Best Free/cheap online Tax SW w/e-file?

[ERD50]

I'm ready to help youngest DD with her taxes (first year she is fully independent). I usually use TaxAct online, but costs have gone up, and hers will be very simple.

I see options for free filing and free e-file from several places, any recommendations?

I want online, because she is on a Mac, I'm on Linux/Xubuntu. And in turn, she might help her boyfriend, who is on a Windows machine. Online solves all that.

Also, I think IL provides a simple online tax form, so we can use that for State Taxes, just need to re-enter a few things.

TIA - ERD50

 

[burch64]

I used FreetaxUSA. I liked it and I intend to use it again next year.

 

[jimbee]

I did my taxes with Credit Karma Tax, but haven't filed yet. It hasn't been bad so far.

 

[Sunset]

The IRS has a site listing free sw if your income was not high (under 64K).

https://www.irs.gov/uac/free-file-do-your-federal-taxes-for-free

 

[zinger1457]

I used OnLine Taxes (olt.com) last year and this year and it worked well for me. Fed and state e-file is free as long as your AGI is under a certain limit, $64K I believe.

 

[ERD50]

The IRS has a site listing free sw if your income was not high (under 64K).

https://www.irs.gov/uac/free-file-do-your-federal-taxes-for-free

Thanks. I have her W2's, and she's doing pretty good - above that limit as a first year nurse.

-ERD50

 

[duckcalldan]

For my kids, 2nd year I've used myfreetaxes which is an H&R Block collaboration with United Way. For anyone with income under $64000 and unlike many of the other "free" websites, there's no limitation on forms or schedules.

 

[mountainsoft]

I don't have anything to compare it to, but we have been using EZTaxReturn.com for the last eight years and have been happy with their service. It costs about $25-30 each year, but it makes doing a tax return relatively easy.

 

[powerplay]

There is a pretty decent deal for Taxact that is posted on Slick Deals. The Plus version is $7.50 or Premium version is $15.00 with state adding another $12.50.

 

[FANOFJESUS]

How to these compare to Turbo Tax are they hard to use?

 

[zinger1457]

How to these compare to Turbo Tax are they hard to use?

It's been awhile since I used Turbo Tax but I find olt.com easy to use. It will step through each section asking questions and call up the necessary forms based on your response. Can try most of these for free to give it a trial run.

 

[TromboneAl]

The IRS has a site listing free sw if your income was not high (under 64K).

https://www.irs.gov/uac/free-file-do-your-federal-taxes-for-free

That pointed me to the free TurboTax online version (as one option).

I'm going to start a return using that, and decide whether it's a good option.

Update: So far, it seems that I have to manually enter everything in and go through the interviews. I've been thinking that since my situation is so similar to last year's that I will try directly filling out forms this year. Not possible via TT Freedom edition, apparently.

 

[ERD50]

I used FreetaxUSA. I liked it and I intend to use it again next year.

Just got done with her taxes. The program seemed fine, I had no problems. Free for FED, and you could do State for just $12.95 (I'm pretty sure IL provides a free file online), so we figured it was worth it just to avoid retyping everything and worrying about an error. Even with a simple return, it takes some time to 2x check everything and go through the options, that's just the way it is. She does have two W2s (part time sub work) and a small investment that kicks off a DIV.

And it read in her PDF from last year, so that saved time. I might use it myself next year in place of TaxAct online which has raised prices.

-ERD50

 

[TromboneAl]

Update: I just finished our taxes using FreeTaxUSA. Very simple, and I was done before I knew it (literally. I said, "What I'm done?"). Thanks, ERD.

Total cost $12.95.

The taxes get easier every year. This year we finally depleted our taxable account (after ten years of retirement), and next year we start drawing from our IRAs.

 

[Scrapr]

Just helped Lil Scrapr with his return. Last year I didn't step in, he waited to literally the last minute and went to H&R Block. $189 later. So this year I finally got him to sit down with his docs and we did Credit Karma. It was pretty easy. Free Fed & State. He filled out everything as I supervised. It took him a bit because he was reading everything line in the interview. Where I would just say click "Next". Probably took about 40-45 mins

He was expecting to pay. We got to the end and He says...So where is the part where I pay? LOL. I told him that box up at the top says REFUND. He got about $450 back

 

[ERD50]

Update: I just finished our taxes using FreeTaxUSA. Very simple, and I was done before I knew it (literally. I said, "What I'm done?"). Thanks, ERD.

Total cost $12.95.

The taxes get easier every year. This year we finally depleted our taxable account (after ten years of retirement), and next year we start drawing from our IRAs.

Thanks go to burch64, I heard of it from that post:

I used FreetaxUSA. I liked it and I intend to use it again next year.

-ERD50

 

[karen1972]

Reminds me back in the day, Illinois had a 1800 number, if you just had W2 and interest income, you could enter it via phone... took under 5 minutes.

 

[Sunset]

Just got done with her taxes. The program seemed fine, I had no problems. Free for FED, and you could do State for just $12.95 (I'm pretty sure IL provides a free file online), so we figured it was worth it just to avoid retyping everything and worrying about an error. Even with a simple return, it takes some time to 2x check everything and go through the options, that's just the way it is. She does have two W2s (part time sub work) and a small investment that kicks off a DIV.

And it read in her PDF from last year, so that saved time. I might use it myself next year in place of TaxAct online which has raised prices.

-ERD50

I used Taxcut, but instead of paying the $14 for State e-filing, I just filled out the State once included, which is easy, printed it.
Then went to the IL site and did their free online version, using the numbers from the State one I had in hand. Made it easier.

What I liked is instant receipt from the State they have it, and free.

I could have mailed in my printed version, but our stupid State also wants the Fed copy which was 41 pages by itself !! I'm sure they then pay someone min wage to type it into the online program

 

[frank2009]

Nothing to add, I just wanted to thank Sunset for that IRS link!

 

[powerplay]

I was able to get Tax Act Premium federal and state for $10 through a link on Slick Deals. It seems the better deals show up later in the tax season. This is the online version of Tax Act.

 

[rbmrtn]

If anyone is still looking TaxAct has Slickdeals promo for $40 off premium. That makes it $7.50 + 12.50 for state. https://slickdeals.net/coupons/taxact/?couponid=1102296#all

I was going to use FreeTaxUSA, got all done and found it was not handling the Publicly Traded Partnership K-1s correctly, which they confirmed. So now starting with OLT online taxes, free via IRS freefile.