Head to head, tax year 2025 prices
TurboTax vs FreeTaxUSA: what you pay and what you get
FreeTaxUSA charges nothing for the federal return in any situation it supports, and $15.99 for each state. TurboTax is free only for simple returns and otherwise starts at $79 federal. A freelancer filing federal plus one state pays $15.99 at FreeTaxUSA against $203 at TurboTax, and an employee with a simple W-2 return pays $0 at TurboTax (if it qualifies for the free plan) against $15.99 at FreeTaxUSA. What TurboTax adds for the difference is a polished app, a choice of expert tiers, and an expert who will do the whole return. These are tax year 2025 prices read on each vendor's site.
| Measure |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes. Simple Form 1040 returns only: W-2 pay, a small amount of interest or dividends, the standard deduction, the Earned Income and Child Tax Credits, student loan interest, the new tips, overtime, car loan interest and seniors deductions, and taxable retirement distributions. Intuit says roughly 37% of taxpayers qualify. | Yes. Everyone. The federal return is free for every situation FreeTaxUSA supports, from a simple W-2 to investments, rental income and self-employment. |
| Cheapest paid federal | From $79 | None |
| State returns | $64 per state on the do-it-yourself plans, $59 to $69 with Expert Assist. A state return is $0 only if you qualify for the free federal return. | $15.99 per state return. A state return is free only if you start from the IRS Free File page and qualify. |
| Employee with a simple W-2 return, federal + 1 state | $0 (Free Edition) | $15.99 (Federal for every situation) |
| Freelancer (Schedule C), federal + 1 state | $203 (Do It Yourself Premium) | $15.99 (Federal for every situation) |
| Expert help | Expert Assist Basic from $59; Expert Assist Deluxe from $129; Expert Assist Premium from $209; Expert Full Service | Deluxe Support from $7.99; Pro Support from $64.99 |
| Audit support | Every return comes with informational audit support: if you get an audit letter, a tax professional answers your questions. They will not represent you before the IRS. Full audit representation is a separate paid add-on (Audit Defense, run by a third party) whose price we could not find on the pages we read. | Audit Defense add-on, $19.99. A team of CPAs and enrolled agents helps with IRS or state notices and audits. It covers the federal return for 3 years and the state return for 4 years. The terms are in a separate membership agreement we did not read. |
| Paying from your refund | Paying for TurboTax out of your refund: "a $40 service fee may apply". A refund up to 5 days early into your own bank account costs a fee (amount not stated) and is free into a Credit Karma Money account. TurboTax Refund Advance, a 0% loan, ended for this season. TurboTax also offers a loan to pay a tax bill (File Now, Pay Later, variable APR 15% to 33%); the offer was stated to expire October 16, 2026. | Direct deposit is free. Paying FreeTaxUSA from your refund (a refund transfer through a partner bank) adds a $24.99 fee on top of the price of what you ordered. Paying by card costs nothing extra. A prepaid debit card option exists; the fee was not stated on the pages we read. |
| Mobile app | Yes. The free TurboTax app: take a photo of your documents to fill in the return. | No separate phone app listed on the vendor's pages. It is a website, and you can take a photo of a W-2 or 1099 to fill it in. |
| IRS Free File partner | No. Intuit left the IRS Free File program in 2021. TurboTax Free Edition is Intuit's own product, not IRS Free File. | Yes. The IRS lists FreeTaxUSA as a Free File partner: free federal and free state if your adjusted gross income is $51,000 or less (or $89,000 or less and active military), reached from irs.gov/freefile. |
Tax year 2025 prices, for returns filed in 2026, read on each vendor's own site (latest check October 14, 2026). New-season prices are posted around December or January. “From” prices are the lowest paid federal plan. Extras such as expert help, audit protection and refund fees are not in the totals.
Choose TurboTax if…
- You want an expert to prepare the return for you, or unlimited expert advice while you file
- Your return is simple, so the free plan costs you nothing and the extras are available if you need them
- You value a polished app and guided experience above price
Choose FreeTaxUSA if…
- You are a freelancer, investor or landlord and want the lowest all-in price
- You are comfortable preparing your own return and want to pay only for the state
- You want a cheap optional add-on for support ($7.99) or audit help ($19.99)
Good to know before you file
TurboTax
- Free Edition is for simple Form 1040 returns only. Intuit says roughly 37% of taxpayers qualify, and itemizing, unemployment income, freelance income, stock or crypto sales or rental income move you to a paid plan. You can start free and be asked to upgrade after you have entered your information.
- Paid plan prices carry an asterisk: TurboTax says the actual price is set by the version you use and the date you print or e-file, and is subject to change without notice.
- State returns are priced per state on top of the federal price: $64 on the do-it-yourself plans, $59 to $69 with Expert Assist.
FreeTaxUSA
- The state return is not free: $15.99 for each state. Only the federal return is free.
- Paying the fees out of your refund costs an extra $24.99 on top of what you ordered, and needs a refund large enough to cover it. Paying by card costs nothing extra.
- Free email and in-app support is included, but live chat and priority help need the $7.99 Deluxe Support. Pro Support is $64.99, and you still prepare and sign the return yourself.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is FreeTaxUSA really cheaper than TurboTax?
For anything beyond a simple return, yes. At the tax year 2025 prices, federal plus one state is $15.99 at FreeTaxUSA for a freelancer against $203 at TurboTax.
What does TurboTax have that FreeTaxUSA does not?
A choice of expert help (Expert Assist and Expert Full Service), a free phone app, and accuracy and refund guarantees that last seven years. FreeTaxUSA has no expert who prepares the return for you: its Pro Support ($64.99) gives advice and a final review while you still file it yourself.
Are both IRS Free File partners?
FreeTaxUSA is an IRS Free File partner (free federal and state if your adjusted gross income is $51,000 or less). TurboTax left the program in 2021.
How much does it cost to pay from my refund?
TurboTax says a $40 service fee may apply. FreeTaxUSA adds $24.99 on top of what you ordered.
See every option side by side in our best tax software comparison, or check who files free.