Best place to file taxes for free

TaxACT offers free federal tax filing for a wide range of individuals such as filers claiming dependents, unemployment income, college expenses, or retirement income. It's one of the services approved for free tax filing by the IRS. To qualify for the service, you'll need to be 56 years old or younger with an adjusted gross income of less than $65,000, or military personnel with an income under $73,000.

In addition to complementary federal filing, TaxACT provides free state tax returns for: AR, AZ, GA, IA, ID, IN, KY, MA, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NH, NY, OR, RI, SC, VA, VT, and WV.

Using TaxACT is fairly simple. You can manually import your information or import PDF files from other services such as H&R Block or TurboTax. There's a glossary with over 300 terms in addition to TaxAct Alerts that ensure accuracy to help you avoid an audit. TaxACT guarantees your return is correct for up to $100,000. And although it's free, you can access your returns for up to seven years. 

TaxACT Free Edition Advantages

  • Free state and federal tax returns: Besides the federal income tax filing, you can file state taxes for free for 23 states.
  • Guided filing: Follow the platform's step-by-step process to ensure accuracy and make sure you didn't miss a deduction.  
  • Free mobile filing: You can also file for free using the TaxACT Express mobile app for your Android or iOS smartphone or tablet.

1040U.S. Individual Income Tax Return

Schedule 1Additional Income and Adjustments to Income

Schedule ESupplemental Income and Loss, including rental property

Form 1040XAmended U.S. Individual Income Tax Return

Form 1099-RDistributions From Pensions, Annuities, Retirement, etc.

Form 1310Statement of Person Claiming Refund Due a Deceased Taxpayer

Form 4868Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File

Form 8332Release of Claim to Exemption for Child of Divorced or Separated Parents

Form 8453U.S. Individual Income Tax Transmittal for an IRS E-File Return

Form 8862Information to Claim Certain Refundable Credits After Disallowance

Form 9465Installment Agreement Request

Form W-4Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate

Schedule LEPRequest for Change in Language Preference

Commonly Filed Tax Forms and Schedules (new forms for 2021)

Form 1098-CContributions of Motor Vehicles, Boats and Airplanes

Form 1099-AAcquisition or Abandonment of Secured Property

Form 1099-GUnemployment Income and other government payments

Form 1099-KPayment Card and Third Party Network Transactions

Form 1099-SADistributions from an HSA, Archer MSA, or Medicare Advantage MSA

Form 4952/AMTAMT Investment Interest Expense Deduction/Investment Interest Expense Deduction

Form 5329Additional Taxes on Qualified Plans (including IRAs)

Form 5405First-Time Homebuyer Credit and Repayment of the Credit

Form 8582/AMT/CRPassive Activity Loss Limitations/AMT/Credit Limitations

Form 8615Tax for Certain Children who have Unearned Income

Form 8814Parents' Election To Report Child's Interest and Dividends

Form 8815Exclusion of Interest from Series EE and I U.S. Savings Bonds

Form 8853Archer MSAs and Long-Term Care Insurance Contracts

Form 8859Carryforward of D.C. First-Time Homebuyer Credit

Form 8880Credit for Qualified Retirement Savings Contributions

Form 8911Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property Credit

Form 8915AQualified 2017 Disaster Retirement Plan Distribution and Repayments

Form 8915BQualified 2017 Disaster Retirement Plan Distribution and Repayments

Form 8919Uncollected Social Security and Medicare Tax on Wages

Form 8936Qualified Plug-in Electric Drive Motor Vehicle Credit

Form 8938Statement of Specified Foreign Financial Assets

Form 8958Allocation of Community Property Amounts

Form 982Reduction of Tax Attributes Due to Discharge of Indebtedness

Form SS-4Application for Employer Identification Number

Form 8994Employer Credit for Paid Family and Medical Leave

Form 8995-AQualified Business Income Deduction Simplified Computation

From 8995-A Sch DSpecial Rules for Patrons of Agricultural or Horticultural Cooperatives

Form 2210-FUnderpayment of Estimated Tax by Farmers and Fishermen

Form 2439Notice to Shareholder of Undistributed Long-Term Capital Gains

Form 3800General Business Credit

Form 4136Credit for Federal Tax Paid on Fuels

Form 6781Gains/Losses from Section 1256 Contracts and Straddles

Form 8949Sales and Other Dispositions of Capital Assets

Schedules K-3 (Form 1065)Partner's Share of Income, Deductions, Credits, etc.-International

Schedules K-3 (Form 1120S)Shareholder's Share of Income, Credits, etc-International

Form 8829Expenses for Business Use of Your Home

Form 8881Credit for Small Employer Pension Plan Startup Costs

Form 8941Credit for Small Employer Health Insurance Premiums

Schedule JIncome Averaging for Farmers and Fishermen

What is the best free file tax service?

The best free tax software: Free filing options compared.
Credit Karma (Cash App Taxes) Its goal is accuracy and max refund for tax filers. ... .
TaxSlayer Simply Free. Only for those with the simplest tax returns. ... .
H&R Block Free Online. Importing information and data is easy. ... .
TurboTax Free Edition. ... .
TaxACT Free Edition..

Is IRS Free File better than TurboTax?

Our current top pick is TurboTax Free Edition. The IRS Free File by TurboTax didn't have the "upgrade now" ads and included more forms (student loans, business profit/loss and investment capital), but if you don't need these forms, TurboTax Free Edition is our recommended option.

Who is the best place to file taxes with?

The 5 Best Tax Preparation Services of 2022.
Best Overall: H&R Block..
Best for Ease of Use: Jackson Hewitt..
Best Online Experience: TurboTax Live..
Best for Self-Employed: EY TaxChat..
Best for Small to Mid-Size Businesses: KPMG Spark..

Is H&R actually free?

Is H&R Block really free? It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options. Yes, the service is free for both federal and state if you are filing a simple tax return. It covers unemployment income, retirement income, W-2 income, and interest and dividend income.