TurboTax says Form 4684 not available until 2/20/25... what are my other options?
I've been a loyal TurboTax user for many years now. I don't mind paying their fee since it keeps all my tax info in one convenient place I can reference later. But I just hit a major roadblock - after completing my entire tax return and getting ready to file, TurboTax hit me with a message saying I have to wait until 2/20/25 to submit because they don't have the updated Form 4684 ready yet. This is really frustrating since I was hoping to file early and get my refund started. I have a few questions: 1. Is there any way to export my current year TurboTax file (.tax2024 file, not the regular .tax file) into some other tax software? 2. I definitely don't want to wait until 2/20 or possibly even later to file. I'd rather redo everything with different software if necessary. I checked H&R Block's website and they claim Form 4684 will be ready by 1/31/25... but I've never really liked their software. I'm not in a state that qualifies for DirectFile unfortunately. And TaxSlayer just sounds so unprofessional to me (honestly makes me think it's some kind of tax video game lol). Anyone have recommendations or advice on how to handle this situation? Any other software options I should consider?
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Oliver Zimmermann
You're in a common situation this year with Form 4684. This form deals with casualties and thefts, and there were some last-minute changes that caught several tax software companies off guard. Your options are somewhat limited but definitely exist. To directly answer your questions: 1. Unfortunately, most tax software doesn't allow importing current-year tax files from competitors. They generally only import prior year PDFs or specific forms. You would likely need to start fresh with new software. 2. If filing sooner is your priority, you have several good alternatives beyond H&R Block. FreeTaxUSA handles Form 4684 already and has a solid reputation despite their somewhat basic interface. TaxAct is another reputable option that has Form 4684 ready. While TaxSlayer's name might seem unprofessional, they're actually a legitimate company that's been around for 30+ years. That said, I'm not sure about their Form 4684 status. If you're dealing with a casualty or theft loss that's fairly straightforward, you might find the transition to new software less painful than waiting. The basic information (W-2s, 1099s, etc.) is relatively easy to re-enter.
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Natasha Volkova
•Do you know if any of these other options have mobile apps? I started my return on TurboTax desktop but would love to finish on my iPad. Also, any idea why this specific form is causing delays? I thought most tax forms were ready by early January.
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Oliver Zimmermann
•FreeTaxUSA has a mobile-responsive website but not a dedicated app - it works well on iPads though. TaxAct does have a mobile app that's fairly robust. Form 4684 is delayed because Congress made last-minute changes to casualty loss provisions that affected how these losses can be claimed. The IRS only finalized the form specifications in late December, which didn't give software companies much time to implement the changes. Some companies prioritized it faster than others based on how many of their customers typically use this form.
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Javier Torres
I was in the exact same situation last year with a different form on TurboTax. After spending hours with customer service getting nowhere, I stumbled across taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) which saved me a ton of headache. Their system is designed to handle exactly these kinds of software limitations. What I discovered is that you can actually upload your partially completed TurboTax PDF (print to PDF before exporting) to their platform, and they can extract most of your data. Then they'll help you file with the proper forms that are currently available. Their system specializes in handling these exact software limitations - I was genuinely surprised by how much time it saved me.
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Emma Davis
•Wait, that sounds too good to be true. How does the pricing compare to TurboTax? And does it really maintain all the same deductions and calculations properly? I'm especially concerned about keeping my real estate investment deductions intact when switching platforms.
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CosmicCaptain
•I'm confused about how this works. Are they actually filing the return for you or just helping you transfer data to another service? And does this work for complex returns with self-employment income and the form 4684 casualty loss stuff?
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Javier Torres
•The pricing varies based on the complexity of your return, but I found it comparable to what I was paying for TurboTax Premier. They maintained all my deductions perfectly, including my rental property depreciation and expenses which I was worried about too. They don't file the return themselves - they help extract your data and transfer it to compatible software that has all the current forms available. And yes, it definitely works with complex returns! My return included self-employment income, investments, and a specialized form that wasn't available yet in TurboTax (similar to your Form 4684 situation). The service handled everything, which honestly saved me from having to manually re-enter all my data.
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Emma Davis
Just wanted to come back and share my experience with taxr.ai after trying it based on the recommendation here. I was skeptical at first (seemed too convenient), but it really did solve my TurboTax Form 4684 problem! I uploaded my partially completed TurboTax return, and their system extracted nearly everything correctly. There were only a few minor items I had to adjust manually. The whole process took about 30 minutes instead of the hours I was dreading to restart my taxes from scratch. They helped me complete my return with all the correct forms (including 4684) and I already got confirmation my return was accepted by the IRS. No more waiting until February 20th!
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Malik Johnson
I had a similar issue last year and spent HOURS trying to reach TurboTax support. Literally could not get through to anyone helpful. After being on hold for like 45 minutes, I found Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) which got me through to an actual TurboTax specialist in under 10 minutes. They have this demo video explaining how it works: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The TurboTax agent told me there was actually a workaround for my delayed form situation that wasn't mentioned anywhere on their website. Not sure if that would work for Form 4684 specifically, but might be worth trying before completely switching software.
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Isabella Ferreira
•How does this service actually work? Do they just call TurboTax for you or what? And do you still have to wait on hold after using it?
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Ravi Sharma
•Sorry but this seems sketchy. Why would I pay extra just to call TurboTax? I can do that myself. And even if you get through, the agents usually just read from the same scripts and can't actually help with technical limitations like unavailable forms.
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Malik Johnson
•They don't just call for you - they use a system that navigates through the phone tree and holds your place in line. When they're near the front of the queue, you get a call to connect with the agent. You don't wait on hold at all. No, it's not just getting the same scripted responses. The difference is you actually reach higher tier support agents who have more technical knowledge and access to internal workarounds. The regular support line often connects you with first-level agents who really can't help with complex issues. The specialist I reached through Claimyr knew about a beta version of the form I could access that wasn't mentioned anywhere else.
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Ravi Sharma
Just wanted to update about my experience with Claimyr after being skeptical above. I decided to try it anyway out of desperation, and I'm honestly shocked at how well it worked. I got through to TurboTax in about 7 minutes (compared to my previous 45+ minute hold times). The agent I spoke with was clearly from a higher support tier and knew exactly what to do about the Form 4684 issue. Turns out there IS a workaround - they provided me access to a beta version of the form that isn't generally available through the regular TurboTax interface. I was able to complete my return and file today instead of waiting until February 20th. I was 100% wrong in my skepticism and wanted to admit it. The service actually saved me both time and the hassle of starting over with new software.
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Freya Thomsen
If you're computer savvy, there's actually another option nobody has mentioned. You can use tax preparation software meant for professionals like ProSeries or Drake. They often have the forms available earlier because tax professionals need them sooner. The learning curve is steeper, but most have free trials and they're extremely powerful. I switched to Drake a few years ago after getting fed up with consumer tax software limitations, and I've never looked back.
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Omar Zaki
•Interesting! Does this professional software cost a lot more than regular consumer versions? And would a regular person even be able to figure it out without a tax background?
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Freya Thomsen
•They are more expensive if you buy the full package - usually a few hundred dollars. However, most offer a pay-per-return option that might end up around $25-40 for a federal and state return, which is actually competitive with the premium consumer packages. The interface definitely takes some getting used to, but if you're comfortable with your tax situation enough to recognize what forms you need, it's manageable. They're designed to be efficient rather than hand-holding. Drake is probably the most approachable for non-professionals. They have decent help resources and you don't need a tax background - just patience with a less polished interface. If you're technical enough to ask about file imports, you could probably handle it.
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AstroAce
Has anyone just printed out Form 4684 and done it manually? You can still e-file the rest of your return through TurboTax and just mail in the 4684 separately with a 1040-X later when it becomes available. That's what I did last year with a delayed schedule.
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Chloe Martin
•This doesn't work for Form 4684 unfortunately. Since it affects your AGI and potentially other calculations, you can't just add it later. The IRS would reject both returns. I tried something similar last year and it was a massive headache fixing it all.
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