# Question about e-filing US tax returns **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 4, 2019, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-e-filing-us-tax-returns/833465 "2019-05-04T12:18:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2019, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-e-filing-us-tax-returns/833465/1 "2019-05-04T12:18:30Z")
I am finally getting a round to doing my US tax return (not due till June 15, so I am not late). As usual, the foreign tax credit will wipe out any taxes owed so this is all wasted motion. But I have one simple question. Is it really true that if my gross income exceeds $66,000, I cannot e-file without paying someone to do it? That’s what [https://www.irs.gov/filing/e-file-options](https://www.irs.gov/filing/e-file-options) seems to be saying. Screw them; I can fill it out and I will mail it in if that is the case. Just checking that I haven’t missed anything. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2019, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-e-filing-us-tax-returns/833465/2 "2019-05-04T12:36:18Z")
Maybe? There’s a tool on the IRS site that helps you find free software, so I filled it out saying that I make $68,000. I got this message “Based on the information you provided, you are not eligible for Free File software. Your adjusted gross income for 2018 must be $66,000 or less” and it then suggests I buy commercial tax software from H&R Block or Turbo Tax etc.(my title suggestions, not the IRS’s) to file. However, there are links, one of which says “Explore [Free File Fillable Forms](https://apps.irs.gov/app/scripts/mapper.jsp?page=free_file_link2), the electronic version of IRS paper forms. It has no income limits.” I’m not sure what that is, but it sounds like you should be able to fill them out and print to mail at the very least without needing to go and locate paper forms. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2019, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-e-filing-us-tax-returns/833465/3 "2019-05-04T15:26:15Z")
Yes, that’s what I’m actually doing. I am filling the forms and will actually print and mail them. Both levels of Canadian government make e-filing free and easy for everyone. And there is free software for all normal taxpayers. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2019, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-e-filing-us-tax-returns/833465/4 "2019-05-04T16:05:22Z")
The IRS only requires tax prep software to offer free filing to those with incomes below the limit. Note that the providers make it very hard to find the free software, and if you need to report anything aside from forms 1040, 1040A, and 1040EZ, and Schedule A and B, you’ll be charged extra. I’ve used [OLT.com](http://OLT.com), which gives you all forms for free. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2019, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-e-filing-us-tax-returns/833465/5 "2019-05-04T16:17:46Z")
I used the free file fillable forms. They’re basically electronic versions of the paper forms. They won’t do your taxes for you but do offer an electronic method to fill out forms (and some very simple addition/subtraction features) and submit your taxes. I only printed out a copy to keep for my own records. No mailing necessary. For verification purposes, you will need your AGI from last year. Not sure how it works if you are outside the country, so of course YMMV. ETA: Basically, these forms won’t offer the tax prep help you might get with commercial software. But if you are simply printing the forms and filling them out, this saves a few trees from dying. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2019, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-e-filing-us-tax-returns/833465/6 "2019-05-04T16:29:51Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > I am filling the forms and will actually print and mail them. Both levels of Canadian government make e-filing free and easy for everyone. And there is free software for all normal taxpayers. Is the software developed, maintained, and hosted by the Canadian government, or does the government pay private companies to do so? ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2019, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-e-filing-us-tax-returns/833465/7 "2019-05-04T17:21:57Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Note that the providers make it very hard to find the free software, and if you need to report anything aside from forms 1040, 1040A, and 1040EZ, and Schedule A and B, you’ll be charged extra. Yep, and the software companies like TurboTax have spent millions on lobbying to make sure that the system works to their considerable benefit. Law Professor Dennis Ventry from UC Davis has been working hard to expose the scam, and to try and get Congress to pass more citizen-friendly legislation, but so far to no avail. Here’s [a piece he wrote for The Hill](https://thehill.com/opinion/finance/395762-free-file-providers-scam-taxpayers-congress-cant-be-fooled) last year, and he was also interviewed on [a recent episode of On The Media](https://www.wnycstudios.org/story/who-profits-file-taxes-on-the-media). > [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > I used the free file fillable forms. They’re basically electronic versions of the paper forms. They won’t do your taxes for you but do offer an electronic method to fill out forms (and some very simple addition/subtraction features) and submit your taxes. I only printed out a copy to keep for my own records. No mailing necessary. For verification purposes, you will need your AGI from last year. I do this too, and it works just fine. As **Great Antibob** says, it’s not automated in the way that the software tax filing systems are, but it does the basic math, and if your taxes aren’t too complicated it’s a great system. I don’t even print hard copies on my returns; I just create PDFs and store them electronically. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2019, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-e-filing-us-tax-returns/833465/8 "2019-05-04T18:40:54Z")
If you don’t wanna support the asshole tax companies corrupting government, CreditKarma Tax is another free e-filing option: > **[TurboTax](https://www.creditkarma.com/tax)** > > Get all the tax credits and deductions you deserve with TurboTax®. Their main business is selling you targeted credit card ads (their other service is credit monitoring) instead of artificially making taxes difficult for citizens. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2019, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-e-filing-us-tax-returns/833465/9 "2019-05-04T18:59:10Z")
Note than you can pay any taxes due electronically, instead of mailing a check: [https://www.eftps.com/](https://www.eftps.com/) ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2019, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-e-filing-us-tax-returns/833465/10 "2019-05-04T21:07:18Z")
I have used Tax Act for many years. It never mentions anything about such a limit when I file. Free unless you want to save it for next year and/or and print it out. $15 for full featured. Dennis ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2019, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-e-filing-us-tax-returns/833465/11 "2019-05-05T00:03:19Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > I used the free file fillable forms. They’re basically electronic versions of the paper forms. They won’t do your taxes for you but do offer an electronic method to fill out forms (and some very simple addition/subtraction features) and submit your taxes. I only printed out a copy to keep for my own records. No mailing necessary. For verification purposes, you will need your AGI from last year. > > Not sure how it works if you are outside the country, so of course YMMV. > > ETA: Basically, these forms won’t offer the tax prep help you might get with commercial software. But if you are simply printing the forms and filling them out, this saves a few trees from dying. I filled them out electronically, but how do I file them except by printing them out and mailing them? To answer another question raised above, the free software is made available free by a company whose main business is providing tax software for professional preparers. They also take care of the electronic submission. After I have done my returns (one for the province, one for the feds) and my wife’s and they have gone in, I send the company a donation of $25, but that is purely out of gratitude, not required. The software is called TurboTax. And it works for some fairly complicated returns. The most interesting thing it does is figure out what is the best way of splitting my pension between my wife and me. I am allowed to give her up to 50% of my pension, but the best split was to give her 39% on the federal form and 36% on the provincial. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2019, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-e-filing-us-tax-returns/833465/12 "2019-05-05T00:43:03Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > Yes, that’s what I’m actually doing. I am filling the forms and will actually print and mail them. Both levels of Canadian government make e-filing free and easy for everyone. And there is free software for all normal taxpayers. [If you were a U.S. resident who made $66,000 last year, you would not be a “normal” taxpayer.](https://www.bls.gov/news.release/wkyeng.nr0.htm) > [@](#): > > Median weekly earnings of the nation’s 116.1 million full-time wage and salary > workers were $905 in the first quarter of 2019 (not seasonally adjusted), the U.S. > Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2019, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-e-filing-us-tax-returns/833465/13 "2019-05-05T00:46:42Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > The IRS only requires tax prep software to offer free filing to those with incomes below the limit. > > Note that the providers make it very hard to find the free software, and if you need to report anything aside from forms 1040, 1040A, and 1040EZ, and Schedule A and B, you’ll be charged extra. > > I’ve used [OLT.com](http://OLT.com), which gives you all forms for free. There is no form 1040A or 1040EZ anymore. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2019, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-e-filing-us-tax-returns/833465/14 "2019-05-05T01:47:43Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > I filled them out electronically, but how do I file them except by printing them out and mailing them? I did my taxes back in January, but if I remember correctly, there should be an eFile button, which you click after you’ve filled out the main form and any necessary additional forms. > [@kunilou](#): > > [If you were a U.S. resident who made $66,000 last year, you would not be a “normal” taxpayer.](https://www.bls.gov/news.release/wkyeng.nr0.htm) Talk about nitpicky. Sure, $66,000 is above the national median income but “median” and “normal” don’t mean the same thing. I think that someone who earns in the high $60K range falls comfortably within what might reasonably be described as a normal taxpayer. ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2019, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-e-filing-us-tax-returns/833465/15 "2019-05-05T02:08:55Z")
Try [FreeTaxUSA](https://www.freetaxusa.com/). Federal is free, state is $15. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2019, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-e-filing-us-tax-returns/833465/16 "2019-05-05T07:29:43Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > Yep, and the software companies like TurboTax have spent millions on lobbying to make sure that the system works to their considerable benefit. The company is called Intuit, might as well call them out directly. They own Quicken, QuickBooks, and other tax softwares, soon to swallow more. > [@RealityChuck](#): > > The IRS only requires tax prep software to offer free filing to those with incomes below the limit. > > Note that the providers make it very hard to find the free software, and if you need to report anything aside from forms 1040, 1040A, and 1040EZ, and Schedule A and B, you’ll be charged extra. > > I’ve used [OLT.com](http://OLT.com), which gives you all forms for free. That is not true, if under $66,000, everything is free except state returns and possibly some obscure stuff like non-US resident. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2019, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-e-filing-us-tax-returns/833465/17 "2019-05-05T15:49:56Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > I did my taxes back in January, but if I remember correctly, there should be an eFile button, which you click after you’ve filled out the main form and any necessary additional forms. > Talk about nitpicky. I don’t see any efile button. I have printed them out and will mail them in. Then some clerk will be tasked with entering them into a computer file. Maybe they can scan them in. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2019, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-e-filing-us-tax-returns/833465/18 "2019-05-05T15:55:26Z")
I think they do scan then because they have instructions on how to write certain numbers. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2019, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-e-filing-us-tax-returns/833465/19 "2019-05-05T20:52:17Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > I filled them out electronically, but how do I file them except by printing them out and mailing them? > > To answer another question raised above, the free software is made available free by a company whose main business is providing tax software for professional preparers. They also take care of the electronic submission. After I have done my returns (one for the province, one for the feds) and my wife’s and they have gone in, I send the company a donation of $25, but that is purely out of gratitude, not required. The software is called TurboTax. And it works for some fairly complicated returns. The most interesting thing it does is figure out what is the best way of splitting my pension between my wife and me. I am allowed to give her up to 50% of my pension, but the best split was to give her 39% on the federal form and 36% on the provincial. You realize the company you “donated” money to are the same assholes corrupting government and making the filing process difficult? Fuck intuit. They deserve nothing but bankruptcy. ---
**Author:** ![slash2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@slash2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slash2k)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2019, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-e-filing-us-tax-returns/833465/20 "2019-05-06T21:41:38Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > That is not true, if under $66,000, everything is free except state returns and possibly some obscure stuff like non-US resident. No, everything is free _if you use the specific “free filing” link_. If you accidentally create your account at most of these services without using that link, they can and will charge you, even if your return would otherwise qualify for free filing. [cite](https://www.propublica.org/article/turbotax-deliberately-hides-its-free-file-page-from-search-engines) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-e-filing-us-tax-returns/833465.md?page=2)