TaxSlayer
Free for the simplest returns, $44.99 federal for everything else, $47.99 per state. Prices for tax year 2025.
Prices checked October 14, 2026See current priceThe Bottom Line
- Federal filing
- Free plan available, paid plans from $44.99 (tax year 2025 prices) (verified Oct 14, 2026). All rates and fees
Key facts
- Federal from: $0
- Free federal: Yes
- Self-employed: From $44.99
- Prices for: Tax year 2025
Pros
- Classic at $44.99 handles freelance, rental, investment and crypto income with no form restrictions
- Phone and email support from a real person comes with every plan
- Add-ons are priced separately: Last Look expert check $19.99 and Tax Protection Plus audit defense $39.99
- An IRS Free File partner, and a free-federal plan for active-duty military
Cons
- Simply Free is very narrow: no dependents, under 65, standard deduction only, so many "simple" filers do not qualify
- State returns are $47.99 each on paid plans, and whether Simply Free includes one is unclear
- Premium's extra $20 over Classic buys support, not forms
- Paying from your refund adds a $41.99 fee
At a glance
Prices checked October 14, 2026- Price basis
- Tax year 2025 prices, for returns filed in 2026
- Free federal return
- Yes: Simply Free: single or married filing jointly, no dependents, both of you under 65 and not blind, the standard deduction, and taxable income of $100,000 or less from wages, tips, unemployment and up to $1,500 of interest. Free federal also for active-duty military on a separate plan.
- Paid federal, from
- $44.99
- State returns
- $47.99 per state on every paid plan. Simply Free: the vendor's pages disagree on whether one state return is included, so check at checkout.
- Self-employed
- Classic, $44.99 federal
- Live expert help
- Ask a Tax Pro from $64.99; Last Look from $19.99
- Audit support
- Tax Protection Plus, $39.99, added before you e-file. It offers up to $1 million in expert help with IRS and state inquiries for up to four years after your return is accepted. The terms are in a separate document we did not read.
- Guarantee
- Maximum Refund Guarantee: if other software gets you a bigger refund from the same facts, TaxSlayer refunds the price you paid (Simply Free is excluded; claim by mail within 60 days). 100% Accuracy Guarantee: reimburses penalties and interest caused by a calculation error in its software.
- Refund options
- Direct deposit can be split across up to three accounts. File & Go lets you pay from your refund and adds a $41.99 refund transfer fee on top of the price; if the refund is delayed, unpaid fees may be taken from your bank account. A GO2bank debit card refund option carries card fees that the page does not state.
- Mobile app
- Yes. A free TaxSlayer app for iPhone and other devices to file federal and state returns.
- Imports
- Upload last year's return to get started, and import eligible W-2s and 1099s to fill in your income.
- Forms supported
- Classic and above: all major IRS forms and schedules, about 100 listed by the vendor. Not supported: Form 1040-NR (nonresident returns). Simply Free is limited to wages, tips, unemployment, a little interest and education credits.
- IRS Free File
- Yes. The IRS lists TaxSlayer as a Free File partner: free federal and free state in all states if your adjusted gross income is $19,000 to $89,000 and you are 67 or younger, or you qualify for the Earned Income Credit, or you are active military with income of $89,000 or less. Start from irs.gov/freefile.
Sources: taxslayer.com/products/product-pricing, support.taxslayer.com/hc/en-us/articles/4311141…, read October 14, 2026
TaxSlayer prices by plan
Tax year 2025 prices, for returns filed in 2026 · checked October 14, 2026Simply Free
People with the simplest return: one or two adults, no dependents, a job and maybe some unemployment.
Covers: Wages, tips, unemployment and up to $1,500 of taxable interest, the standard deduction, education credits and the student loan interest deduction. Not covered: dependents, the Earned Income or Child Tax Credits, itemizing, retirement or Social Security income, self-employment, rental or investment income.
If your return goes beyond these rules the software moves you to Classic ($44.99).
- Federal
- Free
- Each state
- See site
Unclear: the homepage says one state is included, the product page says "may" be, at certain times
Classic
Anyone, including people with dependents, a home, rental income, investments or freelance income.
Covers: All major IRS forms, credits and deductions with no restrictions: W-2 and 1099 income, dependents, itemizing, retirement income, rental, self-employment, capital gains and crypto. Premium and Self-Employed add support, not forms.
TaxSlayer calls this its most popular plan. Actual prices are set when you print or e-file.
- Federal
- $44.99
- Each state
- $47.99
Premium
People who want priority support and a tax professional to ask.
Covers: Everything in Classic, plus skip-the-line phone and email support, live chat for technical help and Ask a Tax Pro (answers usually within 24 to 48 hours). It adds no tax forms.
About $20 more than Classic for the extra support.
- Federal
- $64.99
- Each state
- $47.99
Self-Employed
Freelancers, contractors, side hustlers and small business owners who want extra guidance.
Covers: Everything in Premium, plus extra guidance on Schedule C and 1099-NEC income, business expense and deduction help, a tax pro with self-employed experience and quarterly estimated tax reminders.
- Federal
- $74.99
- Each state
- $47.99
Military (active duty only)
Active-duty members of the U.S. Armed Forces. Retirees and veterans are not eligible.
Covers: All the situations Classic covers, with a free federal return and no income or form limits.
- Federal
- Free
- Each state
- $47.99
“Federal” is your return to the IRS. “State” is a separate return to your state, priced per state. Vendors often show a “starting at” price and set the final one when you file, based on the forms your return needs.
What would you pay at TaxSlayer?
Simply Free: Free federal, state price unclear
One job, standard deduction, no side income or investments, one state.
Classic: $44.99 federal + $47.99 for one state
Self-employment income reported on Schedule C, one state.
Federal plus one state return at the cheapest plan that covers the situation, using the prices above (tax year 2025 prices, for returns filed in 2026). Optional extras (expert help, audit protection, refund-transfer fees) are not included.
Good to know before you file
- Simply Free is narrow: no dependents, under 65, standard deduction only, and only wages, tips, unemployment and up to $1,500 of interest. Add a dependent, itemize or have side income and the software moves you to Classic at $44.99.
- Whether Simply Free includes a free state return is unclear: the homepage says one state is included, while the product page says a free state return "may" be included "at certain times". Confirm at checkout.
- State returns are $47.99 each on every paid plan, so federal plus one state is $92.98 on Classic. TaxSlayer says final prices are set when you print or e-file and can change without notice.
- Premium costs about $20 more than Classic and adds no tax forms, only priority support and Ask a Tax Pro. Make sure you want the support before you pay for it.
- Paying your fees out of your refund (File & Go) adds a $41.99 fee, and if the refund is delayed, unpaid fees may be taken from your bank account.
- The Maximum Refund Guarantee excludes Simply Free and refunds only the TaxSlayer price you paid, by mail within 60 days.
- In November 2017 the FTC finalized an order against TaxSlayer over a 2015 breach in which hackers got into nearly 9,000 accounts. The order runs for 20 years.
What is TaxSlayer?
Key details
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TaxSlayer FAQ
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Who qualifies for TaxSlayer Simply Free?
How much does TaxSlayer cost for a freelancer?
What does the $41.99 File & Go fee pay for?
Is TaxSlayer part of IRS Free File?
Source: taxslayer.com