How to file your 2024 taxes for free
Virtual and IRL options
Hello to the 3,525 hotties who subscribe to this newsletter! Thank you for being here.
Before we get into the meat of this newsletter, I just want to validate anyone who might be feeling this way: Taxes suck. It’s not just you. We all hate wading through forms written in tax legalese. We all hate waiting in neverending suspense to see if we’re going to get audited. We all hate that our taxes are going to causes we don’t support.
I’m not going to pretend like this is a pleasant task. But I will sweeten the deal a little by telling you that you can file your taxes for free at the sites below:
MilTax, for members of the military, veterans, and their families
You can also get free in-person support using these services:
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA)
Use the IRS Free Tax Prep Help page to find a VITA program near you
Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE)
Majority of TCE sites are operated by the AARP Foundation’s Tax Aide Program. Use their site locator tool to find a location near you
MilTax, for members of the military, veterans, and their families
💌 Coming soon: I’ll wrie about the difference between scarcity mindset and actual scarcity. I’ll also publish guides that tell you how to become a war tax resister and how to make a payment plan with the IRS. Make sure you’re subscribed and click the links to read last year’s guides.
🤝 I’m still accepting new clients! If you need a financial coach for the next 3, 6, or 12 months, email hello@queerandtranswealth.org for more info on my services. You can also book a time to meet with me using this link.
Here are some things to consider before trying to file your taxes for free
Most of these free tax services are only available to taxpayers whose employers withheld a portion of their paycheck for taxes. For example, if you have a full-time corporate or hourly job that gave you a W-2 form during tax season, you’ll likely qualify for most of these free tax services. On the other hand, if you’re a freelancer with a handful of 1099s, you’re less likely to be included in free tax filing services.
Most of these free tax services have income limits. I’ve included that information below when available.
You do not have to file your taxes if you made less than $14,600 for single people, and less than $29,200 for married people filing jointly, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. You might want to file your taxes anyway because you may be eligible for a state or federal refund.
Taxpayers who were affected by the California wildfires may be eligible for two types of disaster declarations. Read more about that on the IRS website. Businesses affected will also have until October 15, 2025 to file their taxes without any late penalties.
You can file a tax extension if you can’t finish filing your taxes by the tax deadline, April 15, 2025. Use Form 4868 or file an extension with any of the 8 Free File partners through the IRS to extend the tax deadline to October 15, 2025.
You can make a payment plan with the IRS. Freelancers and small business owners who couldn’t afford to set aside money for taxes this year, I’m looking directly at you, boo. The IRS may charge set-up fees and a small interest rate to set up the payment plan. But if you’re being asked to choose between rent or groceries and paying your tax debts, I want to encourage you to take care of yourself first and consider setting up a payment plan.
If you owe multiple years of back taxes, you can apply for an offer in compromise with the IRS. An offer in compromise allows you to settle your tax debt for less than the full amount that you owe. If you’re working with an accountant, bookkeeper, or tax preparer, they can walk you through the application or advocate for you throughout the process.
Free in-person tax support
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA)
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) offers free basic tax return preparation for:
people who make $67,000 or less
people with disabilities
people who speak little to no English
Basic tax returns include people with W-2 income (ie, you get paid by an employer every two weeks and your paycheck has taxes withheld).
VITA volunteers are required to pass tax law training that meets or exceeds IRS standards.
Click here to find a VITA site near you.
Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE)
Similar to VITA, Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) provides in-person tax preparation services for people who are 60 or older. The volunteers specialize in questions about pensions and retirement unique to seniors.
AARP Foundation’s Tax Aide Program
The majority of TCE sites are operated by AARP Foundation’s Tax Aide Program.
Click here to find an AARP Foundation Tax-Aide site near you.
Sites that let you file your taxes for free
IRS Free File
The IRS has 8 trusted software partners (some of them are listed below) with varying income limits.
However, you can file your taxes without guided software at any income level using free fillable forms.
Convenience (out of 5 stars, 5 being the most convenient): ⭐
Fee to file state taxes: Some sites offer free filing for state taxes, and some don’t. Those who don’t offer state tax filing for free range from $14.99 to $39.99.
Income limit: None
Types of income included: Varies per site.
Direct File
Instead of filing through a software partner like TurboTax, you can file your taxes with guided software using Direct File.
Convenience: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Fee to file state taxes: None
Income limit: $200,000 for single people; $250,000 for married people filing jointly
Types of income included:
W-2 wage income
SSA-1099 Social Security income
1099-G unemployment compensation
1099-INT interest income
1099-R retirement income
1099-MISC for Alaska residents reporting the Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend
This service is only available in 25 participating states. Check the Direct File website to make sure your state is eligible.
MilTax
MilTax provides free software and tax support to members of the military, veterans, and their families. You can get support online through consultants, webinars, and educational tools.
Convenience: N/A — I’m not a member of the military so I couldn’t try this out or click around.
Fee to file state taxes: You can file up to three state returns for free.
Income limit: None
Types of income supported: Any
TurboTax Free Edition
TurboTax is one of the most popular tax filing services on the internet. In 2022, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed a complaint against Intuit, the parent company of TurboTax, for deceiving people into paying for tax services that should have been free.
According to TurboTax’s website, roughly 37% of taxpayers are eligible for the Free Edition of their software. It’s the easiest software to use out of all the options listed, but I highly recommend double- and triple-checking the eligibility requirements for the Free Edition so that you don’t feel pressured into buying their products down the line.
Like most platforms, freelancers or small business owners with 1099-MISC income are not eligible for free services.
Convenience: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Income limit: None
Fee to file state taxes: None
Types of income supported:
W-2 wage income
1099-INT interest income
1099-G unemployment income
1099-K payment card and third-party network transactions (ie., Stripe or Square)
1099-R retirement income
For the full list, click here.
Intuit Boycott: TurboTax is owned by Intuit, a company that’s been lobbying against Americans filing their taxes for free directly with the IRS for over 20 years. By lobbying against IRS programs like Direct File, TurboTax hoards billions in profits off of taxpayers who would gladly file taxes for free if it were an option. In response, activists have been boycotting Intuit products, like TurboTax and QuickBooks for at least a year.
H&R Block Online Free
H&R Block Online Free provides free tax filing services for anyone with a simple W-2 tax return. It’s also a relatively easy and intuitive software to use, but freelancers and small business owners with 1099-MISC income are not included.
According to its site, 55% of filers qualify for H&R Block Online Free Edition.
Convenience: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Income limit: None
Fee to file state taxes: None
Types of income supported:
W-2 wage income
1099-INT interest income
1099-G unemployment income
1099-K payment card and third-party network transactions (ie., Stripe or Square)
1099-R retirement income
For the full list, click here.
FreeTax USA
FreeTaxUSA is an IRS-approved e-file provider. According to its website, FreeTaxUSA has filed over 71 million tax returns with the IRS. They have step-by-step guidance for people with all types of income.
They do charge $14.99 to file your state tax return. You can also pay an additional $7.99 for the deluxe version and $39.99 for pro support. This is a great alternative for anyone who wants to boycott TurboTax.
Convenience: ⭐⭐⭐
Income limit:
AGI of $48,000 or less for single filers
AGI of $84,000 or less for active duty military
Fee to file state taxes: $14.99.
Types of income supported:
W-2 wage income
1099-INT interest income
1099-G unemployment income
1099-K payment card and third-party network transactions (ie., Stripe or Square)
1099-R retirement income
1099-MISC freelance income
For the full list, click here.
TaxSlayer Simply Free
TaxSlayer is also an IRS-approved e-file provider. They provide free tax filing services for people with “simple tax situations.” According to TaxSlayer’s site, simple tax situations include:
people who are single or married filing jointly
people with no dependents
people under the age of 65
people who claim the standard deduction rather than itemizing deductions.
See the full list of qualifications here.
Convenience: ⭐⭐⭐
Income limit:
AGI of $48,000 or less for single filers
AGI of $84,000 or less for active duty military
Fee to file state taxes: Free in some states. $39.99 in others.
Types of income supported:
W-2 wage income
1099-INT interest income
1099-G unemployment income
Check the TaxSlayer website for a full list of supported forms.
TaxAct Free
TaxAct Free is also an IRS-approved e-file provider. According to its website, TaxAct has e-filed over 90 million federal returns since 2000. They offer free tax filing services for people with simple tax returns, i.e., people with W-2 income from a job that pays a bimonthly paycheck.
This is another great alternative for people who want to boycott TurboTax.
Convenience: ⭐⭐⭐
Income limit:
AGI of $84,000 or less for people ages 20 to 59
AGI of $84,000 or less for active duty military
Fee to file state taxes: Free in some states. $39.99 in others.
Types of income supported:
W-2 wage income
1099-G unemployment income
For full list of supported forms, visit TaxAct.com/ffa/free-file.
GetYourRefund.org
Think of GetYourRefund.org as a more comprehensive, online version of Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Programs. You can use this service to connect with a certified tax preparer if you haven’t filed taxes between 2021 and 2024. GetYourRefund.org tax preparers process any type of income as long as you make $67,000 or less.
It takes 2 to 3 weeks to process your return. You must submit your documents by April 1st in order to meet the April 15 tax deadline.
Convenience: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Income limit: $67,000
Fee to file state taxes: Free in some states. $39.99 in others.
Types of income supported: Any
Cash App Taxes
Cash App is a popular financial service used to send and receive money within seconds. Cash App launched its in-app tax service in 2021. According to its website, Cash App Taxes has helped 12 million people file their taxes. You can file your taxes using a computer, tablet, or phone with step-by-step instructions.
Cash App claims to serve tax filers with W-2 or 1099 income, plus they serve people who have sold or exchanged stocks and cryptocurrency in 2024. Cash App also claims to help people get their refund up to 5 days early.
You have to download the Cash App to file your taxes for free.
Convenience: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Income limit: None
Fee to file state taxes: Free
Types of income supported:
W-2 wage income
1099-G unemployment income
1099-MISC freelance income or cryptocurrency sales or exchanges
1099-B income from stock sales or exchanges
Chime Taxes
Chime is a popular neobank, a digital bank that uses financial technology to offer services. Unlike traditional banks, neobanks don’t have a physical location, which helps cut down on any fees. Chime, in particular, helps its members build credit by linking checking accounts to a secured credit card.
Chime Taxes is brand new. Chime launched a pilot program for its members during the 2024 tax season. This year, they launched an in-app program that anyone can use.
Chime claims to help its users get refunds up to 6 days early. You have to download the Chime app to file your taxes for free.
Convenience: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Income limit: None
Fee to file state taxes: Free
Types of income supported:
W-2 wage income
1099-G unemployment income
1099-MISC freelance income or cryptocurrency sales or exchanges
1099-B income from stock sales or exchanges
Thank you so much for this! My spouse and I neglected to file last year and this gave me confidence to get both years done. I want to add for others who might be in that position that FreeTaxUSA allows you to file for prior years, while several of the other options only offer the current year.
Thank you for these options! I am personally very happy to delegate the tax tasks to an accountant but I'm such a control freak and prepare everything in advance for them so maybe I'll do it in the future. HOWEVER, I want to ask you real talk, how is the weird shit going on at the Treasury Department and the loser teenagers with access to our data impacting how you advise clients filing this year? I do not want them anywhere near my bank account, to be honest!