That said, I used to do my parents' taxes on paper when I was in HS and college (was the easiest way for me to make sure it was done and have the info in a timely manner for doing my FAFSA). It's really not that complicated, so I think you would be fine. Especially since you are an adult, good at math, and have filed taxes before.
That would be great! I’m in a no-income-tax state, so I don’t even have that to file.i have used tax hawk for years. mine is a simple tax claim but their website says fed filing is free for advanced or simple returns. they do charge $12.95 for state filing.
I didn’t know the fillable forms did the math. Wish that was more widely advertised!Free fillable forms are easy to use, I have used them for a handful of years. Slightly more complicated last year because they changed the forms but overall you can refer to the tax instruction guide which should answer most questions. Sounds like you should be able to use your forms from last year as a guide. Biggest challenge is ensuring you have any special forms as it won't guide you to add any additional forms. Free fillable forms does do some of the calculating for you. Maybe try free fillable forms and if you get overwhelmed or can't figure it out get one of the programs.
There are free versions- there’s just an income limit, which I am blessed enough to not qualify for. But I am also stubborn enough to think filing taxes should be free for all, ha.I thought most of the online ones have a free version. I know you said it's prompting you to do the paid/deluxe version, but if you know you're not going to itemize or have credits or rental income you should still be able to just use the free one.
Also, I'm not sure how they still work because I always e-file, but I know in the past it would let you get all the way to the end and if you wanted you could just copy all the completed information onto a paper form and submit it that way rather than paying and having it processed online. So you may be able to use the assistance of an online program to walk you through the paper forms if that would make you more comfortable.
That said, I used to do my parents' taxes on paper when I was in HS and college (was the easiest way for me to make sure it was done and have the info in a timely manner for doing my FAFSA). It's really not that complicated, so I think you would be fine. Especially since you are an adult, good at math, and have filed taxes before.
Is it weird if I say it may be therapeutic to see how all the numbers actually work? I followed along with my own taxes a few years ago and it was satisfying to figure out where it was all going, ha.I've done by hand and with software. I'm using TaxHawk currently. Free for federal e-filing, no AGI limits and also includes small business and rental property income. You'd pay if you want audit support or to do your state filing.
If you have a template to reference, doing by hand with the fillable forms is a good learning experience. I didn't find it much different time wise when I was doing by hand. But I like the sanity check of the software doing a calculation so I don't typo or something so I started using TaxHawk a few years ago. Used TurboTax, H&R Block online, TaxAct, and probably someone else before. Each has their quirks but if you have a good idea of the actual forms it's easy to spot a discrepancy and figure out how to fix it. Or at least spot something wonky and call support.
There are free versions- there’s just an income limit, which I am blessed enough to not qualify for. But I am also stubborn enough to think filing taxes should be free for all, ha.
There are free versions- there’s just an income limit, which I am blessed enough to not qualify for. But I am also stubborn enough to think filing taxes should be free for all, ha.