Online Free Tax E-Filing options (IRS FreeFile, United Way, Cash App/Credit Karma, various free basic programs)

This post is going to list and briefly discuss all known reputable online free tax filing options for 2022. Hopefully this will at least help alert people to the fact that they have multiple comprehensively free filing options available.

Unfortunately, the most comprehensive option, the IRS FreeFile program, is not very well known:

Quote : According to the Free File Alliance [freefilealliance.org], the program covers about 100 million people — 70% of taxpayers. However, the Treasury Department found only about 2.4% of eligible taxpayers used IRS Free File during the 2019 tax filing season

source [wfaa.com]

This post will not focus on free in-person or virtual appointment tax assistance services like those available from

• AARP's Taxaide [aarp.org] which has no age or income limits
• IRS's VITA or TCE [irs.gov] programs, which have $58,000 income limits (VITA) or are focused on elderly filers with uncomplicated taxes (TCE)
• United Way's MyFreeTaxes assistance program [myfreetaxes.com] which is also limited to those with incomes under $58,000 or with certain disabilities or lack of English language proficiency

but those are good options if you are intimidated by filing your own taxes and can wait for an appointment slot or open clinic.

IRS FreeFile

The IRS FreeFile [irs.gov] program is the result of a long-standing political and legal compromise between large tax preparers, such as H&R Block and Intuit, and the IRS: the IRS will not offer any free publically-funded tax software beyond Free Fillable Forms [irs.gov] and in return these companies will make available free software versions of their cash cows to low- and moderate- income earners.

All major tax software players participate in this program except for H&R Block (left 2020) and Intuit TurboTax (quit 2021). The remaining major participants are:

• TaxAct [taxact.com]
  • AGI [taxact.com] of $65,000 or less
  • Age 56 or younger
  • Free state filing in AR, AZ, GA, IA, ID, IN, KY, MA, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NH, NY, OR, RI, SC, VA, VT, and WV
• TaxSlayer (link removed due to redirect; use IRS FreeFile [irs.gov] site to access)
  • AGI of $39,000 or less
  • Any age
  • Free state filing in AR, AZ, DC, GA, IA, ID, IN, KY, MA, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NY, OR, RI, SC, VA, VT and WV
  • All tax forms, schedules, credits, and deductions are included
  • Unlimited phone and email support
• FreeTaxUSA [freetaxusa.com]
  • AGI of $41,000 or less
  • Any age
  • Free state filing
• OnlineTaxes (OLT) [olt.com]
  • AGI between $16,000 to $73,000
  • Any age
  • Free state filing

Additionally, if you are in the states of AK, FL, NV, SD, TX, WA, or WY you do not have to file state income tax, and there are several other smaller providers in the FreeFile [irs.gov] program that offer only free federal filing. You also don't have to file state income in NH or TN unless you received 1099-INT or 1099-DIV income, so a federal-only free offer may be appropriate for you as well.

Lastly, the IRS website states [irs.gov] "you must select an IRS Free File provider from the Browse All Offers page or your Online Lookup Tool results ... you must create an account at the IRS Free File provider's website accessed via IRS.gov to prepare and file your return ... you MUST access the provider's Free File site as instructed above." While clicking on the direct links above is probably fine, please consider them for information purposes only and go through the actual IRS FreeFile offers [irs.gov] list when/if you choose to file.

United Way's MyFreeTaxes online program

Since 2009 United Way [myfreetaxes.com] has been offering free access to one tax prep provider with looser restrictions than the IRS FreeFile offers above. In the recent past this was H&R Block Deluxe. Currently they offer:

• TaxSlayer [myfreetaxes.com]
  • AGI of $73,000 or less
  • Any age
  • Free state filing
  • List of available forms [myfreetaxes.com] essentially all forms?

You can see the max eligible AGI is much higher ($73,000 vs. $39,000) through the United Way vs. FreeFile. It also seems that all states are supported for free under the United Way offer, instead of approximately half. The possible downside is that support is through United Way and not through TaxSlayer directly.

Cash App Taxes (formerly Credit Karma)
Previous slickdeals thread

For the last several years Credit Karma [creditkarma.com] has offered a completely free home-grown tax filing option for both federal and state. Last year this was purchased by Square [businesswire.com], and is now called Cash App Taxes [cash.app] and is designed mostly to work on a mobile device.

You can theoretically use a desktop browser, but first must download and sign in to Cash App on a mobile phone to activate the account. There are reports of this not working well. Also, while some states are currently open for filing, it seems not all states will be supported until late February [cash.app].

• Cash App Taxes [cash.app]
  • Any AGI
  • Any age
  • Free state filing
  • List of situations not supported [cash.app]

TurboTax Free offer(s)
(very simple 1040 returns only)

TurboTax, the 800 lbs. gorilla of tax software, has a highly limited, multi-level non-IRS-sanctioned free program [intuit.com] available for filers of simple tax returns, where simple means Form 1040 only, which covers W-2 income, limited interest and dividend income, the standard deduction, the earned income and child tax credits, and student loan deduction. However, there is no AGI restriction.

• TurboTax Live Full Service Basic (offering comprehensive live assistance) is free until Feb. 15
• TurboTax Live Basic (offering on-demand expert help) is free until Mar. 31
• TurboTax Free (no live support) is available "all tax season." You can find this on the "You can do it" tab halfway down the page, next to "Real experts help or do it for you."
  • Any AGI
  • Any age
  • Free state filing

H&R Block Free Online
(simple returns only)

TurboTax's closest competitor, H&R Block's free offering is also for simple returns of any income level, but includes quite a few more supported forms [hrblock.com] than TurboTax's 1040-only offer, including those for unemployment income, tuition payments, and education credits. Live support however isn't free.

• HR Block Free Online [hrblock.com]
  • Any AGI
  • Any age
  • Free state filing

Unfortunately H&R Block is redirecting the above links to their default landing page for all tax software. You want to scroll halfway down to "Free Online >" and then "Tech specs and supported forms" to reach the urls linked to. This is common tactic to make it more likely you will select a paid product. See "Data Privacy Caveats" below for more info.

TaxSlayer Simply Free
(very simple 1040 returns only)

TaxSlayer's non-FreeFile, non-MyFreeTaxes free offering [taxslayer.com] (link also redirects; select "Learn more" under "Simply Free") is, again, solely for those with simple, 1040-only returns.

• Any AGI
• Any age
• Free state filing

TaxAct, FreeTaxUSA and OLT
(State additional)

Lastly, TaxAct Free [taxact.com], FreeTaxUSA [freetaxusa.com], and OLT [olt.com] also have non-FreeFile free tiers with no AGI limits but with substantially more forms available than 1040 (and in the case of TaxAct, live support). However they require additional fees for state filing ($39.99, $14.99, and $9.99 respectively), making them only free for residents of AK, FL, NV, SD, TX, WA, WY and possibly NH and TN.

Data Privacy Caveats

The companies offering tax software provide free offerings, either on their own or through the IRS FreeFile program, for three main reasons:

1. As a political maneuver to stop the IRS from stepping in and releasing its own free software
2. To better collect valuable personal data on filers
3. To upsell consumers on more expensive paid options and support

The last of these options is believed to be the reason Intuit TurboTax and H&R Block exited the FreeFile program: FreeFile's terms restrict the ability of companies to advertise paid upgrades to the tax filer while in app. Thus, if you choose to use any of the options above that aren't FreeFile-based (probably MyFreeTaxes and Cash App as well), and especially if you go with TurboTax or HR Block, be wary of straying into paid-support or additional-form territory that will convert a free tax filing into a potentially expensive one. The posted direct links to H&R Block and TaxSlayer's free offers above already redirect to pages where you are nudged towards paid tax products.

As for the second reason, the Cleveland Plain-Dealer published an article [cleveland.com] in 2012 and 2019 looking at the personal data sharing policies of the major tax software providers of tax software, both installed and online, paid and free. Indeed, paying for electronic tax filing doesn't protect you from data privacy invasions:

Quote : Fox noted that, years ago, an executive with one tax prep software company bragged to investors that consumers came in every year and updated their data files - voluntarily and while actually paying the company.

Of the providers surveyed in that article, TaxAct appeared to have the strictest privacy policy. Additionally, they have a link to a form [taxact.com] at the bottom of every page to explicitly opt-out of any data sharing. Other companies such as HR Block will disclose information to third parities with whom they have agreements "as permitted by law or with your consent."

Quote : The privacy and security of your information is important to us. We do not sell or rent your information (including your social security number). We may disclose your information as permitted by law or with your consent to other H&R Block companies or to third parties with whom we have a written contract limiting the use and disclosure of your information. We may share your information to support the products and services you request or provide you information on products and services that may benefit you. (...) Marketing Arrangements. We may provide information to companies with whom we have a joint marketing arrangement. Pursuant to our vendor management program, we require all marketing service providers to have written contracts with us that require them to safeguard your information and prohibits them from selling, retaining, using or disclosing your information for any purpose other than for the specific purpose of performing the contract. We do not share your information with third parties for their marketing purposes without your consent or without providing you the opportunity to opt-out of such sharing.

source [hrblock.com]

However, differences in privacy policies aside, it is likely all tax companies are monetizing your data in some way to supplement their upsell income.

Lastly keep in mind that any tax data can be acquired through purchase of the company itself, as occurred last year when Credit Karma Taxes was purchased by Square.