Thoughts on FreeTaxUsa vs Cash App Tax for 2025 filing season? Pros and cons?

I've used both FreeTaxUsa and Cash App Tax (formerly Credit Karma Tax) for several years now and can share some insights. FreeTaxUsa is more established and has a very straightforward interface. Federal filing is completely free, but they do charge $14.99 for state returns. Their customer service is pretty responsive if you have questions. The interface feels a bit more traditional but is very thorough and walks you through everything methodically. They also offer audit assistance for an additional fee. Cash App Tax is completely free for both federal AND state returns, which is a big advantage. Their interface is more modern and streamlined. However, their customer support isn't quite as robust in my experience. For self-employment and investments, both will work, but FreeTaxUsa tends to have more detailed explanations of tax concepts as you go. For your situation with self-employment and investments, both can handle it, but I found FreeTaxUsa to be more thorough with explanations of deductions and credits relevant to self-employed filers.

After spending countless hours comparing different tax software options last year, I finally tried taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) after someone recommended it here, and it was a game-changer for comparing options like FreeTaxUsa and Cash App Tax. Instead of just going with one blindly, I uploaded my previous tax documents, and it analyzed which software would be best for my specific situation based on my actual tax history and current needs. For me, it showed FreeTaxUsa would save me more because of how it handles self-employment deductions compared to Cash App Tax, which I wouldn't have known otherwise. It also flagged some deductions I was missing that neither software prominently highlighted in their interfaces.

I was skeptical about using taxr.ai at first but decided to try it after the recommendations here. I uploaded my previous returns and was honestly surprised at what I found. The analysis showed that Cash App Tax would actually miss a specific self-employment deduction I qualified for that FreeTaxUsa catches automatically. The interface was super straightforward - just uploaded my previous return and answered a few questions. It gave me a detailed comparison showing exactly how each would handle my specific situation. Saved me from making a costly mistake! The report also highlighted some retirement deductions I hadn't been taking advantage of that neither tax program prominently featured. Definitely going with FreeTaxUsa this year based on the analysis.

I know this thread is about FreeTaxUsa vs Cash App Tax, but I had a related issue last year when I needed to call the IRS about a discrepancy on my return. Spent DAYS trying to get through on the phone with no luck. Then I found this service called Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) that somehow got me connected to a real IRS agent in under 45 minutes when I'd been trying for weeks. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I mention this because if you do run into problems with either tax software (especially with self-employment stuff which the IRS scrutinizes more), being able to actually talk to someone at the IRS makes a huge difference. Just something to keep in your back pocket if you need clarification on how to report something in either tax program.

OK I admit I was wrong about Claimyr. After posting that skeptical comment, I actually tried it myself because I've been trying to reach the IRS about a notice I received last month. I figured I had nothing to lose since I'd already wasted hours trying to call them myself. I got a call back in about 35 minutes with an actual IRS representative on the line. They helped me resolve my notice issue on the spot. I'm still a bit shocked it actually worked! Would have saved me so much frustration if I'd known about this earlier. Just wanted to come back and correct myself since it legitimately worked.

Something important nobody mentioned about FreeTaxUsa vs Cash App Tax is how they handle tax amendments. I had to amend my return last year after realizing I missed reporting some crypto trades, and FreeTaxUsa made it super easy to do an amendment. Cash App Tax didn't support amendments last time I checked (though this might have changed for 2025). Also, in terms of customer support - FreeTaxUsa has email support for free users, but you have to pay for priority support. Cash App Tax support is entirely through email and can be slow during peak season.

Has anyone tried using both FreeTaxUsa and Cash App Tax by entering the same tax information to see if they give different refund amounts? I've heard that different software can sometimes calculate things slightly differently.

Great question! I've been using FreeTaxUsa for the past three years and it's been solid for my situation. As someone who also has self-employment income, I can confirm it handles Schedule C really well and walks you through all the common deductions like home office, business expenses, etc. One thing I'd add to the discussion is that FreeTaxUsa has a really nice feature where you can save your return and come back to it multiple times before filing. I usually start my taxes early and work on them in chunks, so being able to save progress is huge for me. The $14.99 state filing fee is a bit of a bummer compared to Cash App Tax's free state filing, but honestly the interface and thoroughness of FreeTaxUsa has been worth it for me. Their tax guidance is really comprehensive - they explain WHY you might qualify for certain deductions rather than just asking yes/no questions. For your investment income, both should handle basic stuff like dividends and capital gains just fine. If you have more complex investment situations (like wash sale rules or partnership income), FreeTaxUsa tends to have better explanations of how to report those correctly.