FreeTaxUSA Review

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What it is: Tax software
Best for: Cheapest full federal return
Price: $0 federal; $15.99 per state (2026 season, 2025 returns), checked October 25, 2026
Prices checked: October 25, 2026

We researched FreeTaxUSA's official pricing and terms, plus independent reviews and customer feedback. We haven't used FreeTaxUSA ourselves, so this is a research-based review, not a hands-on test.

Who it’s best for

People comfortable answering tax questions on their own who want a low price.

Who should skip it

Not for some situations it doesn't support, such as foreign employment income or nonresident alien returns.

How it works day to day

This part draws on FreeTaxUSA’s own product pages, help center and documentation, read October 26, 2026 (listed under Sources). We haven’t used FreeTaxUSA ourselves.

FreeTaxUSA is a step-by-step interview: it asks about your income, deductions and credits, fills in the forms, and e-files when you're done. To save typing, you can import last year's return as a PDF from TurboTax, H&R Block, TaxAct, TaxSlayer and other services, and upload or photograph W-2s and 1099s to fill in the numbers.

Key features in use

Free federal filing and e-filing.
Prior-year return import from other tax software.
W-2 and 1099 upload or photo import.
Deluxe: live chat, priority support, unlimited amended returns and seven years of document storage.
Optional paid Audit Defense for help with IRS or state audits and notices.

Setup and learning curve

There's nothing to set up beyond an account. Most of the time goes into gathering your documents. The interview format suits people comfortable answering tax questions themselves (the audience noted above).

Integrations

As tax software, FreeTaxUSA doesn't connect to other apps, but its import tools cover prior-year returns and tax forms.

Support

Free support is by email and in-app (noted above); Deluxe adds live chat and priority support, and Pro Support adds phone access to a tax pro.

Real-world use cases

Someone with a W-2 and a few deductions switching from pricier software.
A filer who imports last year's TurboTax return to start faster.
A household that wants to file federal for free and pay only for its state return.

What it costs

Prices checked October 25, 2026, from FreeTaxUSA’s own pricing page unless noted. Prices change often, so check the official page before you buy.

Federal return: $0, including e-filing.
State return: $15.99 each.
Deluxe (live chat and amended returns): $7.99.
Pro Support (phone access to a tax pro): $64.99.
These are 2026 filing season prices; next season's prices may differ.

What we like

Much cheaper than TurboTax for most returns.
Federal filing is genuinely free, including e-filing.

What to watch for

Free support is email and in-app only.
Trustpilot showed 2.8 out of 5 as of October 25, 2026, but from only 166 reviews, citing support, glitches and payment issues.
Doesn't support some situations, like foreign employment income, at-risk limitations and certain partnership K-1s.

The fine print

Check the list of unsupported situations on the pricing page before you start.

The main alternative: TurboTax

TurboTax gives the most hand-holding and can add a tax expert. Expect upsells along the way.

What it costs: $0 to $139 DIY, plus state, checked October 26, 2026

Read our full TurboTax review · FreeTaxUSA vs TurboTax

Pick FreeTaxUSA if you…

are comfortable doing your own return and want to save money.
have a fairly standard return.

Pick TurboTax if you…

want more guidance, or an expert to review or file your return.
have a situation FreeTaxUSA doesn't support.

Our take

FreeTaxUSA is the money-saving pick for confident DIY filers, with a free federal return and cheap state filing. Check its unsupported situations first. TurboTax costs more but offers much more help.

Side by side

Company	Best for	Starting price	Trial / refund
FreeTaxUSA	Cheapest full federal return	$0 federal; $15.99 per state (2026 season, 2025 returns), checked October 25, 2026	Pay when you file
TurboTax	Most guided, live expert options	$0 to $139 DIY, plus state, checked October 26, 2026	Pay when you file

From our company records. Check the official pages for current prices.

What we checked

FreeTaxUSA's pricing page, read October 25, 2026
Trustpilot's FreeTaxUSA page (2.8 from 166 reviews)
PCMag's FreeTaxUSA review
TurboTax's details: from our tax software guide, which read the official pricing page on October 25, 2026
FreeTaxUSA's feature pages, help-center articles and integration pages, read October 26, 2026

Sources

Visit FreeTaxUSA’s official site

How we review

We read the company's own terms, test the sign-up or booking steps where we can, and compare it with alternatives. A commission never changes what we write. Read our disclosure.