Is there any option of filing taxes for free?

[csandste]

Originally Posted by JTK
Like mentioned, sign her up on Credit Karma. Absolutely free tax prep and E-file for both Federal and State, although check your state. There's a few that aren't supported. I used it this year and was leery given I had been paying TaxAct for years. The CK system is really nice.


You get what you pay for, and in the case of the big 3 what you get is long looping dialogues that add complexity: "Did your mother in law die last year?" My last few runs with Tax Act had more and more hand holding as they tried to keep up with the two big boys. Plus their cost went through the roof.

Credit Karma, Tax Slayer and FreeTaxUSA are all simpler, more to the point and free or very cheap....and faster to get done.

 

[blupupher]

Originally Posted by zzyzzx
Paper forms are only going to cost you printing costs and postage.
Is that cheap enough?

If you have a 1040EZ then that is fine.
If you do the standard deduction, then it is probably fine as well, but takes longer.
Heck, some of these let you use your phone and just take a pic of your forms and it figures it out for you.
Having an online program that walks you through it step by step makes it much easier and more piece of mind.

I did my taxes last month and my mom's today using freetaxusa.com.
Cost me nothing but about 30 minutes of time for each. No paper to print. No envelope to put it in. No stamp to buy.
I am sure a paper return would have taken me a lot longer and would have missed something.

 

[bunnspecial]

I did H&R Block through Free-File this year and it worked fine for mine(W-2+interest+schedule C). Everything was right where I'd ballparked it by hand, and also came out nicely(small refund from the feds, owed the state $17).

 

[eljefino]

Originally Posted by aquariuscsm
FreeTaxUSA.

https://www.freetaxusa.com


X3.

It makes you walk through the $13 state taxes but at the end you can elect to not pay for them.

My state has free online filing based off the fed 1040 numbers, and hers may as well, or simply be simple enough to do by hand.

 

[RazorsEdge]

Good thread finally!

I've always used TurboTax, and might try some of these others that are mentioned in this thread later on.

 

[PandaBear]

Credit Karma. I still do a test run with another better known app / site to make sure they are the same though.