Buying IBonds with refund in FreetaxUSA

[feelingroovy]

I've used FreeTaxUSA for years and find it pretty simple.

This year I will have a refund for the first time in many years and I want to use it to buy I bonds.

Has anyone successfully done this? Or found it impossible? I cannot figure out how. Software help and Google are not giving me anything.

We have a pretty complicated return and I'd rather not start over.

[jpdx]

Be aware that you will receive paper bonds in multiple denominations. Others on here have reported it can wind up being a half-dozen bonds which is a real hassle if you want to convert them to electronic form.

[Nothlit]

I'm sure OP has long since moved on, but for the future benefit of others: as of this writing, FreeTaxUSA does not support Form 8888 Part II, so you cannot allocate your refund to Series I paper bonds using that particular software provider.

[jnw]

Be aware that you will receive paper bonds in multiple denominations. Others on here have reported it can wind up being a half-dozen bonds which is a real hassle if you want to convert them to electronic form.

Side question: Just curious why is it a hassle? What if I buy one Series I Savings Bond, directly from TreasuryDirect.gov, each month at $833.33?  Ending up with 12 I-bonds that total $10k. Is it a problem having multiple smaller I-bonds?  Or is the problem just related to the hassle of converting many small paper I-bonds to electronic?

[Queen Frugal]

Converting the small paper bonds into electronic bonds is the PITA part.  What you're doing is fine.