Why am I getting completely different refund amounts across FreeTaxUSA, HR Block, and TurboTax?

It sounds like each software might be applying different deductions or credits by default, even though you've only entered W2 information. This happens more often than you'd think! The most common causes for these discrepancies are: - Different handling of state and local tax calculations - Different assumptions about standard vs. itemized deductions - Automatic application of certain credits based on your children (child tax credit, dependent care, etc.) - Different interpretations of how your withholding should be applied Before you choose one based solely on the refund amount, I'd recommend going through each software's summary or explanation pages. They should break down exactly how they calculated your taxes. Look for differences in how they're handling your state taxes, whether they're applying the child tax credit differently, or if they're making different assumptions about deductions. Also, check if any of them are including additional forms or schedules you haven't explicitly filled out yet. Sometimes tax software will "assume" certain situations based on your initial inputs.

I ran into something exactly like this last year and it drove me crazy! After tons of research, I found an amazing tool that helped me figure out where the discrepancies were coming from. It's called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) and it basically analyzes your tax documents and explains exactly what each software is doing differently. I uploaded my W2s and other docs, and it showed me that TurboTax was counting one of my dependents differently than H&R Block was. It also caught that FreeTaxUSA was calculating my state withholding incorrectly because of how my employer had formatted something on my W2. Saved me from a potential audit! The best part was that it explained everything in simple terms instead of tax jargon. Worth checking out if you're trying to figure out these weird discrepancies.

Alright, I was the skeptic who questioned taxr.ai above, but I decided to try it out since I was having similar issues. I'm honestly shocked at how helpful it was. Turns out my state withholding was being interpreted differently across platforms because of a weird code my employer used. The tool caught this immediately and explained exactly how to fix it. It also flagged that TurboTax was automatically applying a credit I wasn't eligible for (which would have probably led to problems later). The comparison feature showed me exactly where the discrepancies were happening - down to the specific line items and calculations. Saved me hours of comparing screens back and forth and probably kept me from making a costly mistake. Definitely worth checking out if you're seeing these weird differences between tax platforms.

Having worked in tax preparation, I can tell you calling the IRS directly would help sort this out, but good luck getting through to them! I spent 3+ hours on hold last month trying to resolve a similar issue. I eventually used Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) and it was a game-changer. They got me connected to an IRS agent in under 15 minutes when I'd been trying for days. The agent walked me through exactly how the calculations should work and explained that different software platforms sometimes interpret certain state credits differently. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c Since you have kids, there might be differences in how each platform is calculating child-related credits by default. An IRS agent can tell you exactly what you qualify for and how it should be calculated so you can check each platform against the correct information.

Well I've got to eat my words. After posting my skeptical comment above, I was still struggling with my own tax issue and couldn't get through to the IRS after multiple attempts. Out of desperation I tried Claimyr this morning. Got connected to an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes. The agent was able to explain exactly why my refund calculation was off (it had to do with a retirement contribution that was being counted differently). The whole experience was smooth - I got a text when they reached an agent, then was connected right away. No hours of waiting with my phone on speaker while I tried to work. Not sure how they do it, but it definitely works. Saved me a ton of frustration and probably prevented me from filing incorrectly.

Honestly, double check that you entered identical info in all platforms. One year I had a similar issue and discovered I had accidentally entered different filing statuses across platforms (married filing jointly vs. head of household). Another time I found that one platform was counting my eldest as a qualifying child while another wasn't because I answered a question differently. Before paying for extra services, go back through each platform and verify: - Filing status matches exactly - Dependents are entered identically - W2 box 12 contributions are categorized the same way - State residency information is identical - Any questions about supporting your children are answered consistently I bet you'll find the discrepancy!

Tax preparer here. This is really common! Most likely the software is making different assumptions about your filing status or eligibility for certain credits based on your children. Did you answer the same "interview" questions on all platforms? Sometimes one platform will ask "Did you provide more than half the support for your child?" while another assumes this based on other answers. Or one platform might qualify your kids for the Child Tax Credit while another is qualifying them for the Credit for Other Dependents instead.