Tax Slayer Unexpectedly Charging Me This Year After Free Filing Last Year
Has anyone else had issues with Tax Slayer suddenly charging fees this year? I've used them for the past 3 tax seasons and it was always free for my simple returns. This morning I logged in to start my 2024 taxes and now they're trying to charge me $39.95 for the same basic service! My tax situation literally hasn't changed at all - still just a W-2 and standard deduction. I looked at all the fine print and I don't see how I no longer qualify for free filing. My AGI is definitely under their threshold (around $48k). When I reached out to customer service, they gave me some vague response about "updated service tiers" but wouldn't explain why I suddenly don't qualify. Anyone else experiencing this? Is there a workaround or should I just switch to a different tax software? Really frustrating since I've already set up my account and have all my past returns on there.
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Yara Assad
It sounds like you might be running into the "return customer" trap that a lot of tax software companies use. Tax Slayer and other companies often have two completely different "free" versions: 1. The truly free version that's part of the IRS Free File program, which you have to access specifically through the IRS Free File website. 2. The commercial "free" version that's advertised on their main website, which often has more limitations and upsells. If you went directly to Tax Slayer's website instead of through the IRS Free File portal, you might be seeing their commercial version which has more restrictions. Also, tax software companies often change their free filing criteria year to year. Try going to the IRS Free File page (https://www.irs.gov/filing/free-file-do-your-federal-taxes-for-free) and accessing Tax Slayer through there. You'll likely need to create a new account, but if your AGI is under the threshold (which I believe is around $73,000 for 2024 taxes), you should qualify for completely free federal filing.
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Olivia Clark
•Wait that's crazy! So they actually have two different free versions and don't tell you? That seems super shady. Do all the tax places do this?
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Yara Assad
•Yes, unfortunately most of the major tax preparation companies do this. It's a marketing tactic they've used for years. The commercial "free" version typically has numerous limitations and upsells, while the actual IRS Free File version is truly free but less advertised. The commercial version often excludes people who have even slightly complex situations or tries to upsell features that should be included. They don't make it obvious there are two different "free" options, which confuses customers.
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Javier Morales
I had the exact same problem last year and discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) which helped me figure out what was actually going on with my eligibility for free filing. I was getting so frustrated with Tax Slayer's sudden fees that I almost gave up and paid, but found this tool that analyzed my tax docs and pointed out that I still qualified for free filing through the IRS Free File program. What was super helpful is that it showed me which forms I actually needed for my situation and which tax prep services would let me file those specific forms for free. Turns out I was being unnecessarily bumped to a paid tier because the commercial version had different restrictions than the IRS Free File version.
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Natasha Petrov
•Does it actually check your specific documents or is it just a general eligibility checker? I'm hesitant to upload my tax docs to some random website.
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Connor O'Brien
•I'm skeptical about these types of services. How does it make money if it's telling you how to file for free? Seems like there must be a catch somewhere.
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Javier Morales
•It actually reviews your specific tax documents and analyzes them to determine your eligibility for different filing options. The service uses secure document processing that doesn't store your sensitive information after analysis. It makes money through partnerships with legitimate tax services and from premium features for people with more complex tax situations. The basic document analysis to determine free filing eligibility doesn't cost anything. It's designed to help people navigate the confusing world of tax filing options and find the best legitimate route for their situation.
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Natasha Petrov
Just wanted to follow up and say I tried taxr.ai after my earlier question. Super impressed with how it actually showed me exactly why Tax Slayer was trying to charge me. Turns out I have a HSA contribution that the commercial version flags as "complex" but the Free File version still processes for free! The document analysis highlighted exactly which forms I needed and pointed me to the correct Free File portal. Now I'm filing through Tax Slayer's actual free version and saving the $39.95 they were trying to charge. The interface looks slightly different but all my info transferred over just fine!
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Amina Diallo
If you're having trouble with Tax Slayer's customer service not being helpful, you might want to try Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I had a similar issue last year where I was being charged unexpectedly, and I needed to speak directly with Tax Slayer's tier 2 support, but was stuck in an endless queue. Claimyr got me through to an actual human representative in about 10 minutes when I had been trying for days on my own. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. The Tax Slayer rep was able to apply a free filing code to my account once I finally got someone on the phone who understood my situation.
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GamerGirl99
•How exactly does this work? I'm confused about how a third-party service can get you through to Tax Slayer faster than just calling them directly.
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Connor O'Brien
•This sounds made up. If it actually worked, everyone would use it and the "secret" line would be just as backed up as the regular customer service.
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Amina Diallo
•It works by using call technology that navigates through the phone trees and holds your place in line. Think of it like having a dedicated assistant who sits on hold for you, then calls you when a human representative is actually on the line. It's not a "secret" line - it's the same customer service line everyone uses. The difference is their system handles the waiting and navigating of automated systems. It works because most people give up after being on hold for 30+ minutes, but their system doesn't. Tax preparation companies have notoriously understaffed customer service during tax season, creating hours-long wait times.
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Connor O'Brien
I was completely wrong about Claimyr. Had to eat crow on this one! After getting nowhere with Tax Slayer's support chat for two days, I reluctantly tried the service. Got a call back in 15 minutes with an actual Tax Slayer rep on the line. The rep confirmed I should qualify for free filing through the IRS program and helped me access the correct portal. Saved me $39.95 plus the $15 state filing fee they were also trying to charge me. Definitely worth it for the time saved alone - I had already wasted hours trying to resolve this on my own.
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Hiroshi Nakamura
Just a heads up - if you do end up needing to switch tax providers, FreeTaxUSA is actually free for federal filing for almost all tax situations. They only charge like $15 for state filing. Been using them for years after getting fed up with TurboTax and TaxSlayer's bait and switch tactics.
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Isabella Costa
•Do they support importing previous returns from Tax Slayer? That's my biggest concern with switching.
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Hiroshi Nakamura
•They don't directly import from Tax Slayer, but you can upload a PDF of last year's return and they'll pull some basic info from it. You'll still need to manually enter most of your information for the first year you use them. It's a bit more work the first time, but I found it worth it to escape the constant upselling. Their interface is straightforward and doesn't constantly try to upgrade you to premium versions.
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Malik Jenkins
Another option is to see if you qualify for VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance). If your income is under $60,000, you can get your taxes done completely free by IRS-certified volunteers. They have locations all over during tax season.
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Freya Andersen
•VITA is great! I volunteered with them last year. Just make sure to book an appointment early because they fill up fast, especially closer to the filing deadline.
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Isla Fischer
This is exactly why I always recommend going directly through the IRS Free File website first before using any tax software's main site. The marketing tactics these companies use are deliberately confusing - they advertise "free" filing everywhere but then hit you with fees once you're invested in the process. For your situation with a $48k AGI and simple W-2, you should definitely qualify for multiple free options through the IRS program. The threshold is much higher than what you're earning. It's frustrating that Tax Slayer's customer service couldn't give you a straight answer about the "service tier" changes. If you want to stick with Tax Slayer, definitely try accessing them through the official IRS Free File portal as others have suggested. Otherwise, there are several other free options available through that same portal that might work better for you going forward.
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