Don't Pay More For Taxes Than You Have To

[pat_k]

4. FWIW, I've been using FreeTaxUSA for the last 5 years.

It walks you though with simple questions, automates entry of information into the forms, transfers last year's basic information over, and flags things that either deviate a lot from the prior year or seem otherwise problematic.

The only downside is that at the start a dialog box is presented to upgrade to "pro" (live support for questions). I've always refused the offer and I don't think it asks again. While finalizing a dialog box is presented to add something like "audit guard." Same deal. Just clicked No and am not bothered. As long as you don't fall for the offers, it truly is free.

I run a small dog walking business. Aside from Schedule C, the only things that might be considered a "complication" are that I have a big NOL to carry forward from a rental property that is gone and use actual expenses and depreciation for my vehicle expense. There are a couple forms that FreeTaxUSA generates, like the AMT form -- not sure what triggers them, I make way under the threshold, but the calculation is always that the alternative or the adjustment doesn't apply to me so I stopped worrying about it. Some sort of inclusion for completeness I guess.

Anyway, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend FreeTaxUSA with a warning not to accept any offered "extras"