EDITOR’S NOTE: Today’s editorial has been adapted from the perennial “free tax filing” editorial we run each year. The information has been updated.
And just like that, it’s tax season again. Commercials are airing for various tax services — talking about write-offs and deductions and credits and other gibberish — and the sign-spinners dressed like the Statue of Liberty are wiggling for warmth on the sidewalk outside Suburban Plaza. And many tax preparation companies are promising that you can file your taxes for free.
If you scoffed that there is no such thing as “free” tax filing, you are partially correct. There are actual, real free tax filing sites. But these sites are powered by the same tax-filing companies that make money off “helping” you with your taxes. Which means these companies go out of their way to hide the actual free sites.
Just googling “free tax filing” may lead you to websites that claim to be free, but as soon as you start putting in your information, you’re likely to find you don’t qualify for their version of “free.”
The best way to find the real free options is to go through the IRS website, where you answer a few questions to determine if you qualify for free filing: https://apps.irs.gov/app/freeFile/.
The IRS website referenced earlier and each of the sites we’re about to list will display the criteria you must meet to file for free on that website. You may need to view a couple of them to find the best fit for your circumstances.
In addition, some of these sites have an age limit, while others do not. Because of limited space, we can’t list each site’s criteria, but we will share the links to each site.
- FileYourTaxes.com (https://www.fileyourtaxes.com/irs-free-file)
- 1040NOW (https://www.1040now.net/freefile.htm?code=21);
- Online Taxes at OLT.com (https://www.olt.com/main/OLTFREE/default.php)
- FreeTaxUSA (https://www.freetaxusa.com/freefile2022/)
The following links have been shortened to be easier to type into a browser:
- TaxSlayer (https://tinyurl.com/2p7fmw4c)
- TaxAct (https://tinyurl.com/k4j3626p)
You may notice that some of the big names that have been in the list the last couple years are not on it this year — notably Intuit TurboTax and H&R Block. These two may offer “free” filing, but it will not be the kind of free filing guaranteed by the IRS as on the other sites.
Remember to read through the criteria carefully to have your tax forms (think, W2s, 1040s, etc.) at the ready.
Don’t forget that the deadline for filing your taxes is April 18. Good luck, and happy filing!
