Originally published at: How TurboTax tricks you into paying to file your taxes | Boing Boing
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Usually I can get the federal part free, unless you have to do something funky like the FSA/HSA stuff. And then they charge you. And they charge you for filing in the states, which I have two. 
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Yeah i have to add in info for my student and private loans which forces me to pay TurboTax for the privilege of processing my taxes 
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Just use Credit Karma.
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Intuit makes Turbotax. They are also responsible for Quickbooks.
I used to use and pay for Turbotax. Nowadays I go with Credit Karma tax which is lesser known but just as easy to work with and free. I don’t have to file state in NH (no state income tax) but it lets me file student loan interest paid and my fiancée’s schedule C for no additional costs.
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I will, once I can get them to understand that I live in one state that doesn’t have income tax, and work in a different state that does. Maybe this will be the year…
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While it’s understandably harder for a lot of folks now with gig work, the free fillable forms option isn’t limited to just income over 72,000. It’s a little extra time looking things up, but if you’ve got a relatively uncomplicated tax situation to start with, it’s easy and doesn’t send you through as much hassle with third parties.
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Intuit owns Credit Karma, and Mint.
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Oh right, I forgot they bought Credit Karma too. It’s basically impossible to not deal with Intuit if you’re even remotely close to the bottom rungs of the income ladder and can’t afford an accountant. (and even then…)
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And…?
You are correct. Dang. It’s only a matter of time before they kill those apps or optimize rent collection.
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I just did my taxes this year with TurboTax - I’ve used it for years and also use Mint and QB to track budget and spending. I really like their products but it sucks I’m forced to pay $80 bucks for something that should be free just because I’m a high earner, live in a state with income tax and don’t claim the standard deduction.
However, it’s also worth $80 bucks to free up my time on a chore that I used to spend days on. So I guess I can’t complain too much.
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I have used TaxSlayer for over a decade. Not sure who owns them but I am getting annoyed with how much more it costs to file with them year after year. Is it still free to file by mail? Can we still get paper forms and send everything in like in the 20th century? Not that I’d want to, but if you could file using one of the EZ forms then at least that is still free.
I use hr block online for free 6 years now, no problems.
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irs.gov has all the forms for the federal taxes. Your state should have their tax forms available online to print as well. Make sure you know exactly which forms you may need. Sometimes the AARP offers free assistance for older folks on low income. Our library provides the basic forms free of charge, and can help you print out the additional forms you may need; just don’t ask us which ones they are.
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If you happen to live in Minnesota: for years, I’ve had no trouble getting to TurboTax’s free filing product, by starting at the state Department of Revenue website and clicking through from there.
One year I forgot, and tried to start out at TurboTax, and yes, then I couldn’t find the free version—but then I remembered to go to the state Dept of Revenue website and go from there.
I’ve only ever done it to get to TurboTax’s free filing product, and I can’t speak for any other states. Just mentioning it in case it’s helpful to anyone.
That article is two years old. Here’s an article that’s only one year old explaining how the IRS changed the game.
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I’ve been telling people about the IRS free file fillable forms for years. News stories that mention free file always make a point to call out the online free-file income limit, but never mention this option. Sure it’s a little more work, but you never have to deal with sleezy third parties like Intuit and it’s always free with no limit!
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Excellent! Worth reading. Thank you for posting that link.
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THIS. Are we that many years from the days when the IRS mailed you the booklet with the form that most likely fits you and most people just filled it out by hand? If you just do W-2 work, don’t freelance, and rent, it’s not complicated and there’s no reason not to fill the forms out and mail it directly, no charge.
When I started having to do depreciation, that’s when I punted to Turbotax. While their tactics do piss me off, there is always the option of having it print everything and mail it. And let’s face it, while they certainly aren’t in the business of disabusing anyone of the notion, they aren’t the ones who made taxes so complicated and the IRS fearsome enough that people are scared into thinking they need to pay a professional to handle it.
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