Tax Software
FreeTaxUSA: features, pricing and who it fits
A low-cost US filer where the federal return is $0 and includes Schedule C, Schedule SE and 1099-NEC income. State returns cost $15.99 each. It cannot file Forms 1065, 1120-S or 1120, and it offers no CPA preparation, only live chat in the $7.99 Deluxe upgrade.
Who FreeTaxUSA is for
Best for
- Freelancers and sole proprietors who need Schedule C and Schedule SE and want a $0 federal fee
- Filers who want to pay only for state returns and optional support
Look elsewhere if
- LLCs, partnerships and S corps that must file Form 1065, 1120-S or 1120 themselves
- Filers who want a live CPA or enrolled agent to prepare or sign the return
FreeTaxUSA features
- Tax market
- US federal and state (IRS)
- Self-employed return support
- Schedule C, Schedule SE, 1099-NEC and 1099-MISC, home office Form 8829, free in the federal return
- Business entity returns
- No. Staff state the product cannot file Form 1065, 1120-S or 1120; K-1 income from a partnership can be entered on the personal return
- E-filing to IRS or ELSTER
- Federal e-file free; state e-file $15.99 per state
- Data import
- Imports prior-year FreeTaxUSA data
- Expert or Steuerberater help
- Deluxe ($7.99) adds live chat and priority support; no CPA preparation
- Pricing model
- Free federal, per-state fee, optional Deluxe upgrade
- Target company size
- Individuals, freelancers and sole proprietors
FreeTaxUSA pricing
| Plan | Price | Unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal return | $0 | per return | Self-employed forms (Schedule C, SE, 1099-NEC, home office Form 8829) listed as included |
| State return | $15.99 | per state return | 2025 tax year |
| Deluxe | $7.99 | per return (optional upgrade) | Live chat, priority support, unlimited amended returns, 7-year file storage |
Amended return $16.98 for the current year, free with Deluxe or Pro Support.
Prices as published by FreeTaxUSA on the date above. Quotes for larger teams often differ, which is what a request on SaaSBid surfaces.
Worth knowing before you buy
- The federal return is $0 even with Schedule C, so the self-employed cost is the state fee ($15.99 per state) plus optional Deluxe at $7.99
- Cannot prepare Form 1065, 1120-S or 1120; business entities need another product or a preparer
- Foreign earned income (Form 2555), nonresident returns (1040NR) and Form 6198 at-risk limits are listed as unsupported on the 1099-NEC page
FreeTaxUSA alternatives
Vendor dossier
Fit by company size
| Category | 1-10 people | 11-50 people | 51-500 people | 500+ people |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tax Software | Strong fit | Poor fit | No data | No data |
Strong fitWorkablePoor fitNo data from the vendor
How buying FreeTaxUSA works
- How you buy
- Buy online
- Free plan
- Yes
- Contract
- Pay per return; no subscription stated
About the company
- Headquarters
- Provo, Utah, US
- Ownership
- operated by TaxHawk, Inc.
Support and integrations
- Support
- Deluxe adds live chat and priority support
What vendors in this category ask before quoting
Answer these once in a SaaSBid request and FreeTaxUSA and its alternatives quote against the same facts.
- Which country will the return be filed in, and are you also filing in a second one?Tax software serves one market, so a two-country setup usually needs two products.
- Are you a sole proprietor, freelancer, LLC, partnership or corporation?Entity type decides which edition and which forms are required.
- Is your VAT or Umsatzsteuer status small-business exempt or regular?Some German products cover only exempt or simple cases and treat VAT-liable users separately.
- How many returns and how many states or businesses do you need to file?Per-state fees and limits on returns per license change the total price.
- Do you want a person to review or prepare the return, or only software?Expert tiers cost more and can be priced per entity or as a share of a refund.
- If you run a tax firm: how many clients and staff do you have, and do you keep DATEV?Client bands, included users and the DATEV interface decide which plan and which add-ons are needed.