After my comparison of H&R Block and TurboTax came out, a reader reached out to tell me that FreeTaxUSA was another good option for people who want to file their taxes without having their intelligence insulted (his words, not mine).
That's a pretty good way of describing this site. It's straightforward and plainspoken, in terms of its layout and content. You can file your federal taxes for free, but filing your state taxes will cost you $12.95.
According to the IRS, to file your taxes for free at Free Tax USA you must:
- Have adjusted gross income of $51,000 or less
- Be between 17 and 61 years of age
You're required to sign up for an account right off the bat. The site is streamlined — you go through tabs dedicated to your personal information, income, deductions and credits, and, ultimately, state taxes. At the same time, you're able to hop between sections.
The formatting is basic, but easy-to-use. That works for me. Overall, I found this to be a good option, especially for experienced tax filers who know what they're doing and don't want a lot of hand-holding.