PSA: If you are filing with tax giants such as TurboTax and H&R Block, the prices will only rise as Tax Day approaches.
Danni Santana has spent seven years as an editor and business journalist covering industries like sports, retail, restaurants, and now personal finance. Most recently he worked as a retail editor at Business Insider. He is a graduate of the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY. His biggest loves outside of the newsroom include, running, cooking, playing video games and collecting sneakers.
Cash App Taxes (19659011) TaxSlayer (19659012)
Best service for freelancers and sole proprietors.
The tax season begins each year at the end January when the IRS starts accepting tax returns. Tax editors know that the best deals are available in the first few weeks of the tax season.
Popular services such as TurboTax and H&R Block will raise their prices for federal and states returns when the calendar shifts from late February to early March. Tax pro services, which offer tax return reviews, or allow you to give your forms to an expert who will file taxes on your behalf, may also increase in price.
THE BEST DEALS IN TAX SOFTWARE
These deals are selected by CNET Group’s commerce team and may not be related to this article. Prices will increase as we near the April 15 deadline for federal tax filing.
It can be expensive to wait until the last minute to do your taxes, especially if you have to itemize expenses, or if you have complex tax situations, such as rental, investment, or freelance income, or a cryptocurrency sale that earns money. Almost every tax service will charge you more if these situations arise. Prices can easily exceed $100, especially if a professional is helping you. For some, it may be worth the cost. CNET editors’ choice this year for TurboTax, H&R Block and other services, like H&R Block and tons of free resources, full-service options, and AI tools, these companies offer the best user experiences of all the companies on the list.
Am I still eligible to file my tax returns for free?
Yes. For those with simple tax situations, such as W-2s, education expenses and some basic tax credits (such as W-2s), the free service is still available throughout tax season. Online services such as TurboTax and H&R Block do not remove the free tiers. Compare free-filing offers to see if any are available.
Along with tax services that offer tiered systems, you may want to consider Cash App Taxes. They offer one federal and one State return for free, regardless of your tax situation.
There are also two free options for filing with the IRS. IRS Free File, a federal program, allows you to file for free through one of eight partners as long as you earned less than $84000 last year. IRS Direct File, launched last year as a proprietary service, also offers free returns.
However, there is a cost. Free services may not provide much live support or contextual tax assistance from a tax professional. If you choose the free tiers, make sure you are comfortable with filing your taxes yourself. Some options have restrictions on salary or forms.
Low-cost ways to file your tax returns in 2025
Do you not qualify for free filing? Consider FreeTaxUSA. It offers a free federal tax return but charges $14.99 for each state return. This year I used this service to file my tax return. FreeTaxUSA is a good alternative to H&R Block or TurboTax. I did not get the premium experience that I had in previous years. You will need to manually enter all your tax forms. Jackson Hewitt Online
allows you to file multiple state returns and your taxes for a flat fee of $25. These services do not have any notable form restrictions. Will CPAs also raise prices?
You won’t be affected by the same price increases if you are turning to an accountant to help you with your taxes. Jassen Bowman is an IRS enrolled agent, a tax expert, and said that it’s rare for certified accounts to increase their prices during tax season. he said.
Bowman said that if you don’t send them your tax documents far enough ahead of the deadline on April 15, they may tell you they’ll have to file an extension in order to give them more space to go through your tax file. Money talks. If you’re willing pay a “rush fee” for your taxes to be done on time, then some firms will bump a client after you pay the fee. Bowman said. “Get your documents together early, and book your appointment now so that you’re not bumping up against the April 15 deadline.”
