How to File Your Income Taxes for Free by Tomorrow

The IRS partners with eight different companies to provide its Free File Program, which offers tax software to Americans whose adjusted gross income, or AGI, is $84,000 or less. Among those listed are TaxAct and TaxSlayer. Both are on our list of the best tax software for 2025.

As with most services offered for free, there are some stipulations, however. Not all state returns are free — each IRS partner specifically lists which states are included in its Free File. Maximum AGIs also vary by tax partner, and can be as little as $48,000, unless you are active military. So be sure to carefully read each product description to determine if you qualify.

In some cases, you may be able to file your taxes for free outside of the IRS Free File Program. Some IRS Free File partners may have better in-house free filing options for you to take advantage of. But freelancers and gig economy workers may find IRS Free File more affordable than pricier services like TurboTax and H&R Block.

If your AGI is greater than $84,000, you can still file for free with the IRS using its Free File Fillable Forms, but they don’t include free state return options, and there’s no guided assistance. You’ll need to manually check the math, and you can’t make changes once your return is accepted.

IRS Direct File is a proprietary filing option from the IRS that launched in 2024. It’s still available to taxpayers, despite some confusion this month about whether Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency deleted the program.

The free federal filing option helped 140,000 Americans across 12 states file tax returns last year. In 2025, 25 total states will be able to file using the service. 

IRS Direct File has expanded the kinds of deductions and tax credits you can include in your return. This includes, health savings account distributions, the child and dependent care credit and retirement savings contribution credits. This is on top of the earned income tax credit and child tax credit available in 2024.

Over time, IRS Direct File is expected to become a free federal tax filing alternative to TurboTax, H&R Block and other commercial software providers. But in our opinion, it has to expand the amount of tax situations and states it covers. 

Read our full review of IRS Direct File

The IRS also offers free tax preparation services for those most in need: The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program helps filers who make less than $67,000, those with disabilities or those who speak limited English. The volunteers are IRS-certified and supply basic income tax return prep.

Tax Counseling for the Elderly assists those who are 60 and older with specific advice on retirement-related concerns. Even those who are still working but nearing retirement might benefit from TCE services.

To find a VITA or TCE site near you, use the VITA/TCE Locator Tool or call 800-906-9887.

H&R Block’s free tier lets you easily import tax documents and includes a federal tax return and one state return. About 55% of filers qualify to file for free, according to the company.

If you previously filed with TurboTax, H&R Block makes it incredibly easy to switch by importing your previous year’s tax return directly from TurboTax. You can also import a PDF of your 2024 return. 

H&R Block Free Edition includes many common tax forms, including unemployment and student loan interest. If you begin your tax return on an H&R Block paid tier and realize you can file for free, downgrading remains a hassle, at least for now. You are still required to call H&R Block to request the downgrade. Your progress on your tax return will also be deleted. 

Overall, H&R Block’s free version allows more IRS forms than TurboTax in 2025. The full list of IRS forms supported by Free Online can be found in this PDF list from H&R Block. Be sure to check that your tax situation qualifies you to file for free. 

Read our full review of H&R Block.

TurboTax Free Edition is designed for taxpayers filing simple form 1040 returns only, with basic credits like the Earned Income Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit and student loan interest. Only 37% of all customers qualify for TurboTax Free Edition, according to the company. 

Though TurboTax’s software is excellent — it’s earned the top spot on CNET’s list of best tax software four years in a row — TurboTax has had its fair share of run-ins with the Federal Trade Commission over accusations it misled taxpayers into paying for returns despite qualifying for Free Edition. I was happy to see that this year TurboTax makes it much clearer for customers, as they fill out their return, whether they have to pay to use its service.

Before you get started, be sure to read the list of tax forms supported by TurboTax Free Edition to see if you qualify to file for free. If you have a simple return, as detailed above, you can be confident in filing your return without needing to pay for a higher tier, a tax review or handing over your taxes to a tax professional. 

If you can file in the next week or two, TurboTax is running a promotion that will let new customers file their taxes for free via its mobile app, no matter their tax situation., The offer is applicable for any tier, but you must file by Feb. 18; you won’t qualify if you filed your taxes with TurboTax last year. 

Read our full review of TurboTax.

In addition to being an IRS FreeFile partner, FreeTaxUSA provides a strong in-house option for filing your federal income taxes at no cost. The tax preparation software gives you one free federal return that includes all the IRS forms and schedules that most tax filers need. But you’ll need to pay $15 to file per state return.

A well-organized and efficient question-and-answer model will guide you through the entire tax filing process. FreeTaxUSA just doesn’t have the polished interface and support features of top tax software like TurboTax or H&R Block, but it does a good job of providing contextual help to answer common tax questions.

Read our full review of FreeTaxUSA.

You can file your taxes for free with Cash App Taxes, no matter how complicated your situation is. The catch? You have to download the company’s mobile app to get started, even if you end up filing on your laptop or desktop.

I like that Cash App offers a completely free way to file — no matter your tax situation — but it’s best for confident filers. Cash App doesn’t offer as much hand-holding through the filing process as competitors do. But if you don’t need much help or have a relatively simple tax situation and don’t qualify for free filing with TurboTax or H&R Block, it’s a great option.

Read our full review of Cash App Taxes.

You’ll need a simple return to qualify for free tax filing with TaxSlayer. Its Simply Free tier lets you prepare, file and print your federal return — and get one free state return. TaxSlayer Simply Free also has email and phone support should you need extra help, which is a plus. 

Unfortunately, TaxSlayer Simply Free has some pretty strict limitations. Unlike with most commercial tax service providers, you can’t claim the Child Tax Credit or Earned Income Tax Credit with its free tier. If you made over $100,000 in income of any form last year (job or unemployment), you also won’t qualify. 

Check out the full list of requirements for TaxSlayer Simply Free.

Read our full review of TaxSlayer.

With TaxAct Free, critical tax forms, like those for the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit, are included. Unemployment income and dependents are also covered.

After you file a federal return, your details are used to autofill your state return and, as with H&R Block and TurboTax, you’ll be able to see your estimated refund in real time. However, TaxAct doesn’t include a free state tax return; that’ll cost you $54.

Read the list of state and federal forms TaxAct offers for free (click on “forms”) before deciding if TaxAct Free will work for your situation.

Read our full review of TaxAct.