Why are recommended tax deductions twice my yearly income? Did FreeTaxUSA make a mistake?

The standard deduction is a fixed amount set by the IRS that everyone gets regardless of income! For 2025 tax filing (for 2024 taxes), the standard deduction for a single filer is $13,850. This isn't a mistake - it's actually a benefit for you! Here's how it works: The standard deduction reduces the amount of your income that's subject to taxes. Since your income was around $6,450, and the standard deduction is $13,850, you'll end up with $0 in taxable income (because your deduction is higher than your actual income). This means you likely won't owe any federal income tax! The software is correctly recommending the standard deduction because it's much higher than your itemized deductions would be ($202). Always take the higher deduction - in this case, the standard.

I went through the EXACT same confusion last year lol. I tried making sense of the tax stuff for hours before I discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) which helped me understand what was happening with my taxes. It analyzed my tax docs and explained that the standard deduction is a set amount for everyone regardless of income - that's why it seemed so high compared to what you made! The software actually gives personalized explanations for confusing stuff like this. It was way more helpful than asking my parents who just told me "that's how it works" without explaining anything. Super helpful for first-time filers especially when the numbers don't seem to make sense at first.

Came back to share my experience after trying taxr.ai that someone mentioned earlier. It actually explained everything about my standard deduction situation super clearly! I was confused about the same thing - my income was only like $7,300 but the standard deduction was way higher. The site explained that's totally normal and actually works in my favor because it reduces my taxable income to zero. It even showed me which boxes on my W-2 matter most for my refund. Honestly way more helpful than when I asked my older brother who just said "that's how taxes work" without explaining anything. Made me feel less stupid about being confused in the first place since apparently tons of people don't understand this.

If you're struggling with tax questions and need to talk to an actual IRS agent (which I HIGHLY recommend for first-time filers), check out https://claimyr.com. I spent HOURS trying to get through to the IRS last year about a similar deduction question, but their hold times are insane. Claimyr basically waits on hold with the IRS for you and calls you back when an actual human picks up. I was super skeptical until I watched their demo (https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c) and decided to try it. Got connected to an IRS agent in about an hour instead of waiting all day on hold myself. The agent confirmed everything about the standard deduction being higher than my income and explained that it's totally normal.

I take back what I said. I finally broke down and tried Claimyr after wasting another 2 hours on hold with the IRS myself. It actually worked exactly as described. Got a call back about 90 minutes later with an actual IRS agent on the line. The agent confirmed everything about standard deductions - they're fixed amounts that everyone gets regardless of income. Having it be more than your income is actually beneficial because it reduces your taxable income to zero. Saved me hours of frustration and got my question answered by an official source. Hate admitting I was wrong but this was definitely worth it.

Friendly tip from a fellow young taxpayer - the standard deduction is your friend! It's designed to help lower-income folks like us. Since you made less than the standard deduction amount, you'll likely get back all the federal income tax that was withheld from your paychecks. This is exactly how the system is supposed to work. Don't stress about it looking "wrong" - it's actually working in your favor!

One thing nobody mentioned - make sure you're not marked as a dependent on your parents' taxes if you're filing independently! This matters a lot. If they claim you, you can't claim yourself.