Head to head, tax year 2025 prices
TurboTax vs TaxAct: how the prices compare
The free plans differ in the part you may not notice: TurboTax's Free Edition includes the state return ($0) for people who qualify, while TaxAct's Free Federal charges $54.99 per state. So an employee with a simple W-2 return filing federal plus one state pays $0 at TurboTax against $54.99 at TaxAct. For a freelancer the order flips: $174.98 at TaxAct against $203 at TurboTax. These are tax year 2025 prices read on each vendor's own site; TaxAct's own pages carry some stale figures, so check the price at checkout.
| 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. Simple returns on a bare Form 1040: W-2 pay, unemployment or retirement income, the standard deduction, dependents, student loan interest and the Earned Income and Child Tax Credits. Any side income, investment income, rental income, itemizing, an HSA or childcare costs needs a paid plan. |
| Cheapest paid federal | From $79 | From $59.99 |
| 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. | $54.99 per state with Free Federal, $64.99 per state on the paid plans. A state return is never included in the federal price. |
| Employee with a simple W-2 return, federal + 1 state | $0 (Free Edition) | $54.99 (Free Federal) |
| Freelancer (Schedule C), federal + 1 state | $203 (Do It Yourself Premium) | $174.98 (Self-Employed (Entrepreneur)) |
| Expert help | Expert Assist Basic from $59; Expert Assist Deluxe from $129; Expert Assist Premium from $209; Expert Full Service | Xpert Assist from $45; Xpert Full Service from $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, from $54.99. It covers federal and state audits for the covered return for three years after you file. It is not insurance, it must be added before you get an audit notice, and some forms and credits are excluded. |
| 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 TaxAct from your refund (Refund Transfer) goes through Republic Bank, which charges its own fee; TaxAct does not publish that amount on its consumer pages, and your refund must exceed the fees by at least $50. TaxAct's 0% Refund Advance loans ended for 2026. |
| Mobile app | Yes. The free TurboTax app: take a photo of your documents to fill in the return. | Yes. The TaxAct Mobile app for iPhone and Android: enter details, photograph forms and see a refund estimate. |
| 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 TaxAct as a Free File partner: free federal if your adjusted gross income is $89,000 or less and you are 20 to 60 (or on active military duty), free state only in some states, 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…
- Your return is simple and you want the state return included in the free plan
- You want an expert to prepare the return, or unlimited advice while you file
- You can accept a higher price for a more polished experience
Choose TaxAct if…
- You are a freelancer or investor and want the lower federal and state price
- You want a flat Xpert Assist add-on ($45) rather than a separate expert tier
- You are a Free File candidate: TaxAct is an IRS Free File partner, TurboTax is not
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.
TaxAct
- Free Federal only covers a bare Form 1040. Side income, investments (even interest or dividends), crypto, rental income, itemizing, an HSA or childcare costs move you to a paid plan.
- The state return costs extra on every plan: $54.99 per state with Free Federal and $64.99 on the paid plans. The vendor's homepage shows only "+ State Additional"; the per-state price appears on each plan page.
- All federal prices are "starting at". TaxAct says the actual price is set when you pay, print or e-file, and can change without notice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is TaxAct cheaper than TurboTax?
It depends on your return. For a simple W-2 return with one state, TurboTax is cheaper ($0 against $54.99). For a freelancer, TaxAct is cheaper ($174.98 against $203).
Does the TaxAct free plan include a state return?
No. Free Federal costs $0 for the federal return, and each state return is $54.99. TurboTax's Free Edition includes the state return for people who qualify.
Which has the better expert help?
Both sell advice while you file yourself (TurboTax Expert Assist from $59, TaxAct Xpert Assist at $45) and a done-for-you service (TurboTax Expert Full Service, TaxAct Xpert Full Service from $99 plus $69 for all states, which showed as at full capacity).
Do I need to start on irs.gov for either?
Only for TaxAct's IRS Free File offer: you must reach it through irs.gov, with an adjusted gross income of $89,000 or less and age 20 to 60 (or on active military duty). TurboTax is not an IRS Free File partner.
See every option side by side in our best tax software comparison, or check who files free.