IRS Direct File https://www.irs.gov/filing/irs-di...e-for-free Limited to 25 States in 2024. Has income limitations and supports only some forms.
https://www.freetaxusa.
https://irs.treasury.go
https://myfreetaxes.com/
https://cash.app/taxes Free federal and state. No income limits, supports most things, but a few limitations [cash.app].
https://www.olt.com/ Fed is free, most states are $10 to e-file. No income limits, supports almost all individual tax scenarios (a few more than FTUSA).
Some states support free e-file directly on their dept of revenue website. List here: https://thefinancebuff.
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I used Direct File this year and flipped through my old data in HR Block to help fill in. Pretty simple return and no state tax but I was impressed with the experience! Recommended.
I was curious about their Audit Protection Terms [cash.app] and it is indeed 1 year. However, if you continue to use them, you get up to 3 years.
- FreeTaxUSA charges $20 extra for audit defense, covers 3 years
- OLT.com includes it in their deluxe edition, which is $16 total for federal and state filing. Can't find duration
- TurboTax Desktop is $45-60 depending on which version you have, covers 2 years
- H&R Block Desktop, included with purchase, covers 3 years.
- TurboTax online, requires upgrading to Max Benefits for big bucks I'm sure. Also extra for H&R Block online.
"This is a notice that you will be assessed $1,223.88 as a result of audit findings.
You received this notice because you have been audited by the Department of Revenue (DOR). According
to our records, you failed to report the correct Personal Income Tax for period(s) January 1, 2021 to
December 31, 2021. We intend to assess the amount shown above."
I received that at the end of 2024, and I had used CashApp Taxes to file in 2021, 2022, and 2023, so yes, I would be eligible for continued audit defense. The problem is that the audit defense is a completely separate, third-party company. They indeed found that there was an error with CashAppTaxes in how they recorded the information. However, when I tried to follow the steps with CashApp Taxes which requires requesting a form via email, they ghosted me or would use boilerplate referring me to that same link you shared.
In the end I felt it wasn't worth bringing them to small claims court over $300.
Essentially, you get what you pay for with Cash App Taxes. Including customer service that's worth $0.
I used 1040.com this time since I feel that so-called audit defense is pretty useless if it's only good for a max of 3 years when the IRS is taking at least that long to review returns. Simple tax returns with the standard deductible mean there should be very little to worry about with an audit. In 20 years of doing taxes myself, this was the only time I ever had a problem, and of course it was due to the software transferring my w2 info from the fed forms to the state forms and somehow making an error.
"This is a notice that you will be assessed $1,223.88 as a result of audit findings.
You received this notice because you have been audited by the Department of Revenue (DOR). According
to our records, you failed to report the correct Personal Income Tax for period(s) January 1, 2021 to
December 31, 2021. We intend to assess the amount shown above."
I received that at the end of 2024, and I had used CashApp Taxes to file in 2021, 2022, and 2023, so yes, I would be eligible for continued audit defense. The problem is that the audit defense is a completely separate, third-party company. They indeed found that there was an error with CashAppTaxes in how they recorded the information. However, when I tried to follow the steps with CashApp Taxes which requires requesting a form via email, they ghosted me or would use boilerplate referring me to that same link you shared.
In the end I felt it wasn't worth bringing them to small claims court over $300.
Essentially, you get what you pay for with Cash App Taxes. Including customer service that's worth $0.
I used 1040.com this time since I feel that so-called audit defense is pretty useless if it's only good for a max of 3 years when the IRS is taking at least that long to review returns. Simple tax returns with the standard deductible mean there should be very little to worry about with an audit. In 20 years of doing taxes myself, this was the only time I ever had a problem, and of course it was due to the software transferring my w2 info from the fed forms to the state forms and somehow making an error.
I also noticed TurboTax desktop says they include audit "support" but you have to pay extra for audit "defense." The devil is always in the details.
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https://apnews.com/article/irs-di...45ac67b7ab
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