IRS Free File Program delivered by TurboTax is no longer available

After looking through four or five providers, I ultimately decide to use FreeTaxUSA to test the process of filing through an IRS Free File provider. I’ve used it in the past, and while the service requires users to input their W2 and 1099 information by hand, it claims to offer free state tax filing and doesn’t charge for 1099s. The IRS claims that 70% of Americans can file their taxes for free through Free File, but in reality, only about 1% of those who are eligible actually use the service.

I’ve had Turbo Tax guide me and input my taxes for 7 years, and this was the last time. On top of being charged $150 for a service that they did not provide to me. I ended up filing without my question answered and because of their failure I ended up having to file an amended 2021 refund. A tax refund so desperately needed will now take 16 weeks to be of any use. It’s tax time, and like many people, you might be looking for a tax preparation service — especially one that’s free.

What Is IRS Free File?

TurboTax’s explanations may not seem revelatory, but they can help to assure you that you’re filing correctly and potentially catch typos or glitches. All deposit accounts through Pathward are FDIC insured. Emerald Card Retail Reload Providers may charge a convenience fee. Any Retail Reload Fee is an independent fee assessed by the individual retailer only and is not assessed by H&R Block or Pathward.

• When we get to the state tax section, I learn that TurboTax will charge me an additional fee for each state I need to file in.
• I ended up paying and that is difficult on a very limited income.
• We wrote about that earlier this month and the opposition to this provision by freshman Democratic Reps. Katie Hill, Katie Porter, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and others.
• If you’re a veteran, find options with theVeterans Benefits Banking Program .
• Going directly to a company’s website will result in not receiving the benefits offered here.

When we clicked, and then clicked through to a second page, we found a whole new set of choices and restrictions. Each of the 12 companies that have signed on to the deal with the IRS offer their own Free File product. But they all have different requirements based on age, income and location.

The best online tax software for most people

The program often timed out during testing, which customer service attributed to overwhelmed servers. When we were able to enter our data, we often had to click through multiple screens or enter a page’s worth of data on separate screens, compared with a single screen in most other apps. The service also produced an error in our state return, carrying over just one W-2 instead of both, which would have resulted in a higher tax bill.

• Check out IRSFree File Fillable Forms.Use these to file your federal taxes for free if your 2021 adjusted gross income was more than $73,000.
• Intuit and other tax software companies have spent millions lobbying to make sure that the IRS doesn’t offer its own tax preparation and filing service.
• As is true of finding a trustworthy dentist or home-improvement contractor, asking people you know for references is usually a good way to go.
• If you have a simple return and don’t want to pay just to deduct student loan interest or tuition credits, we recommend using the free version of H&R Block.

There’s so much data-sharing wiggle room in most privacy policies—including those from H&R Block and TurboTax—that it’s difficult to predict how they’ll be interpreted. H&R Block’s interview process and guidance are nearly as good as TurboTax’s. After each major section, the program provides a summary of what you’ve entered so far.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA)

We dismissed it in 2021 because of several reports of issues with the program. Wirecutter readers and staffers, as well as commenters on the Better Business Bureau site, have noted frustrating problems, such as missing deductions on state returns or forms that fail with no explanation. Credit Karma also doesn’t support multi-state filing and a few common forms, including for underpayment ttps://turbo-tax.org/ of estimated tax, and it doesn’t offer live support. Its help knowledge base seemed to have changed in 2021, but not for the better. Without clarity on what it supports or doesn’t support for state returns, we can’t recommend it this year. Because of these problems, we wouldn’t recommend using H&R Block for returns that involve more than just a couple of common forms.

Its entry forms switch between boxes that look like nicer IRS forms, nested lists of categories you can explore, animated loading screens, and yes-or-no or multiple-choice questions. The large buttons and fonts are also more accessible to tax filers than those in competing software; we found that the not-so-user-friendly design of other apps made an already-painful task even more painful. Her research builds on the deep reporting of Melanie Pinola, who has written extensively about personal finance for sites such as Lifehacker, SmartAsset, and MyBankTracker. She has covered topics including when to hire a tax pro, the biggest deductions you should claim, and what to do to make the audit process less stressful. And, yes, she’s done head-to-head tax-software comparisons. She’s also one of the 34% of Americans who actually enjoy doing their taxes.

Compensation may impact the order of which offers appear on page, but our editorial opinions and ratings are not influenced by compensation. Even though some providers may advertise themselves as Free File participants on their website, the only way to ensure you’re accessing a Free File offer is irs free file program delivered by turbotax does not cover your tax situation to go directly through the IRS first. Prior to becoming an editor, she covered small business and taxes at NerdWallet. She has been a financial writer and editor for over 15 years, and she has a degree in finance, as well as a master’s degree in journalism and a Master of Business Administration.