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Tax season kicks off each year when the IRS startes accepting tax returns at the end of January. But a little-known open secret that I’ve learned as a tax editor is that the early weeks of tax season are also when taxpayers can expect the best deals for filing their taxes online.
When the calendar shifts to late February and early March, popular services like TurboTax, H&R Block, TaxSlayer and TaxAct tend to raise prices for federal and state returns. The costs of tax pro services that either offer tax return reviews or allow you to hand over your forms to a tax expert who will file your taxes on your behalf may also increase.
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As we approach the April 15 federal tax filing deadline, expect prices to increase further as taxpayers rush to get their taxes done.
Waiting until the last minute to file your taxes can be costly, especially if you plan to itemize expenses or have complicated tax situations like freelance, rental or investment income or earned money cryptocurrency sales. Just about every tax service charges you more for these situations. Prices can easily eclipse $100, especially if you want help from a tax professional.
For some, the cost may be worth it. Services like TurboTax and H&R Block, two CNET editor’s choice picks this year, offer the best user experience of the companies on our best list in addition to tons of free tax resources, full-service options and AI tools.
Can I still qualify to file my taxes for free?
Yes. Filers with simple tax situations (W-2s, education costs and some basic credits) can still for free throughout tax season. Online services like TurboTax, H&R Block, TaxSlayer and TaxAct do not remove free tiers. But be sure to compare free-filing options to see if you qualify for any.
In addition to tax services with tiered systems, consider filing with Cash App Taxes, which offers one federal and one state return for free no matter your tax situation.
The IRS also offers two free filing options. IRS Free File is a federal program that lets you file for free with one of eight partners if you earned less than $84,000 last year. IRS Direct File, a proprietary tax filing service launched last year, also allows free returns.
There is a tradeoff, though. You may not receive much contextual tax help or live support from a tax professional with free services. Make sure you’re comfortable filing your taxes on your own if you select free tiers. Some options may also have form or salary restrictions.
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Don’t qualify for free filing? Consider FreeTaxUSA, which offers a free federal return, but charges $14.99 per state return. I used this service to file my return this year. I lost out on a more premium experience compared to filng with H&R Block and TurboTax in past years, but FreeTaxUSA offers a solid question and answer model that is easy to navigate. Be prepared to enter all of your tax forms manually, however.
Jackson Hewitt Online also allows you to file your taxes and multiple state returns for a flat $25 fee. Neither of these services have noteworthy form restrictions.
Will CPAs raise prices too?
If you’re turning to an accountant for tax help, you won’t fall victim to the same price hikes as tax day nears. It’s rare for certified public accounts to raise their prices during tax season, said Jassen Bowman, IRS enrolled agent and tax expert.
“What you will see, however, are more and more tax professionals having an early cut-off date,” he said.
If you don’t get your tax documents to them far enough in advance of the April 15 deadline, they may tell you that they’ll need to file an extension to give them more time to sift through your tax file, Bowman added.
But money talks. So if you’re willing to pay a “rush fee” to get your taxes done on time, some firms will bump another client for you after you pay the surcharge.
“The way around all of this is simply to not procrastinate,” Bowman said. “Get your documents together early, and book your appointment now so that you’re not bumping up against the April 15 deadline.”
