Guided US tax filing for individuals, freelancers, and small business owners
TurboTax is Intuit's consumer tax-filing product and the default for tens of millions of US filers. The interview-style flow asks plain-English questions and turns them into the right IRS forms. For W-2 plus a few 1099s, it is genuinely the fastest way to file. For freelancers and small business owners, the Self-Employed tier handles Schedule C with live expert help if you want it.
You import last year's return (or pull it from Intuit's archive), connect employers and brokerages for W-2 and 1099 import, and answer a guided interview. TurboTax fills the forms behind the scenes and runs accuracy and audit-risk checks before you e-file. The Live tiers add an on-demand CPA or Enrolled Agent — review only on Assisted, full hand-off on Full Service.
2026 pricing roughly: Free Edition for simple W-2 returns; Deluxe $69 federal plus $59 per state; Premium $129 federal (covers investments and rental property); Self-Employed $129 federal. Live Assisted adds about $80 to $130 on top; Live Full Service starts around $369.
Watch out: state filing is almost always extra. The Free Edition is more limited than the marketing suggests — anything beyond a basic W-2 with standard deduction usually pushes you to Deluxe.
| Software | Federal cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| TurboTax | $0 to $129+ | Most US filers, smoothest UX |
| H&R Block | $0 to $115 | Similar features, slightly cheaper |
| FreeTaxUSA | Free federal | Cost-conscious filers |
| Cash App Taxes | Free | Simple to moderate returns |
Pick TurboTax if you want the smoothest filing experience, you have a Schedule C or investments to declare, and you might want a CPA to glance at the return before you file. Skip it if you have a multi-entity, multi-state situation or you are happy filing forms directly — FreeTaxUSA does the same job for less.
Salaried employees with 1099 side gigs use TurboTax to combine W-2 forms with Schedule C business income in one return. The software calculates self-employment tax automatically and flags estimated quarterly payment deadlines.
Self-employed founders file Schedule C through TurboTax's self-employment workflow. Expense tracking, mileage logs, and home office square footage convert into deductions without manual calculation.
Landlords and real estate investors use TurboTax to report rental income, mortgage interest, property tax, and depreciation on Schedule E. The software separates residential and commercial properties into distinct entries.
Quarterly access to product leadership.
Bonus credits redeemable on partner tooling.
We re-verify the offer every quarter so it never goes stale.
Hit the button on this page — opens the partner site in a new tab.
Check your investor or accelerator benefits portal for the TurboTax partner code. Y Combinator, Sequoia, and most Tier 1 VCs have codes available.
Renewals stay at the same rate — verified by us, not the vendor.
| Feature | TurboTax |
|---|---|
| Free trial | 14 days |
| Cheapest paid plan | $0/mo |
| Annual discount | Up to 25% |
| Refund window | 30 days |
| Setup time | < 1 hour |
| Best for | Founders |
“Crypto tax handling finally works properly”
“Premier handles rental properties without an accountant”
“Self-Employed tier found $3,200 in deductions I'd missed”
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Free plan + free trial available
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