Looking to ditch TurboTax? Here's how to file your federal taxes for free in 2024

Cole Behrens, Columbus Dispatch
·2 min read
5
It's almost tax season. Here's how to file your federal taxes for free.
It's almost tax season. Here's how to file your federal taxes for free.

Tax season is almost here, and that means it's time to fire up the tax service of your choice and get to work claiming your return.

If you use an online tax service, though, fees can start to rack up.

Here are some free or low-cost options for filing your federal and state taxes in 2024.

File taxes for free through the IRS

The Internal Revenue Service is offering a free program for filing federal income taxes in 2024 for those who qualify.

IRS Free File, a partnership between the IRS and many tax preparation software companies, opened Jan. 12. The program allows qualified taxpayers to prepare and file federal income tax returns online for free using guided tax preparation software.

IRS Free File is available to any taxpayer or family with adjusted gross income of $79,000 or less in 2023.

You may still be required to pay a fee for filing state taxes depending on your provider and state. Learn more at irs.gov/filing/free-file-do-your-federal-taxes-for-free.

FreeTaxUSA

Tired of seeing hidden fees and additional costs while filing your federal taxes? FreeTaxUSA offers free federal income tax filing and a flat fee of $14.99 for state filings.

The FreeTaxUSA filing program offers auto-filling of information and other quality-of-life features for filing, according to its website, and does not sell customers' personal information.

The service is also partnered with the IRS for the IRS Free File program.

Other tax services available through IRS Free File

Here are some other tax providers qualifying customers can use for Free File:

  • 1040Now.

  • 1040.com.

  • ezTaxReturn.com.

  • FileYourTaxes.com.

  • OnLine Taxes.

  • TaxAct.

  • TaxSlayer.

Qualifying participants will be directed to one of these providers' websites for filing their taxes, according to the IRS.

@Colebehr_report

Cbehrens@dispatch.com

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Do you qualify for free federal tax filing in 2024? How to check