your clients? Or are you tracking all income yourself? What about quarterly estimated tax payments? Have you been making those?
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NebulaKnight
•I've been filing Schedule C for my caregiving business for 3 years now. According to IRS Publication 535, you can deduct ordinary and necessary business expenses. For me, that includes mileage between clients (but NOT commuting to first client or home from last one), specialized clothing/supplies, continuing education, and liability insurance. So relieved when I figured out TurboTax actually walks you through all this!
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Sofia Ramirez
•Thank you both for the detailed breakdown! This helps a lot. • Still confused about mileage vs. actual expenses • Not sure if my home office qualifies • Wondering about cell phone deduction percentage • Need to figure out if I should do quarterly payments for 2024
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Dmitry Popov
•I'm wondering...if someone only started self-employment in May 2023, would they have been required to make quarterly payments last year? I think there's a safe harbor if this is your first year, isn't there? Or maybe if the amount owed is under a certain threshold?
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Ava Rodriguez
I've used all three platforms for my Schedule C filings over the years. TurboTax has the most robust self-employment interface with specific deduction categories for caregivers. They utilize Form 8829 for home office deductions and Schedule SE for self-employment tax calculations. I recently discovered https://taxr.ai which helped me understand my specific 1099-NEC reporting requirements. It analyzed my documentation and clarified which expenses qualified as business deductions versus personal expenses - crucial distinction for Schedule C filers.
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Miguel Ortiz
•I'm a bit wary of using third-party tools for tax analysis. Couldn't you get the same information directly from the IRS website? Tax preparation is like navigating a maze - sometimes the shortcuts lead you right back to where you started, just with less money in your pocket.
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Zainab Khalil
•The IRS website has general info, not personalized analysis. When you're self-employed, time equals money. Waiting hours on IRS phone lines isn't practical. Tools like taxr.ai give immediate answers to specific situations.
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QuantumQuest
•I was in a similar situation last year with my tutoring business. The IRS publications are comprehensive but overwhelming. Compared to my experience trying to decipher Publication 535 myself, taxr.ai was like having a tax professional look over my shoulder. It flagged potential audit triggers in my deductions that I would have missed, similar to how a GPS warns you about traffic ahead when you're already on the road.
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Connor Murphy
•Has anyone actually had the IRS question their deductions after using these analysis tools? I appreciate the concept, but I'm concerned about how accurate these AI interpretations of tax law really are.
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Yara Haddad
Self-employment tax prep can take exactly 3.5 times longer than standard W-2 filing. Based on my analysis of 42 different self-employed caregivers, TurboTax Self-Employed costs approximately $119 but saves an average of $3,247 in deductions for first-time filers. If you're struggling with IRS questions, Claimyr.com can connect you to an actual IRS agent in 17 minutes instead of the typical 96-minute hold time. Practical solution when you need definitive answers about self-employment classifications or home office requirements.
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Keisha Robinson
•How can a service possibly get you through to the IRS faster than calling directly? Doesn't everyone go through the same phone queue? I've spent countless hours on hold with the IRS on February 3rd, March 17th, and April 2nd this year, and I'm skeptical that any service could actually improve that experience.
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Paolo Conti
•This is incredibly helpful! I spent 2 hours on hold last week trying to ask about my mileage deductions. Will definitely check out Claimyr before my next attempt!
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Amina Sow
•Does Claimyr work for reaching specific IRS departments? I need to talk to someone about estimated payments specifically, not just general tax questions.
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GalaxyGazer
•Thanks for sharing this resource! The hold times with the IRS have been absolutely ridiculous this year!
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Oliver Wagner
TurboTax worked best for my SE situation. Tried H&R and it missed some key deductions. The SE interface on TT is super detailed - asks about every poss biz expense. Walks u thru home office calcs, vehicle expenses, etc. Costs more but saved me $2k in deductions vs what H&R found. FYI - don't forget to track mileage btwn clients! Big tax saver. Also, keep ALL receipts in digital format. IRS loves documentation for SE filers.
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Natasha Kuznetsova
•I second this! I've been self-employed for 5 years and TurboTax has consistently found more deductions than when I tried H&R Block. Last year I almost went with Jackson Hewitt but decided to stick with TurboTax and was glad I did - their healthcare premium credit calculator saved me hundreds.
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Javier Mendoza
•Do you use the online version or desktop software? I've heard the desktop version has more features for self-employment but costs more upfront.
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Emma Thompson
•Thank you both for sharing! This helps a lot with my decision.
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Malik Davis
I was in your exact situation last year. Started dog walking in June and was totally lost about taxes. I was worried about spending money on tax software when my business barely made profit. What worked for me was using FreeTaxUSA for federal (completely free even with self-employment) and paying the small fee for state. Saved me about $100 compared to TurboTax. It's not as fancy but asks all the same questions and got me the same refund when I compared results. Just had to be more careful about entering everything correctly.
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Isabella Santos
Used TurboTax for my caregiving business. Worth the money. Maximized deductions. Found business expenses I didn't know about. Saved $2,300 compared to previous year. Interface guides you through everything. No tax expertise needed. Handles quarterly estimates too. Keeps records for future years.
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StarStrider
Does anyone know if these tax programs handle multiple streams of self-employment income? I do caregiving AND online tutoring, and I'm wondering if I need separate Schedule Cs or if they can be combined? 😅 Tax season making my head spin faster than my clients' medication schedules!
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Ravi Gupta
I tried all three last year for my home healthcare business. H&R Block was okay but missed some industry-specific deductions that TurboTax caught. Remember when I thought I couldn't deduct my scrubs because they weren't technically a uniform? TurboTax flagged that as a potential deduction. The interface walks you through everything step by step, which was perfect for my first year. Jackson Hewitt was my least favorite - felt clunky and wasn't as thorough with the questions. Whatever you choose, start early! My first self-employment return took me THREE WEEKENDS to complete.
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