Taxes can be daunting no matter how many times you’ve done them, but they can be especially scary in the first few years you file them. Whether it’s your first time or your third time filing taxes, it’s something students dread every time tax season rolls around. Seeing the word “deductible” is enough to send anyone into a spiral. Making sure you have all the required documents is a pain, and even then, how do you know you have them all for sure? Plus, it isn’t always free to file your taxes.
If you don’t approach doing your taxes the right way, there’s a strong chance you will have to pay to file those taxes. Yes, ironically, you may have to pay to pay taxes. I don’t know about you, but as a student, I look for the cheapest deals and free routes for anything I do. If you’re not even really sure where to start, here’s a guide on some places you can go to make sure you take care of this duty as easily and painlessly as possible. Here are five free tax filing websites for students to take advantage of, coming from someone in the same position as you.
- IRS Free File
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IRS Free File is a free online service for filing taxes designed by the IRS. It offers step-by-step tax preparation for federal tax returns, as well as some state filings. This is a basic option that’s easy to take advantage of, and you know that it’s dependable because it comes straight from the revenue service that deals with taxes through the federal government. The best part is that there is a guided option, so for whoever is new(er) to filing their taxes, it can be a great choice.
- H&R Block
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H&R Block is actually the service that I use to file my taxes, and it’s pretty simple to use after your first time. My dad definitely had to walk me through it on my first go around, but I can confirm it’s free to use, and it’s a strong contender for simple tax return service.
- TurboTax
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TurboTax is another tax software that tends to be easy to use for young people with simpler taxes. According to the website, about 11 million people file their taxes completely free through TurboTax every year, and I don’t mind joining that number if it’s as simple as it appears to be.Â
- TaxSlayer
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Filing your taxes definitely isn’t a slay, but you can file them for free with TaxSlayer, which is a slay. This platform really only works out to be free when you have an extremely simple tax return, but if you’re just starting out or have only been filing for a few years, there’s a good chance this will work wonderfully for you.Â
- TaxAct
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Lastly, TaxAct is another great option to file for free. TaxAct is a somewhat lesser-known option for filing, but it works a lot like H&R Block and TurboTax. It’s also not super fancy, which is a plus for people who are filing more simple taxes, so it’s perfect for me, and maybe you, too.Â