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How to File Your Taxes for Free With TurboTax This Year
By Julia Glum MONEY RESEARCH COLLECTIVE
TurboTax Free Edition is still available for people who have simple 1040 tax returns with no special situations and do not opt for any add-ons. Historically, though, there has been some controversy about whether TurboTax’s “free” offerings were really free.
Americans have already submitted more than 144 million income tax returns to the IRS this year, with more to come: The deadline for taxpayers who requested an extension is Oct. 15. While many folks will pay to prepare their taxes, some of the savviest taxpayers will file those 1040s for free.
One of the most popular online tax preparers is TurboTax, which is owned by Intuit. As of early July, DIY taxpayers with simple tax returns can still use TurboTax Free Edition or upgrade to a paid product.
Read on to learn more about using TurboTax to file your taxes for free in 2026.
Get a head start on your taxes
Is TurboTax free?
TurboTax is free and available all year 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 still file my 2025 taxes for free through TurboTax?
Yes. TurboTax Free Edition remains live, 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.
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 $59 and $209 for a federal return, plus $59 to $69 for state.
Expert Full Service, in which a tax expert fully does your federal and state taxes for you, starts at $129, with state returns billed as $69 extra.
Keep in mind these prices have already shifted from tax season, 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 $8.6 billion in revenue in the third quarter of the 2026 fiscal year, which ended on April 30 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 Free File is still available and will remain open through Oct. 15.
What you can’t use is IRS Direct File, an initiative that enabled taxpayers who lived and worked in 25 states in 2025 to file federal taxes online directly with the IRS. President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act directed the government to form a task force on whether to replace Direct File and ultimately shut it down. (“Big beautiful Billy wiped that out,” Billy Long, who had a short tenure as IRS commissioner, said at an event last year.)
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. Certain Chime, Acorns Gold, Robinhood and PayPal debit card customers were also able to access free tax prep through partnerships with april, an AI-powered tax engine, though some of these agreements may have expired.
That said, experts discourage folks from using AI to entirely DIY their taxes this year.
Editor’s note: This story was originally published for the 2026 tax filing season on Feb. 19. It was updated to remove expired deals and include new information on March 12, then refreshed again on April 7 and July 1.
More from Money:
Why Millions of Taxpayers Could Get Bigger Refunds This Year
Here Are the Federal Income Tax Brackets for 2025 and 2026
Julia Glum is Money's managing editor for news and email, keeping her finger on the pulse of financial trends that affect Americans' wallets. She also writes Dollar Scholar, a weekly newsletter that teaches young adults how to navigate the messy world of money. A 2014 graduate of the University of Florida's journalism school, she previously covered breaking news, politics and education at Newsweek and International Business Times. Julia joined Money in 2018; during her time as a reporter, she wrote frequently about Amazon, passive income, stimulus checks and creative ways people make money online (think: Vine compilations, Cash App Friday and Facebook gift groups). As an editor, she oversees Money’s tax coverage, which includes extensive reporting on tax credits, year-to-year policy changes, tax refunds and the IRS’s ongoing efforts to modernize. For several years, Julia has assisted with Money’s annual Best Colleges rating and Best Places to Live rankings. Recently, she also led Money’s 50th anniversary celebrations, producing the Money Classic newsletter and rolling out Changemakers, a project profiling 50 innovators working to revolutionize personal finance. Julia has interviewed National Taxpayer Advocate Erin Collins, actor Danny Devito, Nobel Prize-winning economist Robert Shiller, rapper Killer Mike, real estate guru Ryan Serhant and many others. Her work has been cited or otherwise shared by the New York Times, Washington Post, Vox, theSkimm, Mashable, CNBC and POLITICO. She’s appeared on Good Morning America, CBS News, PIX11, WGN, the Mountain West News Bureau and more. Julia is based in New York City. You can find her at juliaglum.com.