If I use TurboTax again this year, and end up owing, when are the fees for using the service expected?

[corbina49]

I am also not filing the same as last year. Last year I filed a self-employed. This year I'm not doing that. I have a W-2 to go with my doordash earnings. The doordash was done very minimally, therefore it's not counting a self-employed. How will that affect my filing?

[xmasbaby0]

If you owe tax due, you pay your TT fees before you e-file, using a credit or debit card.   And your tax due to the IRS or state are due by April 15, 2025.

[xmasbaby0]

"....doordash..."   If you had even $400 of earnings from DoorDash, you have self-employment income for which you are required to pay self-employment tax for Social Security and Medicare.   And you are supposed to prepare a Schedule C for your expenses like mileage.

If you do not want to pay for the expensive Premium software here, try different software

-Use this IRS site for other ways to file for free.  There are 8  free software versions available from the IRS Free File site

https://apps.irs.gov/app/freeFile/

Or—if you live in certain states you may be eligible to use the new IRS Direct File

In Filing Season 2025, Direct File will be available in Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. 

https://directfile.irs.gov/

https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy2629

[corbina49]

How would you know if you owe in advance? Wouldn't I need to complete the process of filing first?

[corbina49]

I was told by a tax expert from TurboTax earlier in the year, that a fight earned under $14,000 that I would not need to file self-employment taxes. I would list it on my income tax, but I was told that I wouldn't pay self-employment taxes if I stayed under that amount.

[xmasbaby0]

@corbina49 Yes---you will not know if you owe unless you have entered all of your information.   If you owe tax due it will be on line 37 of your Form 1040.   If you are getting a refund it will be on line 35a.   It sounded as if you had already entered your information since you stated that you owe.   You do not literally have to e-file to know if you owe.  You should always look at your tax return before you e-file it.

PREVIEW 1040

https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/en-us/help-article/tax-return/preview-turbotax-online-retur...

[VolvoGirl]

What?  What is "that a fight earned under $14,000"?  You need to file and pay self employment tax on only $400 or more.  The Self Employment tax is in addition to any regular income tax you pay on your total income.  But if your income is less than  your Standard Deduction (14,600 for Single) then you don't owe any regular income tax on it.  But you still owe the self employment tax.  

And you have to pay the Turbo Tax fees before  you file or print.  At the end it will show you the tax due or refund for federal and state.  And there may be a refund monitor at the top as you fill out  your tax return.  It was gone but I hear it might be back.  

[corbina49]

I didn't say that I know for sure that I owe. I was asking and if type scenario. Because I don't know whether I do or not. I based my actions this year off of the advice I received from TurboTax last year, which was if I earned under a certain amount on a delivery platform like doordash, then I wouldn't need to file self-employment taxes.

[VolvoGirl]

I read your post from last year.  I didn't see that.  She answered you have to file  if you have $400 of self employment (not 14,000).     

[corbina49]

The information given to me was not put in a post. It was from some type of event I was invited to to come ask questions. I actually spoke to someone over the phone. I believe I may have a screen capture I saved from part of the conversation that was started in a chat.

[xmasbaby0]

Sounds like there was a misunderstanding somewhere.   If you have even $400 of self-employment income---which would include any income from DoorDash--you are required to file a tax return and you are required to pay self-employment tax for Social Security and Medicare.    If you earned less than $14,600 and are single, you do not pay ordinary income tax.  Self-employment tax is not the same thing as "ordinary" income tax.

[corbina49]

Ok, thanks