IRS Free File: Do Your Taxes for Free • Hacker News Board

Re: IRS Free File: Do Your Taxes for Free

#121

Post by gavinhoward » Sat, Jan 21, 2023, 4:20 AM UTC

UncleOxidant wrote: post #87

itslennysfault wrote: post #47

I've been using https://TaxFreeUSA.com for the past 5 years, and it's great. Just as intuitive as TurboTax, but totally free for federal (you pay for state, but I lived in WA until this year so it was totally free). Also, I sleep better at night knowing I'm not giving money to Intuit who is the largest lobbyist that keeps tax codes complex.

Any idea how well it might or might not work for more complex situations like rental depreciation? I'd like to stop giving my money to TurboTax/Intuit.

Relative of an employee here.

They have a question search [1]. When I searched for "rental depreciation," it showed [2]. The first result dropdown had this:

> Rental Depreciation:

> Menu Path: Income > Business Income > Rental Income (Schedule E)

> Enter on the Depreciable Assets screen. If you are filing a Schedule C, then that screen will be within the Business Income (Schedule C) screens. If you are filing a Schedule F, it will be within the Farm Income (Schedule F) screens. If you are filing a Schedule E, it will be within the Rental Income (Schedule E) screens.

[1]: https://www.freetaxusa.com/help_tax_tips.jsp

[2]: https://www.freetaxusa.com/search_faq.jsp?apptype=freetaxusa...

Re: IRS Free File: Do Your Taxes for Free

#122

Post by throwaheyy » Sat, Jan 21, 2023, 4:21 AM UTC

noveltyaccount wrote: post #93

bobro wrote: post #7

I tried the fillable forms in previous years. They certainly aren’t easy and don’t make you confident you are filing an accurate form. Paying $50-100 to save a few hours and a lot of worrying is well worth it to me, even if along the way I bemoan the complexity and inaccessibility of the current tax system.

I lived in Australia for a time and the taxes were a breeze. Enter a few identifiers like tax id number, it fetches the data from the government, confirm the data, done in 15 minutes. I couldn't believe it. Taxes and health care in America are just so broken.

I think this is relatively new. 10 or so years ago you still had to download a desktop app that looked like it was written in 1995 and go through each page.

Re: IRS Free File: Do Your Taxes for Free

#123

Post by gavinhoward » Sat, Jan 21, 2023, 4:21 AM UTC

itslennysfault wrote: post #47

I've been using https://TaxFreeUSA.com for the past 5 years, and it's great. Just as intuitive as TurboTax, but totally free for federal (you pay for state, but I lived in WA until this year so it was totally free). Also, I sleep better at night knowing I'm not giving money to Intuit who is the largest lobbyist that keeps tax codes complex.

Relative of a happy employee (of freetaxusa.com, but same company).

I'll pass along your message!

Re: IRS Free File: Do Your Taxes for Free

#124

Post by jlv2 » Sat, Jan 21, 2023, 4:24 AM UTC

wespad wrote: post #19

https://www.freetaxusa.com/ and their parent company https://www.taxhawk.com/ They charge $14.99 for the state filing. Usually a coupon code available. Or go to the state's website (CA at least), and file that for free, too. But for the convenience of not having to input my info again, I'll pay their fee.

I have a big problem with FreeTaxUsa... I don't want my tax return data on their server. I want to have something I can run on my own computer.

(and it really bothers me that taxhawk.com and freetaxusa.com are mimics of each other... why have two sites with different branding that are under the cover the same thing?)

Re: IRS Free File: Do Your Taxes for Free

#125

Post by gavinhoward » Sat, Jan 21, 2023, 4:25 AM UTC

Relative of an employee of freetaxusa.com (TaxHawk).

My relative is one of the people working on Free File. If you have any issues, don't hesitate to contact me [1]. Free File is something they are deadly serious about because they know Intuit, TurboTax, et al are scummy, and well, it brings in business.

But Free File can be complicated (my relative complains about it a lot), so there may be issues. Please let me know.

[1]: https://gavinhoward.com/contact/

Re: IRS Free File: Do Your Taxes for Free

#126

Post by gavinhoward » Sat, Jan 21, 2023, 4:31 AM UTC

jlv2 wrote: post #124

wespad wrote: post #19

https://www.freetaxusa.com/ and their parent company https://www.taxhawk.com/ They charge $14.99 for the state filing. Usually a coupon code available. Or go to the state's website (CA at least), and file that for free, too. But for the convenience of not having to input my info again, I'll pay their fee.

I have a big problem with FreeTaxUsa... I don't want my tax return data on their server. I want to have something I can run on my own computer. (and it really bothers me that taxhawk.com and freetaxusa.com are mimics of each other... why have two sites with different branding that are under the cover the same thing?)

Relative of an employee of FreeTaxUSA/TaxHawk.

The two sites are targeting different kinds of people. That's why they exist. They are the same (and same company) because in the end, everyone has to go through the same processes for taxes.

As for keeping the tax return data on their server, it's for convenience and possibly for other reasons. My relative believes that, for legal reasons, FreeTaxUSA is considered a "tax preparer" and needs to keep those records.

Re: IRS Free File: Do Your Taxes for Free

#127

Post by u801e » Sat, Jan 21, 2023, 4:33 AM UTC

I've been using Free fillable forms for quite a few years without any issues. Up until the 2020 tax year, they also had state fillable forms which I also used to file state taxes. Unfortunately, they stopped supporting individual filings for state taxes, so that's no longer an option. I actually filed my state taxes by paper for the first time in many years because of that.

Re: IRS Free File: Do Your Taxes for Free

#128

Post by toast0 » Sat, Jan 21, 2023, 4:41 AM UTC

ElijahLynn wrote: post #74

rdonohue wrote: post #63

If you prefer to do your federal taxes yourself (and/or want to crosscheck the free fillable forms) the following site provides an Excel approach: https://sites.google.com/view/incometaxspreadsheet/home I use it every year and find it to be great.

That seems odd they don't have it in a Google Sheet, which I initially thought it was because of speed reading the hostname, sites.google.com. I don't have Excel.

You can use those files with Open Office for the most part.

Re: IRS Free File: Do Your Taxes for Free

#129

Post by damontal » Sat, Jan 21, 2023, 4:46 AM UTC

odysseus wrote: post #101

oh_sigh wrote: post #44

Call me crazy but I think it's a bad idea to do your taxes this early. I've gotten so many amended forms over the years that eat up so much time filing amended returns that I wait until the last minute now.

Flip side is identity thieves do your taxes early for you and get your refund.

Happened to me. Then a few years later they used my kid’s ssn. So now we all have pins.

Re: IRS Free File: Do Your Taxes for Free

#130

Post by 0xcde4c3db » Sat, Jan 21, 2023, 4:51 AM UTC

neilv wrote: post #39

Looks like IRS Free File Fillable Forms isn't yet available for 2022 Tax Year returns. Also looks like that's the only IRS e-File option for AGI over $73K that doesn't involve using a commercial software/service (which I assume will probably sell user's financial data, and then also let it get breached).

Just to be clear, Free File Fillable Forms is not run by the IRS, but by a private-sector vendor that is part of the Free File Alliance. I believe it's been run by Intuit and H&R Block at various points, but the current provider seems to be one I hadn't heard of (OnLine Taxes). I don't know the full chain of events and obligations, but my understanding is that there's an agreement in place that the IRS will not provide an in-house e-filing solution for individuals as long as the Free File Alliance continues to provide the Free File program (including Fillable Forms).