Americans are expected to submit more than 160 million income tax returns to the IRS before the April 15 deadline this year. And while many will pay to prepare their taxes, some of the savviest taxpayers will file those 1040s for free.
One of the most popular tax software providers is TurboTax, which is owned by Intuit. This year, DIY taxpayers can snag a limited-time, app-only deal for all tax situations or use TurboTax Free Edition, which covers only simple tax returns.
Read on to learn more about using TurboTax to file your taxes for free in 2026.
Is TurboTax free?
TurboTax is free all season long for people who have simple 1040 tax returns with no special situations and do not opt for any add-ons. (See below for details.) Historically, though, there has been some controversy about whether TurboTax’s “free” offerings were really free.
Intuit announced in 2021 that it had chosen not to renew its participation in IRS Free File, a public-private initiative that allows certain taxpayers to access free guided tax prep. Although TurboTax had been part of IRS Free File since its 2003 launch, the company pulled out, blaming “limitations within the program and conflicting demands from those outside the program.”
It wasn’t a smooth exit. The decision came a few years after ProPublica published a story alleging that TurboTax used code to purposefully hide its IRS Free File product from Google and other search engines. (After the article went live, Intuit changed the code.)
In 2022, the Federal Trade Commission filed a legal complaint accusing Intuit of running deceptive ads that tricked folks into thinking doing their taxes through TurboTax was free, only to learn at the end of the process — “after they have invested time and effort gathering and inputting into TurboTax their sensitive personal and financial information” — that they’d have to upgrade to a paid service.
Then, in 2024, the FTC formally prohibited Intuit from advertising anything as free “unless it is free for all consumers or it discloses clearly and conspicuously and in close proximity to the ‘free’ claim the percentage of taxpayers or consumers that qualify.” Intuit appealed, saying in a statement to Money in 2025 that “over the last 11 years, we’ve helped more than 130 million Americans file their taxes free of charge — more than all other tax prep software companies combined.” It added it “has always been clear, fair and transparent with its customers and is committed to free tax preparation.”
Can I file my 2025 taxes for free through TurboTax?
Yes. TurboTax Free Edition is live for the season, although it’s intended for simple 1040 returns only, meaning you don’t file any supplemental forms or schedules except those needed for the earned income tax credit, student loan interest deduction and the child tax credit. Schedule 1-A (which covers “no tax on overtime,” “no tax on tips,” car loan interest and the “senior bonus”) is also eligible — but, in general, you’ll need to just have W-2 income and take the standard deduction to qualify for TurboTax Free Edition.
TurboTax Free Edition charges $0 for simple federal filing and $0 for simple state filing. You can start your return(s) for free.
If your financial situation is more complex, you may want to check out the company’s DIY Free Mobile App Offer. Through the end of the month, customers who didn’t use TurboTax last year can file federal and state returns for free using TurboTax’s or Credit Karma’s mobile app. Any tax situation is fine for this DIY deal, but your taxes have to be filed by 11:59 p.m. ET on Feb. 28 in order to qualify.
Want to upgrade? Paid options include TurboTax Expert Assist, which lets you ask questions to experts and have them review your return for accuracy before you file. Costs start between $39 and $159 for a federal return, plus $39 to $49 for state.
Expert Full Service, in which a tax expert fully does your federal and state taxes for you, costs $150 through Feb. 28 as long as you didn’t have a TurboTax expert file for you last year. If you did, the price starts at $89 to $129.
Keep in mind these prices are likely to change as the tax season wears on, so you might want to get moving if one catches your eye.
Why is TurboTax not free?
Not all TurboTax products are free because it’s a business.
TurboTax is owned by Intuit, which is a public company. Intuit says it brought in $3.9 billion in revenue in the first quarter of the 2026 fiscal year, which ended on Oct. 31 for the company.
On its website, TurboTax has a frequently asked questions section that tackles the issue of “how does TurboTax make money?” The answer: “We want our customers to love our products and services. Because we have customers who pay for our premium products and services, we can offer free tax filing to many customers.”
Who gets TurboTax free?
Intuit says about 37% of taxpayers qualify to use TurboTax’s DIY Free Edition, which is meant for filing simple Form 1040 returns only.
TurboTax Online products are also free if you’re an active-duty or reserve member of an enlisted rank in the U.S. military. If you get a W-2 from the Defense Finance Accounting Service (DFAS), you generally qualify for free federal and state tax prep through the TurboTax Military Discount, no matter whether you choose free, deluxe or premium services. (The discount does not apply to TurboTax Experts or TurboTax Desktop products.)
See more details on TurboTax’s website.
Other ways to file your taxes for free in 2026
Taxpayers with adjusted gross incomes of $89,000 or less in 2025 are eligible for IRS Free File, which offers free guided tax prep from one of eight name-brand companies. Above that income threshold, you can access Free File Fillable Forms, which is not guided and requires more tax knowledge.
IRS Direct File, an initiative that enabled taxpayers who lived and worked in 25 states in 2024 to file federal taxes online directly with the IRS, has shut down.
President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act directed the government to form a task force on whether to replace Direct File, including “the cost of enhancing and establishing public-private partnerships,” “opinions and preferences regarding a taxpayer-funded, government-run service or a free service provided by the private sector” and the feasibility of this approach. As a result, the IRS Direct File program — which had long faced opposition from Republican legislators — is now “gone,” as then-IRS Commissioner Bill Long reportedly said in July.
However, you may be able to find other ways to file your taxes without paying. TurboTax competitors like H&R Block, FreeTaxUSA and Cash App Taxes have free software available online. Some Chime, Acorns Gold, Robinhood and PayPal debit card customers can also access free tax prep through partnerships with april, an AI-powered tax engine.
That said, experts discourage you from using AI to entirely DIY your taxes this year.
More from Money:
Why Millions of Taxpayers Could Get Bigger Refunds This Year
Here Are the Federal Income Tax Brackets for 2025 and 2026
Americans are expected to submit more than 160 million income tax returns to the IRS before the April 15 deadline this year. And while many will pay to prepare their taxes, some of the savviest taxpayers will file those 1040s for free.
One of the most popular tax software providers is TurboTax, which is owned by Intuit. This year, DIY taxpayers can snag a limited-time, app-only deal for all tax situations or use TurboTax Free Edition, which covers only simple tax returns.
Read on to learn more about using TurboTax to file your taxes for free in 2026.
Is TurboTax free?
TurboTax is free all season long for people who have simple 1040 tax returns with no special situations and do not opt for any add-ons. (See below for details.) Historically, though, there has been some controversy about whether TurboTax’s “free” offerings were really free.
Intuit announced in 2021 that it had chosen not to renew its participation in IRS Free File, a public-private initiative that allows certain taxpayers to access free guided tax prep. Although TurboTax had been part of IRS Free File since its 2003 launch, the company pulled out, blaming “limitations within the program and conflicting demands from those outside the program.”
It wasn’t a smooth exit. The decision came a few years after ProPublica published a story alleging that TurboTax used code to purposefully hide its IRS Free File product from Google and other search engines. (After the article went live, Intuit changed the code.)
In 2022, the Federal Trade Commission filed a legal complaint accusing Intuit of running deceptive ads that tricked folks into thinking doing their taxes through TurboTax was free, only to learn at the end of the process — “after they have invested time and effort gathering and inputting into TurboTax their sensitive personal and financial information” — that they’d have to upgrade to a paid service.
Then, in 2024, the FTC formally prohibited Intuit from advertising anything as free “unless it is free for all consumers or it discloses clearly and conspicuously and in close proximity to the ‘free’ claim the percentage of taxpayers or consumers that qualify.” Intuit appealed, saying in a statement to Money in 2025 that “over the last 11 years, we’ve helped more than 130 million Americans file their taxes free of charge — more than all other tax prep software companies combined.” It added it “has always been clear, fair and transparent with its customers and is committed to free tax preparation.”
Can I file my 2025 taxes for free through TurboTax?
Yes. TurboTax Free Edition is live for the season, although it’s intended for simple 1040 returns only, meaning you don’t file any supplemental forms or schedules except those needed for the earned income tax credit, student loan interest deduction and the child tax credit. Schedule 1-A (which covers “no tax on overtime,” “no tax on tips,” car loan interest and the “senior bonus”) is al
Source:Read More