Which of the Following Apply to Your Tax Situation?
Tax Preparer Price Comparison
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
2025 Tax Software Cost Comparison Guide
Choosing the right tax software can save you money and make filing your taxes easier. Our 2025 tax software cost comparison calculator helps you compare prices between popular options like TurboTax, FreeTaxUSA, and H&R Block.
Why Did I Build This Website?
When going to file my taxes I've found it surprisingly difficult to answer basic questions like "How much does TurboTax cost?". Not surprisingly, many tax companies have a reputation for being notoriously vague about their prices. You usually don't know what you will pay until you are on their checkout screen. Intuit TurboTax was recently forced to pay $141 million in lawsuit settlements for falsely advertising their product as "Free" when in fact the large majority of their customers paid closer to $200 to file. The goal of this website is to make hidden fees, upsells, and extra charges more visible for consumers and help you make an educated decision about what tax software to use for your tax filing situation.
Why Compare Tax Software Costs?
Tax software prices can vary significantly based on your specific tax situation. Factors like state returns, investment income, self-employment, and rental properties can affect the total cost. By using our calculator, you can:
- See tax software price estimates for different tax scenarios
- Compare costs across multiple tax software providers
- Make an informed decision on which software offers the best value for your needs
- Potentially save money on your tax preparation costs
How did I come up with these numbers?
Many of the large tax software companies intentionally hide their true prices until the very moment it's time to pay. To shine a light on what the costs really are I created an account with each software, logged in, and tested different scenarios to figure out how much each of these companies would charge for varying scenarios. These were my results. Software prices change frequently and your tax situation may be different than my tests, so I make no guarantee that these prices are 100% accurate.
How to Use Our Tax Software Cost Comparison Calculator
Simply check the boxes that apply to your tax situation, and watch as the prices update automatically. This allows you to quickly see which tax software provider offers the best deal for your specific needs in 2025.
What is the most affordable tax software for 2025?
All of the online tax preparers should give you the same refund or amount owed. So do yourself a favor and don't pay more than you need to. After our analysis, FreeTaxUSA is the most affordable solution for the majority of tax filing situations. TurboTax and H&R Block both have free tiers, but they are very limited. If you have anything more than a W-2, or are filing a state return, own a home, or want to itemize your deductions, then the costs stack up very quickly. However for some people with very simple tax returns, those free tiers may be a good option. For the rest of us, FreeTaxUSA is the winner in this space. Regardless of how many forms and or how complicated your tax situation is, their federal product is always free, and state returns are $14.99. Even their upsells are more affordable than their competitors. For example, TurboTax, FreeTaxUSA, and H&R Block all charge a fee if you want to pay with your refund (because they have to pay a third-party provider to process the transaction), but FreeTaxUSA only charges $25 while TurboTax and H&R Block charge $40 and $42 respectively for the exact same service.
Is FreeTaxUSA really free?
Yes and no. Like all the others, it depends. If you live in a state that doesn't have income tax (Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington or Wyoming) then yes, you could file with FreeTaxUSA completely free. You could also file for free with FreeTaxUSA if you qualify for the IRS free file program. That means if you made less than $84,000 in 2024, you could file both your federal and state returns for free with FreeTaxUSA. TurboTax and H&R Block both used to participate in the IRS free file program, but within the last few years they both opted out. That means FreeTaxUSA is the only provider of the three that will honor that qualification.
If you don't qualify for free file, and you live in a state with income tax, then FreeTaxUSA will charge $15 for each state return you need to file. They will also charge you for any optional upsells you choose to purchase (deluxe support, audit defense, printed copy of your return, etc.). While FreeTaxUSA is not free for everyone, my research has led me to the conclusion that it is the most affordable option for the majority of tax filers this year.
What tax preparation software do I recommend?
In my experience and testing, I found FreeTaxUSA to be the best bang for your buck. They had the most honest and transparent pricing, and their software was very easy to use. FreeTaxUSA is what I personally used to file my taxes this year.