AJ F.

For years I used TaxAct to file my taxes as a self employed business (1040, Schedule C). For the first few years it WAS free for the Federal tax return and I paid $12-14 for my state return, which was acceptable. Then in 2015 they wanted $30 for both the Federal AND State returns! Turbo Tax was more so I paid it. I got on TaxAct this year and it would've cost close to $70! Unacceptable!

That's when I googled and found FreeTaxUSA. Like TaxAct USED to be, they had a FREE Federal return regardless of whether you run a business or not and a very reasonable $12.95 State return filing fee so I went with them.

The website was very intuitive and easy to use. I was able to review and fix things and then download and print. It says ALL OVER the site that the IRS and state returns and refunds will take some time. If you do the EIC the IRS CAN'T pay until Feb 15 at the earliest and probably not until Feb 27. That's not FreeTaxUSA's doing. It's the government. I'm just glad I was able to file hassle free and am impressed it wasn't painful and it REALLY WAS FREE.

Highly recommended and since this is the last year I'll be in business I look forward to a greatly simplified process next year.

For several years I used TaxAct. With the exception of one year, when the IRS got paid but TaxAct failed to actually file my return (fortunately I wasn't penalized since they already had the money!) there weren't any real problems with filing except that my once-free Federal return was no longer free because I am self employed and filing a 1040 with Schedule C.

In the beginning it WAS free for the Federal (I only paid for my state tax return) and then in 2015 I was charged for the Federal as well. Seems unless you have the easiest of tax returns it isn't "free" anymore. Unfortunately it wasn't until after I filled everything out that they decided to tell me this! I paid it because it was easier to do so and still pretty reasonably priced.

Last year it was even more $$ but Turbo Tax was twice the amount so I went with TaxAct again. This year I got on and was informed that the price to file as self employed had doubled. It would've cost me almost $80 to file my taxes. That did it. I don't know why I didn't think to google "Free Tax" the past 2 years but this time "FreeTaxUSA" came up and it really IS free for Federal taxes and have a reasonable State tax filing fee (like TaxAct used to!) so it's "Goodbye TaxAct!".

Greed is bad. FreeTaxUSA actually has a better website and used the information FROM TaxAct from last year's return to make filing my return even easier. Why pay more when you don't have to?