I'm open to alternatives for sure! Did TaxAct handle all the rental property stuff well? Like depreciation and splitting expenses between properties? I've just been using TurboTax for so long I'm kinda afraid to switch and miss deductions.

TaxAct definitely handled all the rental property features well. The depreciation calculator is actually more detailed than TurboTax's in my opinion, and I was able to track expenses separately for each property without any issues. You won't miss deductions - if anything, I found TaxAct was more thorough in asking about potential deductions specific to rental properties. The interview process asks about things like travel to inspect properties, home office use for property management, and even partial business use of vehicles for property maintenance. The learning curve isn't bad at all if you're already familiar with tax concepts.

Also check your employee benefits portal if you work for a medium-large company! My employer offers a corporate discount code for TurboTax that saved me like $40 last year, and I had no idea until I randomly checked our benefits site.

Do you need to know all the tax forms and which ones to fill out when using the software? That's what intimidates me - not knowing which forms I need.

You don't need to know any of the tax forms beforehand! That's the beauty of tax software. It asks you simple questions like "Did you own a home?" or "How many dependents do you have?" and then determines all the necessary forms for you automatically. The software fills out all the right forms behind the scenes based on your answers. You'll never need to decide "do I need Schedule A or Schedule C?" - it handles all of that. You just answer questions about your life situation and it does the technical part. It's designed for regular people, not tax experts.

I tried Cash App Taxes last year and it messed up my mortgage interest deduction somehow. Ended up having to file an amendment. Maybe they've fixed it for this year?

Is there a way to do a quick check for these hidden characters across my whole return? I'm using TaxAct and now I'm worried there might be backslashes I'm not seeing.

The best way to check your entire return is to create the PDF preview (usually there's a "Preview" or "Print Preview" option) and then use the search function (Ctrl+F on Windows or Command+F on Mac) to search for the backslash character. Just type \ in the search box and it will highlight any instances throughout the document. TaxAct also has a built-in error checker that runs before you file. While it might not specifically call out backslashes, it should catch most formatting issues that would cause rejection. If you're still concerned, you can also print the entire return and visually scan the fields where you entered text (like name, address, occupation) for any unexpected characters.

Forward slashes can definitely cause similar problems. The IRS systems interpret them as date separators or division operators in some contexts. I'd recommend removing them from any text fields like addresses. Only use them where they're expected (like in dates formatted as MM/DD/YYYY).

8 The W-4 doesn't use allowances anymore - they changed it in 2020. Now it's a completely different system with steps for different situations. I was confused too when I started my new job because I was used to the old form.

21 You're right, I completely forgot they changed the form! Shows how long I've been at my current job. I guess the basic concept is still similar though - you give your employer information about your tax situation, and they use IRS tables to calculate the withholding. Thanks for the correction. I should probably review my own withholding sometime soon since I haven't updated my W-4 since before the change.

2 The actual calculation is in IRS Publication 15-T if you really want to see the math. It's pretty complicated. More likely explanation is that you filled out your W-4 differently at the two jobs, or one employer is using an older version of your W-4. Ask HR for a copy of your current W-4 on file and see if it matches what you remember filling out.

Did FreeTaxUSA handle state taxes too or just federal? And was that included in the basic price or an add-on?

FreeTaxUSA does federal returns for free and charges around $15 for state returns, which is way cheaper than most other services. The state filing is an add-on but still very affordable compared to the $40+ that TurboTax and others charge. They handle both federal and state unemployment reporting correctly, which was important for me since my state taxes unemployment a bit differently than federal.

I tried their app last year and honestly wouldn't recommend it. Super buggy and kept crashing when I tried to upload photos of my documents. Ended up having to use the website anyway. If you're set on using your phone, TaxSlayer's app worked better for me this year.