Free E-Filing

KS, I did that last year, and I was directed to TaxAct. It was so easy, and quick. I got my refund in 11 days!

I use Taxact as well. It's very easy to use, and they are very quick in processing. :)

Yes, I love it. My son is 18, and he worked for a couple months, made under $3000. Does anyone know if he can file for free on line?

Yes he can!
He can file for free, since his income is under $52,000. Go to IRS.gov for the details--and I think he can do at their website.

Thanks, KS. He was asking me last night. He'll be thrilled!

No prob :lol: My motto is you can never be too educated about this subject!

You're so right!

Well, my income is under $52,000 but I used turbo tax and it was free to e-file, but it cost me about $75 to do state and federal. However, when I went to H&R Block the year before it cost $175, so I thought this was a better deal. I have always "done" my own (outside of the year w/H&R). Turbo Tax was so very, very easy and I didn't have to do the writing.

Dbaker, if your son is under 18, single, and made under $16,000/year, then he should qualify for EIC. EIC isn't just for people filing with dependents it is also for adults who are single and earn under $16,000/yr.

Really? Even if they're still living at home? I couldn't claim him as a dependent then, could I?

Donna, Yes you can claim him as a dependant if you can prove you provide over half of his support. My son is in college and will be 19 this year and I claim him. KYSIDE38

Thanks, Linda. That's great news!

If he claims the EIC for a single person, then I don't think you can claim him as a dependent. You can check the irs site and it will give you the answer.

TaxAct rules. I have used it since the year it came out. 100% free. You will get hit with popups about buying their state product as you go thru the "interview" process, but just ignore and continue.

The one thing they don't do is guarantee any penalties if they make a calculation mistake. At least not with the free version. But if you have sooooooo many different deductions and stuff, TaxAct isn't the program for you anyway.

I love it. Use it every year. Simple, small, secure.

Okay, will check either way. Thanks, Steelers.

I was able to claim my daughter, who turned 18 last year, because she was still a dependent. However, the child tax credit you are allowed drops off when they turn 17 - even if they turned 17 on 12/31 of that year! If they turned 17 at any time during the tax year, you lose that credit.

I was also eligible for the EIC, so that helped.

Suebee, Dont that bite. We are still supporting them and they are in school. It was only a 1000 deduction anyways it wouldnt hurt the government to let a person get that exemption until they are 18. It hurt me on my taxes. I claim my son as a deduction cannot get child credit for him. KYSIDE38

I know, kyside, I wasn't too happy about it, but I was happy to learn I could still claim her as a dependent, at least!

I thought that one of the requirements for the EIC was that you had to be either Married or Head of Household and have at least one dependent. I didn't think single people could claim the Earned Income Credit, interesting.

Oh Man,
You lose the child tax for a 17 year old??? Man, there goes my exception for my kid..(she turned 17 last October). Funny, she still hits me up for cash and asks what's for dinner :cry:

If you are single and earn under $16,000/yr. you qualify for EIC. It is a separate EIC table for single individuals and the EIC payment isn't as much as you would get for having children. I have helped a few clients get this credit which raised their refund check.

You lose the credit only if your 17 yr old turned 18 during that year, even if it was on the last day of the year.

Steelers - do you mean the child tax credit or the EIC when you say that about the 17 year old turning 18?

That sounds right for the Child Tax Credit, because I think I claimed it for my 21 year old when she was 17.

I checked the IRS website - the child tax credit drops off at age 17, regardless of when the child turned 17 during the year. You can claim them as a dependent up to age 24 if they still live at home and are a full time student. I was still able to claim my 18-yr-old as a dependent on this tax filing.

Another situation in which a parent could claim an adult child as a dependent is if the child is over the age of 18 and is permenantly disabled and lived with the parent.

I've used TaxAct for the past three or four years. Last year, I used Turbo Tax for the first time because we had so many deductions. I was able to file free this way as well. This year I am doing our taxes separately.

Thanks so much for this info KS!!! I did my taxes using the Turbo tax Freedom Edition last wednesday night, and I got my state refund yesterday! My fed refund should be in my acccount on friday. I can't beleive I got my state refund so fast. In only 4 business days!! Shocking!!

Goudah, I just talked to a friend of mine who also did the free e-file. He went with Taxact. He said he filed Tuesday and got his yesterday, too. That's amazing, isn't it?

I didn't know turbo tax had a free version. Is it easy to use like TaxAct?

I just filed my teenager's tax return using the H&R Block software and discovered one thing: while it is free to do a federal return if your income is under $52,000 (and trust me, hers was), it still costs to do a state return. They wanted to charge $29.95 for hers--and I think we'll be mailing that one, if you get my drift...

We did our taxes last night online..Holy Hannah, it was a REALLY expensive experience. We obviously don't qualify for free e-file, but WOW! I didn't expect it to be that expensive..Turbo Tax next year..

Yuppers...I found that out too, when I did my parents' taxes. They qualified for free e-file based on their income, but because my mom has a very small royalty income from a gas well (we're talking $200 a year if that), they didn't qualify to complete it - $40 to print and file.

Just ran the EIC test on my son and this was the reply I got. "You are not eligible to claim the Earned Income Tax Credit because...
You meet the tests to be a qualifying child of someone else ". So, in short here, you are either a dependent or you get the EIC. Not both.

Rats I made too much! I file every year from home with the latest version of tax act and $20/yr electronic return. Got about $4000 back this year.

I gotta do mine this weekend--and I actually might be able to qualify for e-filing, because my hubby stopped working last year. It's going to be realllly close!!

I just went to California's Franchise Tax Board website and found out that CA does offer free efiling, using their special program (of course... :cry: ). The only thing you must have is your customer service number to do it, which you can get by calling the FTB. Think I'm going to do it...

Hi gang,
I need some advice here if possible. First question is that I owe about $1200.00 to the Federal IRS after messing up my deductions (took way too many) and this is about 3 years old. I have waited so long that now I'm afraid to call them for fear they will try to garnish wages..etc. Will they still work with me or will they try to take my next tax refund?
Second question is:My son is 20 yrs old and joined the NAVY in June of this year. Since he lived with me for 6 out of 12 months, am I still able to claim him on my taxes and file as head of household? If I can, does this mean that next year I will have to go back to filing as single?
BTW, LOVE the website, ya'll are great!!