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Verified Free / Finance

Is FreeTaxUSA actually free?

Free Forever
How free85/100
Value8/10
How these scores work
Free Score (0–100) follows a fixed rubric: cards up front, auto-billing, hard time cutoffs, withheld core features, and paying with your data or attention all deduct points. 90–100 truly free · 70–89 free forever · 45–69 squeezed · 15–44 trial mechanics · under 15 fake or gone. Value (0–10) is editorial: real-world worth of the free offering measured against its paid equivalent. Full rubric on the methodology page.

Yes — FreeTaxUSA files federal returns free for every complexity level: investments, freelance income, rental property, itemized deductions — all the situations TurboTax charges $39–119 for. State returns cost roughly $15.

What it’s worth

TurboTax charges $39–119+ for the same federal forms; FreeTaxUSA charges $0.

What you get free

  • Free federal filing for all return types — no income or complexity limit
  • Guided interview-style interface
  • Prior-year import
  • Amended returns included

In practice: the honest alternative to TurboTax — free federal regardless of complexity, flat $15 for state, no upgrade traps.

Drawbacks

  • The interface is functional, not polished
  • No in-person help option
  • Less hand-holding than TurboTax's guided experience

Also paywalled

  • State returns (~$15 each)
  • Priority support ($7)

Free facts

VerdictFree Forever
Card requiredNo
Auto-bills—
AccountRequired
LimitsState returns cost ~$15
The real costAn account. Federal filing is free for all complexity levels; state costs ~$15.

The catch

The $15 state fee is the business model, and it's stated plainly. No bait-and-switch, no mid-return upgrade wall. The interface is simpler than TurboTax but covers the same forms.

The smart play

  • Use this if TurboTax tries to upgrade you — FreeTaxUSA handles the same forms free
  • The $15 state fee is the only charge and it's stated upfront
  • Start here instead of TurboTax to avoid the mid-return upgrade wall

Common questions

Does FreeTaxUSA require a credit card?
No — FreeTaxUSA does not ask for a card to use the free version. Auto-billing: —.
What are the limits of FreeTaxUSA's free plan?
State returns cost ~$15. The $15 state fee is the business model, and it's stated plainly. No bait-and-switch, no mid-return upgrade wall. The interface is simpler than TurboTax but covers the same forms.
How do I use FreeTaxUSA without paying?
Use this if TurboTax tries to upgrade you — FreeTaxUSA handles the same forms free The $15 state fee is the only charge and it's stated upfront Start here instead of TurboTax to avoid the mid-return upgrade wall
What does FreeTaxUSA really cost?
An account. Federal filing is free for all complexity levels; state costs ~$15.
Why is FreeTaxUSA free?
An account. Federal filing is free for all complexity levels; state costs ~$15. TurboTax charges $39–119+ for the same federal forms; FreeTaxUSA charges $0.
Is FreeTaxUSA still free?
As of our last check, yes. Yes — FreeTaxUSA files federal returns free for every complexity level: investments, freelance income, rental property, itemized deductions — all the situations TurboTax charges $39–119 for. State returns cost roughly $15. Free tiers change without notice, which is why every page here carries the date it was checked.

More info — tap to expand

Why this isn't more famous
FreeTaxUSA doesn't have TurboTax's advertising budget. Intuit spends hundreds of millions on 'free' ads; FreeTaxUSA's actual-free federal product relies on word of mouth and review sites. The lack of fame is a marketing problem, not a product problem.

Last checked: August 2026site-wide date · Verdict: Free Forever — a real permanent free plan. signup and fair limits — but no clock and no card.

🍁 Canada

US only. Canadian equivalent: Wealthsimple Tax — free for all return types with optional pay-what-you-want.

What users actually say

No large consumer-complaint record — unusual in a category defined by them.

What they praiseThe recurring note is the absence of a wall: users describe complex situations — self-employment, investments, rental income — filing federally at no cost, with the same forms the expensive products use.
What they complain aboutThe interface is plainer than the market leader's, imports are more manual, and the state return costs around $15. Support is thinner than the paid competition.

It looks less polished and it charges for state, and both are stated up front. That's the entire difference between this listing and the one-star tax products: the price is where you can see it.

Our reading of the public review record — patterns, not quotes. Scores link to their sources above.

Visit FreeTaxUSA →

Was this verdict right?

Free tiers change without notice. If you have just used it, you know something we don't.

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