Tax Preparation - CPA at Large

Welcome to the CPA at Large Tax-Prep Hub

How to Use This Page

Taxes may be inevitable, but confusing it doesn’t have to be. Whether you’re a W-2 employee with a side hustle or a full-time freelancer juggling 1099s, this page puts every do-it-yourself (DIY) resource in one spot—calculators, checklists, and the best online software—to help you file accurately, on time, and with the biggest legal refund.

Top DIY Tax-Prep Apps

App	Why We Like It
TurboTax Online	Step-by-step “interview” interface, live CPA/EA help add-on, and extensive calculators for complex returns turbotax.intuit.com techradar.com
H&R Block Online	Robust free tier, option to visit 10 k+ retail offices if you hit a snag, and clear audit support paths techradar.com
TaxAct	Budget-friendly pricing, strong accuracy guarantee, and easy import of prior-year PDFs or CSVs taxact.com techradar.com
FreeTaxUSA	True free federal filing—even for itemizers—with inexpensive state add-ons and deluxe audit assist freetaxusa.com techradar.com
Cash App Taxes	Completely free federal and state returns, support for crypto/stock trades, and seamless refund deposit to Cash App flexoffers.com techradar.com
TaxSlayer	Simple-to-free option, military discount, and one of the lowest-cost self-employed tiers on the market taxslayer.com techradar.com

Heads-up: Some links on this page are affiliate links. Clicking them supports CPA at Large at no extra cost.

1 Financial Literacy Month Starts National observance focused on improving Americans’ understanding of financial concepts including budgeting, investing, debt management, and credit scores. Includes workshops and media campaigns throughout the month.

15 Contributions for Prior Year Due Last day to make P/Y contributions to IRAs, HSAs, and Coverdell ESAs., FBAR Filing Deadline (FinCEN 114) Deadline to file FinCEN Form 114 (FBAR) for foreign bank account holders exceeding $10,000. Automatic extension applies until October 15 if not filed by this date., Federal & State Income Tax Filing Deadline Last day to file 2024 individual tax returns or an extension., Q1 Estimated Tax Payment Due Estimated tax payments for the first quarter of the current tax year, covering income earned Jan 1 – Mar 31.

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30 Form 941 Quarterly Payroll Tax Filings - Q1 Due IRS Form 941 must be filed quarterly by employers to report income taxes, Social Security tax, and Medicare tax withheld from employee paychecks, along with the employer’s share of these taxes.

Run the calculators – estimate this year’s refund or balance due and plan quarterly payments if you’re self-employed.
Pick a software above – start a free account, import last year’s data, and answer the guided questions.
Organize docs – download the Deductions & Credits Checklist and gather W-2s, 1099s, and receipts.
File & verify – e-file, set direct deposit for faster refunds, then store your PDF in a secure cloud folder.

Pro Tip: If you’re testing multiple apps, e-file only once—but feel free to run dummy returns in several platforms to see which yields the best refund and UX.

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