Well msromike, it ain't rocket science. I went to the various sites and entered my stats. Then, by the magic of the Internets, the site tells me how much it will cost to file my type of return. 🙂 It literally took me less than an hour to try out HR, Taxslayer and FreeTaxUSA. It's very easy to import last year's 1040 and other forms and also easy to just delete your info and account.
I'm looking for a good alternative. As I've mentioned multiple times, I'm a long-time user and fan of Turbotax but my family's tax filing needs (student aid, not needing the money from a return) require me to file sooner, rather than later. If they announce 8915 F is ready tomorrow, I'll probably still use TT. It's a huge blunder that TT doesn't have this form ready.
And I'm the farthest thing from a tax preparer...try Nurse Practitioner and professor. Guess who got laid off early to mid 2020 when hospitals/clinics halted routine surgeries and in-person office visits? Mid-level like NPs and Physician Assistants took a huge hit with as many as 15-20% temporarily out of work in many large hospital systems. That's why we took a relatively small Covid disaster disbursement and now it's a royal pain in the rear.
