How To: File Taxes for Free

Fri Feb 9, 2007 4:34PM EST

See Comments (248)

In response to readers' questions about free tax-preparation tools and software, I've pulled together this list. All seem best for taxpayers with straightforward, uncomplicated tax returns. A few have been recommended by readers, but I have yet to try them. If you have worked with any of them, let us know the good and the bad.

The Internal Revenue Service deems that taxpayers with an adjusted gross income of $52,000 or less in 2006 can file taxes at no charge. That means 70 percent of taxpayers (95 million) can file their taxes for free. Here's a full list of IRS-approved services you can use for e-filing.

All of the following services are on that list and some basic versions are available for free for others taxpayers, too.

TaxACT Standard - Free for filling out and e-filing federal tax forms, either on web-based forms or by downloading forms onto your computer. The free service says it includes over-the-phone and web technical support, but it does not include state tax forms. You'll pay $12.95 for those.

TaxSlayer - Free for active duty military personnel. And only $9.95 to prepare federal and state tax returns online.

H&R Block TaxCut Free File - For taxpayers age 50 and under with an adjusted gross income of $52,000.

TurboTax Freedom Edition - Free for taxpayers with an adjusted gross income (AGI) of $28,500; taxpayers who qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit and have an and AGI of $38,348; and active duty military members with an AGI of $52,000.

CompleteTax - Free for taxpayers with an AGI of $29,000.

For more info, check out this about.com page, which has reviews on free and for-fee tax-preparation tools and software.

Related:

Tick, Tick, Tick: Tax Time Approaches
A Closer Look at TurboTax 

 

 

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Comments on How To: File Taxes for Free

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  • 67 Posted by luvwrap on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:00PM EDT Report Abuse

    Just be happy you got this good information. People are never satisfied. I didn't a good article like this anywhere else. Thanks Yahoo!!!!

  • 68 Posted by merriwidow69 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:16PM EDT Report Abuse

    i used taxact this year and found it easy to use. had the federal return back in two weeks, even the state tax was simple and quick to return, in four days. which suprised me!!

  • 69 Posted by brenna501 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:12PM EDT Report Abuse

    I agree- how about post a little earlier next time?

  • 70 Posted by mikes_groove on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:20PM EDT Report Abuse

    This is not the first year of free e-file for a portion of people - if you didn't know about it by now you maybe need to read the paper or something to pay more attention. Initially, the government pressured the tax prep companies to provide free e-filing for lower income groups, and they settled on 70% of the population. I guess the other 30% get to pay for everyone. What we should all be angry about is the fact that it is so complicated and time consuming to prepare your taxes that it equates to the work of 2.7 million people working full time all year, that 60,000 lobbyists live to manipulate the tax code to save their clients money and make the rest of us pay, and that the IRS themselves can't even answer a question about our insane tax code correctly more than 50% of the time. End the IRS now! - www.fairtax.org

  • 71 Posted by eli982003 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:53PM EDT Report Abuse

    You know they posted this article to make fun of those already filled their tax:(

  • 72 Posted by udechukwu1 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:27PM EDT Report Abuse

    Why does the IRS not handle the tax filing by themselves directly. Why is every other arm or government providing their services online and the IRS isn't? Do they have a deal with these companies they are recommending? They are capable of better services than this. I am not impressed.

  • 73 Posted by estringboogie on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:56PM EDT Report Abuse

    Taxslayer had bugs and endless loops in it that made it impossible to use. Granted, I hadnt paid to use it but if its supposed to work, then make it usable. I ended up not filing with their software.

  • 74 Posted by augy30 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:59PM EDT Report Abuse

    by manipulating number or swap billings

  • 76 Posted by wtillery on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:51PM EDT Report Abuse

    Hey you will not have to pay anything if you do your research first. I didn't see all these sites before filing mine and I filed for free. Go to irs.gov and click on their freefile button and see if you qualify. you can also do this for your state taxes (KY). We received our taxes back in less than 7 days. I have also used taxact.com and they were pretty good also (If you ignore the request to upgrade to the deluxe edition which costs you money). Oh and I found this on the irs.gov site in December 2006.

  • 77 Posted by eddyand4 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:51PM EDT Report Abuse

    can anyone tell me if i can use these free tax services if self-employed using long form.or is this free service for those filing e-z forms only.irs couldnt even tell me

  • 78 Posted by www.mikki on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:51PM EDT Report Abuse

    I used the IRS.Gov website and found where i could file my Fed taxes for free (H&R regular 9.99) however they wanted to charge me 24.95 or something to that nature to file my state. I went to my states revenue site (ksrev.gove i believe) and found that i could file my state taxes for free just as if i was efiling on H&R Block) Filed both the same day and i got my state taxes almost a week before i got my federal. So, check your states revenue site, might be suprised.

  • 79 Posted by razor89 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:31PM EDT Report Abuse

    H&R Block TaxCut Free File site you listed charges $29.95 for state filing from what I read! Might want to add that!

  • 80 Posted by michaelsmaniacal on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:18PM EDT Report Abuse

    great info if only I'd had it in time. I paid almost $30 to file NY and FED returns online.

  • 81 Posted by p_stamos on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:23PM EDT Report Abuse

    TaxActonline is free for anyone (no restriction for the Adjusted gross income) as long as you do not use the deluxe filing package that they offer numerously throughout. Takes awhile to complete even if you know what you are doing. Mainly because of a lot of what I considered unneccessary questions that you have to answer in order to proceed to the next item. However, it is free which is the most important thing, and it did catch a minor mistake that I would have made if I had filed without efiling.

  • 82 Posted by music3343 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:30PM EDT Report Abuse

    I used the H&R Block service and it was great; simple and easy. Took about 2 weeks to have money transferred to account.

  • 83 Posted by audrae10 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:59PM EDT Report Abuse

    Nationwide the IRS supports one on one free tax preparation through VITA sites. These are trained, certified professionals who can help you prepare your taxes for free. In Los Angeles goto www.eitc-la.org

  • 84 Posted by escoobydo55 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:56PM EDT Report Abuse

    It would of been nice to save the money I paid to have my taxes done. Too late for this information. Should of been out at the beginning of the year!

  • 85 Posted by smartalac14 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:28PM EDT Report Abuse

    I say good job Yahoo!! It's your fault if you already filled your taxes thats what you get for being money hungry and greedy!!! Sucks for you guys!!!

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