That $60 'premium' tax software I bought was a total ripoff for my freelance side hustle

I figured I'd treat myself to the expensive version of tax software last spring because I was nervous about my first year freelancing. Paid $60 for the version that supposedly 'maximizes deductions' and 'catches every credit.' Turns out it just asked me the same basic questions as the free version and then tried to upsell me on adding a CPA review for another $150. I ended up missing the home office deduction completely because the interface was so cluttered I didn't even know that section existed. Found out later from a friend who uses the same software that the free version has the exact same deduction finder tool. Anyone else gotten burned by paying extra for features that turn out to be just marketing fluff?

3 comments

3 Comments

anna71710d ago

I mean $60 for tax software really isn't that much in the grand scheme of things though. Like we spend that on dinner and a couple drinks without blinking so it's not exactly a tragedy. Did the home office deduction end up being a huge amount of money for you or just a couple hundred bucks?

kimr919d ago

FreeTaxUSA is like $15 and works just as well for most people. @anna717 I'd look into that next year if you want to save the $45. The deduction was around $800 so it ended up being worth the hassle.

zarat379d ago

omg yes this is totally one of those things where we spend money on stuff without thinking but then get all hung up on smaller stuff. like i know people who will drop $40 on ubereats without a second thought but then complain about a $10 streaming subscription. it's this weird mental math our brains do where some expenses feel "real" and others don't. maybe it's just me but i've noticed it with myself too, like i'll easily spend $30 on fancy coffee over a month but freak out over a $25 parking ticket.