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Other sites are no better. This yeah I went through the whole flow on H&R Block, and only at the end did they say they couldn't file my taxes because of one 109

Other sites are no better. This yeah I went through the whole flow on H&R Block, and only at the end did they say they couldn't file my taxes because of one 1099-NEC. However I still had to pay full price to print out my forms. Which I had to print and send myself.

quickthrowman 3y ago
I’ve used Free Tax USA for the past 6-7 years, and there are no dark patterns. Free federal filing will be the default option if you qualify (based on AGI), offers for extra services are clear about not being necessary for filing, and filing state taxes costs maybe $12. I don’t usually recommend products but Free Tax USA is one of the most honest companies I’ve dealt with online, they’ve never thrown a curveball at me. It’s refreshing to deal with a company who is satisfied with just making money and not squeezing every possible dollar out of you.
ndiddy 3y ago
I've used Free File Fillable Forms (https://www.freefilefillableforms.com/home/default.php https://www.freefilefillableforms.com/home/default.php) for federal tax for the past few years and haven't had any issues. There's no payment whatsoever. For state, I've filed on my state's website.
turrican 3y ago
I’m not going to shill too hard for a tax prep company, but I’ve used FreeTaxUSA for years and am satisfied. Cheap, simple, no hidden fees I’ve noticed.
- ThatPlayer 3y ago
  I would love to keep using them, but looking at my current tax year, I want to file a specific state form that they do not support. For estimated taxes calculated by annualized income installment method because my income is tilted towards the end of the year. I haven't paid any estimated taxes for the first two quarters, and without this I'd have underpayment fees. I did ask them about this two years ago, so if they don't add it for 2023, I'll have to look into other options.
- Loughla 3y ago
  I've used them for five or six years. They keep getting better. The name sounds super sketchy, but they're legit. They do charge for oddball forms, but they're super up front about that. Like when you select the forms they tell you the price. I have multiple income streams and multiple weirdo tax situations (farming, day job, three consulting firms, my own consulting) and it still only takes me 30 minutes to do my taxes with them.
  - gavinhoward 3y ago
    Relative of a FreeTaxUSA employee here. > The name sounds super sketchy, but they're legit. I've told them to change their name, and my relative has told them to change their name. Their marketing department is...dumb, IMO. (My relative told me about a semi-recent marketing campaign, and it was laughable.) But quite frankly, I prefer a company where the marketing department is the only incompetent one.
    - Loughla 3y ago
      Tell your relative they're doing really good work, but a little change to their website might do wonders. Nothing crazy, maybe just something to make them not look like identity thieves. >I prefer a company where the marketing department is the only incompetent one. I have never thought about that, but it is exactly spot on. They're really good at what they do and really bad at selling it. Word of mouth seems to be the only way they get customers. I read about them on reddit and started using them. Now I tell everyone about that service.
      - gavinhoward 3y ago
        > Tell your relative they're doing really good work, but a little change to their website might do wonders. You're absolutely correct. Fortunately, my relative is aware. Unfortunately, she's tried to tell them, and they don't believe her. It annoys her so much.
        fakedang 3y ago
thousand_nights 3y ago
i've been seeing this pattern on so many posts on hn that criticize basically anything. i'm not trying to have a stab at you specifically btw, this is more meta > x is bad because of this obvious reason that it is bad > "but y and z are also bad!" what is that supposed to be a rebuttal to? is the implication that we should.. do nothing because everything else is also shit? i don't see why turbotax in this instance shouldn't be punished. that would set a nice precedent at least
- JohnMakin 3y ago
  You see this in any internet discussion, such as about gun violence - “well knives can kill people too and we’re not outlawing those.”
  - tialaramex 3y ago
    And indeed in England most knives require that you have a specific lawful purpose to carry them. "Self defence" isn't a lawful purpose. The small folding knives on some utility tools are exempt but that's all. All weapons are illegal. Purpose made, improvised, even just I picked up a glass and threatened people with it, that's a weapon and it's illegal to have weapons.
- dfxm12 3y ago
  I don't think it's a rebuttal. I don't think it's a "but"; it appears to be an "and". The implication is a warning for people who may look to an alternative to inuit based on this - stay away from H&R Block as well. No one said anything about inuit not being punished.
- RajT88 3y ago
  > i don't see why turbotax in this instance shouldn't be punished. I don't see why they should only be punished 141 million dollars - they undoubtedly made a lot more money than that out of these shady practices. Therefore, this is just a "cost of doing business" and won't curtail such behavior in the future. Not until the penalty is severe enough to put the fear into them.

quickthrowman 3y ago

I’ve used Free Tax USA for the past 6-7 years, and there are no dark patterns. Free federal filing will be the default option if you qualify (based on AGI), offers for extra services are clear about not being necessary for filing, and filing state taxes costs maybe $12. I don’t usually recommend products but Free Tax USA is one of the most honest companies I’ve dealt with online, they’ve never thrown a curveball at me. It’s refreshing to deal with a company who is satisfied with just making money and not squeezing every possible dollar out of you.

ndiddy 3y ago

I've used Free File Fillable Forms (https://www.freefilefillableforms.com/home/default.php https://www.freefilefillableforms.com/home/default.php) for federal tax for the past few years and haven't had any issues. There's no payment whatsoever. For state, I've filed on my state's website.

turrican 3y ago

I’m not going to shill too hard for a tax prep company, but I’ve used FreeTaxUSA for years and am satisfied. Cheap, simple, no hidden fees I’ve noticed.

ThatPlayer 3y ago
I would love to keep using them, but looking at my current tax year, I want to file a specific state form that they do not support. For estimated taxes calculated by annualized income installment method because my income is tilted towards the end of the year. I haven't paid any estimated taxes for the first two quarters, and without this I'd have underpayment fees. I did ask them about this two years ago, so if they don't add it for 2023, I'll have to look into other options.
Loughla 3y ago
I've used them for five or six years. They keep getting better. The name sounds super sketchy, but they're legit. They do charge for oddball forms, but they're super up front about that. Like when you select the forms they tell you the price. I have multiple income streams and multiple weirdo tax situations (farming, day job, three consulting firms, my own consulting) and it still only takes me 30 minutes to do my taxes with them.
- gavinhoward 3y ago
  Relative of a FreeTaxUSA employee here. > The name sounds super sketchy, but they're legit. I've told them to change their name, and my relative has told them to change their name. Their marketing department is...dumb, IMO. (My relative told me about a semi-recent marketing campaign, and it was laughable.) But quite frankly, I prefer a company where the marketing department is the only incompetent one.
  - Loughla 3y ago
    Tell your relative they're doing really good work, but a little change to their website might do wonders. Nothing crazy, maybe just something to make them not look like identity thieves. >I prefer a company where the marketing department is the only incompetent one. I have never thought about that, but it is exactly spot on. They're really good at what they do and really bad at selling it. Word of mouth seems to be the only way they get customers. I read about them on reddit and started using them. Now I tell everyone about that service.
    - gavinhoward 3y ago
      > Tell your relative they're doing really good work, but a little change to their website might do wonders. You're absolutely correct. Fortunately, my relative is aware. Unfortunately, she's tried to tell them, and they don't believe her. It annoys her so much.
      - fakedang 3y ago

thousand_nights 3y ago

i've been seeing this pattern on so many posts on hn that criticize basically anything. i'm not trying to have a stab at you specifically btw, this is more meta > x is bad because of this obvious reason that it is bad > "but y and z are also bad!" what is that supposed to be a rebuttal to? is the implication that we should.. do nothing because everything else is also shit? i don't see why turbotax in this instance shouldn't be punished. that would set a nice precedent at least

JohnMakin 3y ago
You see this in any internet discussion, such as about gun violence - “well knives can kill people too and we’re not outlawing those.”
- tialaramex 3y ago
  And indeed in England most knives require that you have a specific lawful purpose to carry them. "Self defence" isn't a lawful purpose. The small folding knives on some utility tools are exempt but that's all. All weapons are illegal. Purpose made, improvised, even just I picked up a glass and threatened people with it, that's a weapon and it's illegal to have weapons.
dfxm12 3y ago
I don't think it's a rebuttal. I don't think it's a "but"; it appears to be an "and". The implication is a warning for people who may look to an alternative to inuit based on this - stay away from H&R Block as well. No one said anything about inuit not being punished.
RajT88 3y ago
> i don't see why turbotax in this instance shouldn't be punished. I don't see why they should only be punished 141 million dollars - they undoubtedly made a lot more money than that out of these shady practices. Therefore, this is just a "cost of doing business" and won't curtail such behavior in the future. Not until the penalty is severe enough to put the fear into them.