FreeTaxUSA is a robust online personal tax preparation service that lets you e-file federal tax returns for free, though state filing, and advanced support costs extra. The site now offers a paid option to connect directly with a tax professional.
I write about money. I’ve been reviewing tax software and services as a freelancer for PCMag since 1993. Along the way, I took on reviews of other types of business and personal finance technology. Prior to that, I had spent a few years writing about productivity and entertainment applications for 8-bit personal computers (my first one was a Commodore VIC-20) as a member of the editorial staff at Compute!
FreeTaxUSA is a robust online personal tax preparation service that lets you e-file federal tax returns for free, though state filing, and advanced support costs extra. The site now offers a paid option to connect directly with a tax professional.
Name
Value
Imports Competitors' Returns
Yes
All Major IRS Forms and Schedules
Yes
Comprehensive Navigational Outline
Yes
Chat Help
No
Phone Support for Tax Topics
No
Hyperlinked Help In Interview
Yes
Context-Sensitive Help
Yes
Searchable Help Database
Yes
Mobile Access
Yes
If your budget is tight, FreeTaxUSA should be one of your top contenders when you're choosing a tax preparation service for tax year 2021. You can use it to file your federal taxes for free, and it supports all major IRS forms and schedules, except for a handful of less common ones. State returns are only $14.99. It's fast, easy to use, and provides more help than we would expect from a free product that covers so much ground. The user experience it provides isn't the most elegant among the services we tested (that designation belongs to TurboTax, our Editors’ Choice winner), but we didn't encounter any problems or navigation confusion in our initial testing.
The service has, of course, been modified to incorporate changes to the tax code, and it includes many smaller changes and tweaks. And the company has rolled out professional tax help by phone, chat, or screen share for a flat fee of $24.99. Otherwise, the site looks and works much like it did in the 2020 tax year. Still, it's a strong option, one of the best tax preparation websites for the budget-conscious taxpayer who wants easily accessible explanations of topics and comprehensive coverage. FreeTaxUSA is an especially good bargain if you have to file as self-employed. Many taxpayers have taken on side gigs in this uncertain economy, and some other tax preparation services charge hefty fees if you have to file a Schedule C.