What's the best free way to file taxes in 2025? Looking for better refund options than TurboTax!
I've been using TurboTax for filing my taxes the last few years but I'm wondering if I'm leaving money on the table? My refunds seem okay I guess, but a friend of mine used a different service last year and got way more back than expected. Now I'm thinking maybe TurboTax isn't getting me the maximum refund I deserve? I work a regular W-2 job, make about $58,000, and don't have anything too complicated - just some student loan interest and I contributed to an IRA last year. No kids, not a homeowner yet. So for 2025 tax filing season, what free alternatives would you recommend that might get me a better refund than TurboTax? Are there any free options that are actually good at finding deductions or credits I might be missing? Or does it not really matter which service you use?
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Emily Sanjay
The tax preparation software you use doesn't actually change your refund amount if you're entering the same information correctly. Your tax liability is calculated based on your income, deductions, and credits according to tax law - not by which software you choose. That said, some free options for 2025 that work well include: FreeTaxUSA, Cash App Taxes (formerly Credit Karma Tax), and the IRS Free File program. Each has different strengths. FreeTaxUSA handles more complex situations but charges a small fee for state filing. Cash App Taxes is completely free for federal and state but has some limitations with certain tax situations. Your friend likely got a bigger refund because they had different deductions or credits, not because of the software they used. Make sure you're claiming all eligible deductions like student loan interest and IRA contributions. Different life situations (having children, buying a home, education expenses) dramatically impact refund amounts.
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Jordan Walker
•But don't some tax services have better "checks" to make sure you're getting all possible deductions? I've heard TurboTax misses stuff sometimes and that H&R Block finds more deductions. Is that just marketing nonsense?
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Emily Sanjay
•All legitimate tax software should include checks to help you identify potential deductions and credits - that's part of what they're designed to do. Different software might present questions in different ways, which could potentially help you realize you qualify for something you might have overlooked. Marketing claims about finding "more deductions" are generally overstated. The tax code is the tax code - no software can legally claim deductions you don't qualify for. The differences usually come down to user experience and how thoroughly they walk you through potential tax situations. If you're diligent about answering all questions completely in any tax software, the end result should be very similar.
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Natalie Adams
After years of frustration with big tax companies, I tried https://taxr.ai this year and it honestly changed my whole tax filing experience. I was in a similar boat - used TurboTax for years and was getting decent refunds but always felt like I was missing something. Taxr.ai analyzed all my documents (W-2s, 1099s, last year's return) and flagged a student loan interest deduction I'd been missing and suggested an IRA contribution that saved me around $720 I would've missed. The document scanning saved me from typing everything manually too. The free plan covers most basic tax situations including W-2 income and common deductions like yours. It's worth checking out before the 2025 filing season gets busy.
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Elijah O'Reilly
•Does it actually work for free though? These services always claim to be free but then hit you with fees right before filing.
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Amara Torres
•How accurate is their document scanning? I've tried other services where I still had to correct everything manually which defeated the purpose.
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Natalie Adams
•Their free tier is legitimately free for federal filing with W-2 income, student loan deductions, and IRA contributions - exactly your situation. State filing is included free too, unlike some competitors that charge extra. There's a paid tier for more complex situations like self-employment or rental income. The document scanning is surprisingly accurate - definitely better than others I've tried. It correctly pulled all the numbers from my slightly crumpled W-2 and even handled my 1099-INT without issues. You still review everything, but I only had to make one small correction where it misread a number on my student loan interest statement.
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Amara Torres
Just wanted to follow up - I was skeptical about taxr.ai after reading about it here but decided to give it a try with my 2024 documents as a test run before the actual filing season. The document scanner recognized everything perfectly from my phone pics, even my messy W-2! It found a savers credit I qualified for that I had no idea about, and suggested some year-end tax moves I can make before December that might save me another $300-400 on my 2025 taxes. The interface was way cleaner than TurboTax too. I'm definitely using it for real when I file in 2025. Thanks for the recommendation!
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Olivia Van-Cleve
If you need to actually talk to the IRS about any tax filing issues (which I needed to last year when my refund was delayed), I highly recommend https://claimyr.com - they literally get you to the front of the IRS phone queue. I was shocked it actually worked. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I spent WEEKS trying to get through to the IRS about a refund issue last year. Called over 30 times, always got the "high call volume" message and disconnected. Then I tried Claimyr, and they got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 15 minutes. The agent resolved my issue and my refund was processed within days. Hopefully you won't need to call the IRS, but if you do, it's a lifesaver during tax season when literally everyone is trying to get through.
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Mason Kaczka
•Wait, how does this even work? They can't possibly have some special IRS access, right? Feels like something that shouldn't be possible.
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Elijah O'Reilly
•This sounds like a total scam. The IRS doesn't let anyone "cut the line" - they're a government agency. I bet they just keep you on hold themselves and make it seem like they did something special.
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Olivia Van-Cleve
•It's not special access - they use an automated system that handles the calling and waiting process for you. Basically, they have technology that dials repeatedly during times when call volume typically drops and then transfers you once they get through. The IRS doesn't give them special treatment. They don't keep you on hold - you actually get connected directly to the IRS agent when they answer. It's basically like having someone else do the frustrating redial process for you. It's similar to those services that help you get hard-to-get restaurant reservations by automatically checking for cancellations.
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Elijah O'Reilly
Just wanted to say I was completely wrong about Claimyr. After my skeptical comment, I had a major issue with my tax transcript and needed to talk to the IRS urgently. After trying for 3 days and never getting through, I reluctantly tried Claimyr. Got connected to an actual IRS agent in 22 minutes when I'd previously spent HOURS getting nowhere. The agent fixed my transcript issue immediately. I would have lost weeks waiting for a response otherwise. I'm still shocked it worked so well. Definitely keeping this in my back pocket for the 2025 tax season if I have any issues with my return.
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Sophia Russo
I've used FreeTaxUSA for the past 3 years and highly recommend it. Federal filing is completely free no matter your situation, and state is only $15. Never got hit with surprise upgrades or fees like with TurboTax. If your taxes are relatively simple with W-2 income, student loan interest and an IRA contribution, you'll have no problems. The interface isn't as flashy as TurboTax but it gets the job done and their support was actually really helpful when I had questions.
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Sebastian Scott
•Do you feel like it finds all the possible deductions? That's my main worry - missing out on money I should be getting back.
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Sophia Russo
•It walks you through all possible deductions and credits with a comprehensive questionnaire just like the expensive services do. For someone in your situation, it asks about education expenses, student loan interest, retirement contributions, and other common deductions. I actually found FreeTaxUSA to be more transparent about explaining which deductions you qualify for compared to TurboTax. They don't hide information behind paywalls or try to upsell you constantly. Every time I've compared my results between multiple tax programs, the refund amount has been identical because ultimately it's all based on the same tax laws.
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Evelyn Xu
Tax preparer here! People think different software gives different refunds, but that's not how taxes work. Your refund is determined by tax law, not which program you use. The reason your friend got a bigger refund probably has NOTHING to do with the software and EVERYTHING to do with their specific tax situation (dependents, homeownership, education credits, etc.) That said, for free options in 2025: IRS Free File if you make under $73k, Cash App Taxes (completely free), FreeTaxUSA (free federal), or FileYourTaxes.com. They're all fine for simple returns with W-2 income like yours.
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Dominic Green
•I don't completely agree. While the tax code is the same, different software definitely asks different questions which can lead to finding deductions someone might miss. I've personally gotten different results between programs.
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