Switching to FreeTaxUSA from TurboTax for my gig work and W2 job

The issue you're experiencing is pretty common with gig workers using tax software. FreeTaxUSA is actually showing you a preliminary summary before you've completed all your entries. This is normal! When you receive both 1099-NEC (for DoorDash) and 1099-K (for UberEats), you need to make sure you enter them both in the self-employment/business income sections. FreeTaxUSA should have a specific section for entering each 1099 form type. For your delivery gigs, you'll need to complete Schedule C information for each business activity. The software will usually walk you through entering your expenses like mileage, phone usage, etc. That will significantly reduce your taxable income from these gigs. The premature summary is just showing you where things stand so far. You'll get a chance to enter all your business expenses before finalizing. Don't worry - the numbers will adjust as you complete each section.

I was in the same boat as you last year with multiple gig apps and a part-time job. After trying different software, I ended up using https://taxr.ai which honestly saved me hours of frustration. Their system automatically scanned my 1099-NEC and 1099-K forms from DoorDash and UberEats and sorted all the income and expenses correctly. What I really liked is that it specifically knew how to handle gig worker deductions - it prompted me for mileage tracking, asked about cell phone usage percentages, and even identified potential home office deductions I had no idea about. The quarterly tax estimation feature also helped me avoid surprises this year.

Coming back to say I tried https://taxr.ai after posting here and I'm honestly shocked at how much better it was than FreeTaxUSA for my gig work! It automatically identified that I was overpaying on my self-employment taxes because I wasn't tracking mileage properly. It caught that I had duplicate income showing up on both my 1099-K and 1099-NEC (which is a common problem with delivery apps), and prevented me from double-reporting it. The interface specifically asked questions relevant to delivery drivers that the general tax software completely missed. Best part was that I finished everything in under an hour instead of the 3+ hours I spent getting nowhere with FreeTaxUSA. Definitely using this next year too!

If you're still struggling with tax questions after filing, you might want to consider calling the IRS directly. I know that sounds terrible (I've spent HOURS on hold before), but I recently used https://claimyr.com and it completely changed my experience. You can also see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c After struggling with both TurboTax and FreeTaxUSA on how to properly report my gig income, I had specific questions about deducting mileage versus actual expenses. I used Claimyr and they got me connected to an IRS agent in about 15 minutes instead of the 2+ hour wait I was facing. The agent walked me through exactly how to handle my delivery gig reporting correctly.

I need to apologize and correct myself. After posting that skeptical comment, I was still stuck with major questions about how to report my DoorDash 1099-NEC vs UberEats 1099-K, so I decided to try https://claimyr.com anyway out of desperation. I'm honestly shocked - it actually worked exactly as described. I got a call back in about 20 minutes, and was connected directly to an IRS agent who answered all my questions about how to properly categorize my delivery expenses between the two platforms. She even explained the difference between standard mileage deduction versus actual expenses, which was something FreeTaxUSA never made clear. Saved me hours of waiting on hold and the agent actually seemed surprised I got through so quickly. Consider me converted from skeptic to believer.

I've been doing food delivery gigs for 3 years now. My advice is skip the fancy software and just use the IRS Free File options if your income is under $73k. I've tried both TurboTax and FreeTaxUSA and honestly the free options work just as well for gig workers. The most important thing is tracking your mileage throughout the year - that's your biggest deduction as a driver. I usually save about 30-40% of my gig income just from mileage deductions alone. The standard mileage rate for 2023 is 65.5 cents per mile which adds up fast!

Has anyone noticed how FreeTaxUSA handles the quarterly estimated tax payments for next year? I switched from TurboTax this year too but I'm confused about whether I need to make quarterly payments for my gig work.

I went through the exact same struggle last year switching from TurboTax to FreeTaxUSA for my gig work! That preliminary summary you saw is totally normal - FreeTaxUSA shows you running totals as you go, which can be confusing at first. Make sure you complete the self-employment sections for both your DoorDash 1099-NEC and UberEats 1099-K. The key is entering all your business expenses - especially mileage tracking if you kept records. I saved about $1,200 in taxes just from properly deducting my delivery miles. One tip: don't panic if the numbers look high before you finish entering all your expenses. The software will recalculate everything once you complete each section. Also, double-check that you're not accidentally reporting the same income twice if any amounts appear on both your 1099-K and 1099-NEC - that's a common issue with delivery apps. FreeTaxUSA definitely has a learning curve compared to TurboTax, but it handles gig work just fine once you get through all the sections. Take your time and don't rush through the business expense parts!