Bruce C.

First, everyone should remember that FreeTax, Turbo Tax, etc. have NO CONTROL over when you receive your refund. Once your return is accepted by the IRS (mine was accepted within 30 minutes), it is up to the IRS to process and transmit any refund.

As for FreeTax itself, it is fairly simple to use, and unlike other "free" services, you can use this even if you have more complicated returns that include stock sales, etc. Sometimes the explanations are not as explicit as they should be, but if you just stop and think for a second, you'll most likely figure it out yourself. For example, there was a very simple way for me to enter information for a tax credit, but Free Tax didn't tell me it was there. My brokerage information was not automatically entered for me, but FreeTax made it simple for me to enter myself.

After 3 years of usage, there's never been a problem with calculations, nor have I received any inquiries from the IRS.

I really didn't mind paying $12.95 to file the state return, I understood going in that there would be an extra charge for this. It was worth it, as I was able to complete the state return in about 5 minutes. All and all, I believe I spent about an hour doing both returns. It probably would have taken 3 to 5 times that to do them myself. I found you can shorten the process by having all the paperwork/forms you need organized and at your fingertips.

I have recommended FreeTax to others and will continue to do so.