Sarah B.
Hi SaverLife,
I don't really know exactly what to post here. I have done my taxes myself since I have started paying taxes for myself (no one else could claim me). My taxes used to be super simple (W-2 only) but have grown more complex with age. As time has gone on, I find that getting my taxes done early leads to less stress overall. Most tax forms you need to file are available by Mid-February( with the exception of I think some specialized retirement accounts). My best tip and what I like to do, is to start with a list of all of the forms I need: W-2s, 1099s, etc. Any account I have that I have done some sort of financial transaction with. I then get the dates together when I know these forms will be ready. As they become available, I upload them to TurboTax. I have used this service since I started filing taxes and find it easy to follow and use. I do use a paid version because I have some special tax situations.
The only challenge that I have run into: I made the impulse decision to spend like $50 buying crypto. I didn't make any money, but I also didn't realize that I would have to file a tax form for them! I used Coinbase, but I have trouble connecting that service to TurboTax. If you have crypto, didn't buy much like me and need to get a tax form together: I recommend CoinTracker which will connect to your crypto account (or accounts) and spit out a summary tax form for you. It was super easy to use.
Good Luck Filing Out there!