TurboTax Review (2026)
TurboTax, from Intuit, suits filers who want the most guided interview and are willing to pay for it, or to pay a tax expert to check or prepare the return. The one thing to know: Free Edition covers simple Form 1040 returns only, so unemployment, itemizing, stock sales or business income push you to a paid tier. For 2025 returns, Deluxe is $79 and Premium $139, plus $64 per state.
By Wealthy Pot Editorial · Facts checked October 19, 2026
Facts checked October 19, 2026 against TurboTax's own pricing pages, guarantee terms, help center and privacy notice (11 sources, listed below). We re-check prices about once a month. We do not earn a commission from Intuit (TurboTax).
TurboTax at a glance
| Free Edition (2025 returns) | $0 federal and $0 state, for simple Form 1040 returns only; Intuit says roughly 37% of taxpayers qualify [1] |
|---|---|
| Not in Free Edition | Unemployment (1099-G), itemizing, HSA, education credits, stock and crypto sales, rentals, business income [2] |
| Deluxe (2025 returns) | $79 federal + $64 per state [1] |
| Premium (2025 returns) | $139 federal + $64 per state; stocks, crypto, rentals, Schedule C with expenses, K-1s [1] |
| Expert Assist (2025 returns) | Basic $59 + $59 state; Deluxe $129 + $69 state; Premium $209 + $69 state; unlimited expert help and a final expert review [1] |
| Expert Full Service (2025 returns) | From $129 federal (one W-2 and Form 1040) + $69 state; final price depends on your forms [1] |
| IRS Free File | Not among the eight partners the IRS listed for 2025 returns (AGI $89,000 or less); Intuit withdrew from the program in July 2021 [10] |
| Prior-year returns | Desktop software only; 2024 returns: Deluxe $80, Premier $115, Home & Business $130 (federal and state) [4] |
| Amended 2025 returns | Online through October 31, 2026 on Free Edition, through October 31, 2028 on paid tiers [3] |
| Pay fees from your refund | $40 Refund Processing Service fee [1] |
| Guarantees | Pays IRS or state penalties and interest caused by a TurboTax calculation error; maximum refund guarantee returns the purchase price ($30 for Free Edition) [5] |
| Audit help | Free one-on-one Q&A with a tax professional; informational only, no representation [5] |
| Mobile app | Free TurboTax mobile app [3] |
| Support | Product specialists by phone or chat (fees may apply; a paid upgrade on Free Edition), community forum, FAQs [1] |
What filing with TurboTax costs
| Do-it-yourself tier | Federal | One state | Handles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free Edition | $0 | $0 | Simple Form 1040 only |
| Deluxe | $79 | $64 | Itemizing, HSA, education credits, Schedule C income without expenses |
| Premium | $139 | $64 | Stocks and crypto (Schedule D), rentals (Schedule E), Schedule C with expenses, K-1s |
Three common returns, federal plus one state
| Your return | Tier you need | Federal | State | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simple return: W-2 income, standard deduction | Free Edition | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| You sold stocks or crypto (Schedule D) | Premium | $139 | $64 | $203 |
| Self-employed with business expenses (Schedule C) | Premium | $139 | $64 | $203 |
Prices for 2025 returns (the 2026 filing season), read on TurboTax's own site on October 19, 2026. Prices for 2026 returns had not been published yet. Totals are our arithmetic, before optional add-ons such as expert help, audit defense or paying with your refund.
How TurboTax works
TurboTax sells online tiers by form. Free Edition takes a simple Form 1040: W-2 wages, small amounts of interest and dividends that do not need Schedule B, the Earned Income Tax Credit, the Child Tax Credit, student loan interest and the new Schedule 1-A deductions. As soon as you enter something outside that list, such as unemployment on a 1099-G, mortgage interest you want to itemize, an HSA or an education credit, TurboTax asks you to upgrade to Deluxe before you can file. Stock or crypto sales, rental income, K-1s and business expenses need Premium (formerly Self-Employed), which TurboTax says handles over 10,000 stock and 20,000 crypto transactions. Deluxe covers Schedule C income only, without expenses.
State returns are $0 on Free Edition and $64 per state on Deluxe and Premium. Expert Assist adds unlimited help from a tax expert and a final review, at $59 to $209 federal plus $59 or $69 for a state. Expert Full Service, where an expert prepares and files the return, starts at $129 plus $69 for a state. Paying from your refund adds $40, and Audit Defense is a separate paid add-on from a third party (TaxAudit). These are TurboTax's prices for 2025 returns (the 2026 filing season) as shown on October 19, 2026; TurboTax has not published online prices for 2026 returns yet. The cost block on this page shows each tier and three worked cases, and the tax software comparison sets them against the other filers.
One worked case from the cost block: a W-2 earner who sold stock needs Premium, so the bill is $139 federal + $64 for one state = $203. A freelancer with business expenses lands on the same $203 (the software fee, not the self-employment tax itself). Paying those fees from the refund instead of by card makes it $203 + $40 = $243, and switching to Expert Assist Premium for expert help makes it $209 + $69 = $278.
Pros
- Free Edition includes the state return at $0
- Expert Assist and Full Service from the same account, with a final expert review
- Premium handles over 10,000 stock and 20,000 crypto transactions
- Online amending of 2025 returns stays open through October 31, 2028 on paid tiers
Cons
- The highest DIY prices we track: $203 for federal plus one state on Premium
- Unemployment income and education credits are not in Free Edition
- Paying from your refund costs $40
- Not part of IRS Free File
Who TurboTax fits, and who should skip it
A good fit if
- You want the most step-by-step interview and do not mind paying for it.
- You may want a tax expert to answer questions or review the return before it is filed, from the same account.
- Your return is simple enough for Free Edition, which includes the state return at $0.
Look elsewhere if
- You have stock sales, rentals or a side business and want to pay less: FreeTaxUSA charges $0 federal for those forms.
- Your AGI was $89,000 or less and you want free filing through IRS Free File: TurboTax is not a partner; TaxAct is.
- You want an office to walk into or a lower price on a simple paid return: H&R Block has both.
Limitations to know
- Free Edition does not include unemployment income on Form 1099-G, education credits (Form 8863), HSAs (Form 8889) or itemizing on Schedule A. [2]
- Deluxe includes Schedule C income only, without expenses; deducting business expenses or reporting stock sales on Schedule D needs Premium. [2]
- Returns for earlier years are sold only as desktop software, not online. [4]
- TurboTax audit support is informational only: "We will not represent you before the IRS or state tax authority or provide legal advice." Representation is the separate Audit Defense add-on. [5]
- Help from product specialists is not included with Free Edition; it is available as a paid upgrade. [3]
TurboTax compared with alternatives
| Product | Free tier | State | Stock sales + 1 state | Self-employed + 1 state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TurboTax | Free Edition $0 (simple Form 1040 only) | $64 per state on Deluxe and Premium | $203 (Premium) | $203 (Premium) |
| FreeTaxUSA | Federal $0 for all supported situations | $15.99 per state | $15.99 (Federal (all situations)) | $15.99 (Federal (all situations)) |
| H&R Block | Free Online $0 | $49 per state on paid tiers | $154 (Premium) | $179 (Self-Employed) |
| TaxAct | Free $0 (Form 1040 only) | $54.99 on Free; $64.99 per state on paid tiers | $164.98 (Premier) | $174.98 (Self-Employed) |
| Cash App Taxes | Federal $0 | $0 for one state (40 states + DC; not Montana) | $0 (Cash App Taxes) | $0 (Cash App Taxes) |
- Pick FreeTaxUSA if you want $0 federal filing even with stock sales, rentals or self-employment.
- Pick H&R Block if you want a big-name filer with lower paid tiers and offices for in-person help.
- Pick TaxAct if you want lower prices than TurboTax and a $100,000 accuracy guarantee.
- Pick Cash App Taxes if you file in one state and want federal and state for $0.
Security and privacy
- Intuit's privacy statement says: "Except as necessary to provide you with tax preparation services or as authorized by law, we will not use or disclose your Tax Return Information" without your consent. [6]
- With your consent, the statement says information from TurboTax can be used across other Intuit products, such as Credit Karma, QuickBooks and Mailchimp. It does not cite Internal Revenue Code section 7216 by number. [6]
- Federal rules under section 7216 require that consent to be written, signed and dated, and say a preparer that makes its service conditional on consent does not have voluntary consent. [11]
- When you use Expert Assist, TurboTax says the expert sees a read-only view of your return with your Social Security number masked, and video calls are one-way (the expert cannot see you). [1]
Recent changes
| Date | What changed |
|---|---|
| Oct 19, 2026 | TurboTax Desktop posted prices for 2026 returns: Deluxe $84, Premier $119, Home & Business $134, Business $194. Online prices for 2026 returns were not published yet. [3] |
| Mar 20, 2026 | The Fifth Circuit (Intuit, Inc. v. FTC, No. 24-60040) held that the FTC's in-house case violated the separation of powers, vacated the FTC's 2024 order and sent the case back to the FTC. [9] |
| Jan 22, 2024 | FTC final order: Intuit may not advertise anything as free unless it is free for all consumers or it clearly discloses, next to the claim, the share of taxpayers who qualify. This order was later vacated (see March 20, 2026). [8] |
| May 4, 2022 | Intuit agreed to pay $141 million in a settlement with all 50 states and DC, led by New York, to people who paid for TurboTax for tax years 2016 to 2018 although they qualified for the free IRS Free File version. The New York release notes that Intuit withdrew from IRS Free File in July 2021. [7] |
TurboTax FAQ
Is TurboTax really free?
Only for simple Form 1040 returns. Free Edition costs $0 federal and $0 state for 2025 returns if you have only W-2 income, limited interest and dividends, and credits such as the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit. Intuit says roughly 37% of taxpayers qualify. Unemployment income, itemizing, an HSA, stock sales or business income require a paid tier. Our <a href="/best-free-tax-software/">best free tax software</a> guide compares the free options.
How much does TurboTax cost for 2025 returns?
Free Edition is $0. Deluxe is $79 and Premium $139 federal, plus $64 per state. Expert Assist runs $59 to $209 federal plus $59 or $69 for a state, and Expert Full Service starts at $129 plus $69 for a state. These were TurboTax's prices on October 19, 2026; prices for 2026 returns have not been published yet.
Is TurboTax part of IRS Free File?
No. Intuit withdrew from IRS Free File in July 2021. For 2025 returns the IRS listed eight Free File partners, including FreeTaxUSA, TaxAct and TaxSlayer, for people with an AGI of $89,000 or less.
Can TurboTax handle stock sales and self-employment?
Yes, on Premium ($139 federal for 2025 returns). It covers Schedule D and Form 8949 for stocks and crypto, Schedule E for rentals, and Schedule C with business expenses. Deluxe covers self-employment income only if you have no expenses to deduct. To estimate the tax itself, try our <a href="/tools/capital-gains-tax-calculator/">capital gains tax calculator</a>.
Does TurboTax charge for state returns?
Not on Free Edition, which includes the state return at $0. On Deluxe and Premium a state return costs $64 for 2025 returns, and on Expert Assist $59 or $69.
How we researched this review
We did not get paid for this page. On October 19, 2026 we read TurboTax's own pricing pages, product comparison, guarantee terms, help center and privacy notice, quoted each fact and link every one below; regulator actions come from the regulator's own site. We did not file a return with it, and we do not score tax software. Prices are for 2025 returns; we re-check them when prices for 2026 returns come out and then monthly through April.
Sources
- TurboTax, Online tax filing (prices, footnotes and FAQ), checked October 19, 2026.
- TurboTax, Premium (tax forms table for every tier), checked October 19, 2026.
- TurboTax, Desktop pricing (footnotes on amended returns, support and the mobile app), checked October 19, 2026.
- TurboTax, Past years products, checked October 19, 2026.
- TurboTax, Guarantees, checked October 19, 2026.
- Intuit, Global Privacy Statement (last updated March 9, 2026), checked October 19, 2026.
- New York Attorney General, Attorney General James secures $141 million for millions of Americans deceived by TurboTax (May 4, 2022), checked October 19, 2026.
- FTC, FTC issues opinion finding that TurboTax maker Intuit Inc. engaged in deceptive practices (January 2024), checked October 19, 2026.
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, Intuit, Inc. v. FTC, No. 24-60040 (March 20, 2026), copy filed by the FTC, checked October 19, 2026.
- IRS, Use IRS Free File to conveniently file your return at no cost (IR-2026-05, January 9, 2026), checked October 19, 2026.
- eCFR, 26 CFR 301.7216-3, Disclosure or use permitted only with the taxpayer's consent, checked October 19, 2026.
Head-to-head comparisons
- TurboTax vs TaxAct
- TurboTax vs FreeTaxUSA
- TurboTax vs H&R Block
- TurboTax vs TaxSlayer
- TurboTax vs Cash App Taxes
This review is for general information, not tax advice. Prices change through the filing season; confirm the price on TurboTax's site before you file.