Where to Get Your Taxes Done for Free

Paying taxes is unavoidable for most people. But paying to have your taxes done—that’s a different story.

In fact, if you have a relatively simple return or you are a middle-income earner, there’s a good chance you can file for free. What is a simple return? In general, if you are mostly just using a W-2 to fill out a Form 1040 or Form 1040 EZ, or if you make less than $79,000 or live in certain states, you should have one or more options to file a free return, either directly through a popular software provider or by way of the IRS’s Free File program.

What’s even better: The number of tax filers who fall into the ”simple return” category has increased dramatically in the past few years. That’s because of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which nearly doubled the so-called standard deduction, or the amount of money all taxpayers are allowed to lop off their income as an alternative to claiming itemized deductions. The change reduced the number of taxpayers who need to itemize from nearly 50 million to less than 20 million, according to the Tax Foundation.

The standard deduction, which is pegged to inflation, has continued to increase. For the 2023 tax year it’s $13,850 for singles and $27,700 for married couples filing jointly.

Still, getting your taxes done for free isn’t always obvious. Tax prep companies depend on selling—not giving away—their software, and they have been accused of de-emphasizing free returns in their marketing. Over the years, regulators have investigated, and sometimes disciplined, tax prep companies for unnecessarily upselling taxpayers.

Depending on your financial situation, there are a couple of different routes you can take if you’re looking for free tax filing. Here are your key options:

Free editions of tax popular software

Many of the leading tax software platforms offer a free version of their products for people with simple returns, but how each company defines “simple” is…not always simple. While nearly all have a free version you can use if your tax paperwork is limited to recording W-2 income on a Form 1040 and claiming the earned-income tax credit, or EITC, the parameters have considerable variation beyond that.

Some don’t offer free filing if you have to record retirement income or self-employment income, for example, and other specific deductions and credits are sometimes excluded from free tax filing.

Here are examples of common tax situations included in the free tax filing options offered by some of the companies that made the Buy Side Best Tax Prep Software Companies.

FreeTaxUSA is a good option for self-employed taxpayers, since its menu of free covered forms includes a wide range of 1099 and small-business income, as well as forms for deductions such as business expenses.

What’s included:

• Wage and salary income
• Self-employment income
• Unemployment income
• Retirement income
• Interest, dividend, other investment income
• EITC
• Child, dependent care credits
• Education expenses and credits 
• Student loan interest deduction
• Mortgage interest, real estate tax deductions

H&R Block covers retirement, unemployment and some investment income streams in its free offerings, so even if you didn’t earn wages or a salary in 2022 (if you retired or lost your job, for instance), you might still qualify for free tax prep.

What’s included:

• Wage and salary income
• Unemployment income
• Retirement income
• Interest and dividend income
• EITC
• Child credit
• Education expenses and credits 
• Student loan interest deduction
• State return

TurboTax was our best tax software pick overall because it has a wider variety of paid services based on how much tax help you need, but its free offering is for simple tax returns only and more limited in the scope of what it covers. Not all taxpayers qualify, but during tax season free filers can get live chat or video assistance at no charge.

What’s included:

• Wage and salary income
• Limited interest and dividend income
• EITC
• Child credit
• Student loan interest deduction
• State return

Buy Side named Cash App Taxes our best free tax software pick, because it never comes with a fee, costly upgrade or upselling—even if your taxes are on the more complicated side (most tax software does this). It supports many types of income, deductions and credits, as well as state returns. There is not, however, any live tax assistance available—just support for the app itself—and you can’t file multiple state returns or non-resident state returns. (You also must download Cash App to your mobile device.)

What’s included:

• Wage and salary income
• Self-employment income
• Retirement income
• Interest and dividend income
• EITC
• Child credit
• HSA deduction
• Student loan and mortgage interest deduction
• Education expenses and credits
• State return

Free File through the IRS

If you are a middle-income earner, even if you have relatively complicated taxes, you should qualify to file your taxes for free through the IRS’s Free File program.

Free File is a program the agency runs in conjunction with a consortium of tax preparation companies called the Free File Alliance that is available to filers with an adjusted gross income of $79,000 or less. (To put that in context, the median U.S. household income was just under $75,000 in 2022, according to the Census Bureau.) And the good news about the IRS program is that you will qualify even if your taxes are more complicated and you need to access other forms or schedules.

Eligible taxpayers can access what the IRS characterizes as a “guided preparation module” that helps you fill out and file your taxes. Eligibility for free state tax filing through Free File depends on your state and the Free File provider you choose.

One important thing to note: The private-sector partners in the IRS free tax filing program are many of the same big tax software companies that offer free versions of their services. However, Free File is a separate program and distinct from these company’s free online offerings, such as the ones detailed above. You have to access Free File through the IRS.gov Free File portal and create an account through the program. Even if you’ve used the same company’s commercial offerings in the past, you won’t be able to use your same login credentials.

Taxpayers of all income levels can access free fillable tax forms online, although they will not enjoy the same benefits as those that qualify for Free File, such as assistance with your calculations, extensive error-checking and the ability to file a free state return. If your income is higher than the threshold for Free File and you want free tax help, check out our roundup of the best tax software programs, which includes details about each company’s qualifications for free filing, many of which include one state return along when you file your federal return.

See if you’re eligible for the IRS’ Direct File program

The IRS has also launched a free tax program called Direct File this year, which will offer taxpayers in certain states to file their tax returns directly with the agency. The pilot program will be open in phases to taxpayers in Arizona, California, Massachusetts and New York for state and federal returns, as well as the nine states where no state income taxes are levied (Alaska, Florida, New Hampshire, Nevada, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming).

The program was funded through the 2022 Inflation reduction Act and will be available in both English and Spanish. Taxpayers will be able to complete their returns digitally using an interview-based approach on a mobile device or computer.

A quick note: The pilot program does not support all income types, tax credits or deductions, so if you have a more complicated tax situation, you may not be eligible—regardless of location.

Get in-person help from a volunteer

Low-income and elderly taxpayers who need in-person tax help have a few additional options, thanks to a handful of volunteer-run tax assistance programs.

The IRS’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program is available for low-income and disabled taxpayers, as well as those with limited English language proficiency. The agency’s Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) program offers free assistance with tax prep and can answer questions for taxpayers age 60 and older. Learn more about both programs here.

Many cities such as Chicago and New York City also offer free tax-prep clinics to assist disadvantaged taxpayers. (Googling the city name plus a phrase like “free in-person tax help” can help you find out if this assistance is available near you.)

Key dates to know

While Tax Day is traditionally April 15, taxpayers get a few extra days this year—until April 18—because of the weekend, and Washington, D.C.’s observance of Emancipation Day on April 17. (Residents of some California counties that were heavily impacted by recent floods get until May 15.)

The IRS says Free File is available beginning January 13. The filing season opens for federal tax returns on Jan. 23 for federal tax returns.

Learn more about key filing dates and deadlines at our guide, “When Is Tax Day.”