Most people can prepare and file their federal tax return electronically for free if their income is below a certain amount. That's right. Free. No cost. Zero. Go to irs.gov/freefile, see if you qualify to use free tax software and let IRS Free File do the hard work for you. IRS Free File guides you in preparing and filing your federal income tax return online using free software. It's easy, in fact you can use Free File from your home computer. If you have a higher income and don't qualify for Free File, you have the option of using Free File Fillable Forms online instead. Remember that Free File Fillable Forms offers no tax preparation guidance and only has limited calculations. Both ways are safe, and completely free for federal returns. Get started at irs.gov/freefile. There are two ways to select a Free File service that works for you. You can click the link to the Browse All Offers page or click the link for the Online Lookup Tool. Once you enter your information, you'll get a list of software options. When you click your desired IRS Free File provider, you'll leave the IRS website and get redirected to the software provider's website. To prepare and file your return for free, remember you must create an account at the IRS Free File provider's website, after you access it only from IRS.gov. Remember, you MUST access the provider from IRS.gov, not by going directly to that same provider's website. To get started, visit irs.gov/freefile.
