Free tax filing software 2012

By Shelley Elmblad Full Bio LinkedIn Shelley Elmblad is an expert in financial planning, personal finance software, and taxes, with experience researching and teaching savings strategies for over 20 years.

She earned her bachelor's in business administration from the University of Wisconsin and has successfully completed additional coursework and certificates in public administration, computer networking, small business accounting, and small business management.

Learn about our editorial policies. Reviewed by Erika Rasure. Learn about our Financial Review Board. Pros Real-time refund results W-2 photo capture A step-by-step guide to completing your taxes Advice on common deductions and credits, including the earned income tax credit and the child tax credit. Cons Must upgrade to paid versions of the software to use DeductionPro, which optimizes the benefits of your charitable donations Cannot import B investment income including cost basis Must upgrade for self-employment or small business income support Doesn't support simple expenses for freelancers and independent contractors.

Cons Doesn't offer investment income filing No photo import option for W-2 income data Noncash charitable donations and like-kind exchanges aren't included in free software. Pros Provides access to multiple tax filing software for free Free state filing depending on your income level and the offer you choose.

Cons Limits to gross income may mean you earn too much to qualify for use Taxpayers with higher incomes may need to fill out forms by hand without software guidance. TaxSlayer SimplyFree Edition The paid versions of TaxSlayer are worth considering—they're among the cheapest options you'll find, and they cover many tax situations. Pros Covers student loan interest and education expenses Free support via phone and email Full-service federal tax returns offered for free to active-duty military personal.

Cons Limited support Only covers basic W-2 income and returns. Cons Most forms are not supported by the free version You may be prompted to upgrade to a paid version during the tax filing process, but paid services are more expensive than those of some competitors.

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Read our review. All filers must pay for state filing. Read our OLT Review here. Filers need to understand their tax situation to use these forms, but it can work for certain filers. These are federal forms only, but some states may have similar options. The product offers an excellent user experience for all most users active traders will want to look elsewhere. Unfortunately, people who worked in multiple states cannot use Cash App Taxes to file their state returns. You also have to connect a debit card to the Cash App which may be a challenge for underbanked people prepaid debit cards work.

Cash App Taxes is our top free choice for Learn more about Cash App Taxes here. They also expanded what counts for free filing, making them our top choice for individuals that qualify for free file. W-2 wage earners including homeowners, people claiming childcare expenses, student loan interest deduction or charitable deductions and recipients of the earned income tax credit can all get free file this year.

Limited interest and dividend income is also supported. The Free tier includes both State and Federal filing. Filers can simply snap a photo of their W-2, add some basic information, and complete filing.

In , TurboTax has an amazing offer. Simple filers who have their documents ready by February 15th can have an enrolled agent file taxes on their behalf.

Those who complete their returns by March 31st can have an Enrolled Agent review their taxes before filing. Unfortunately, this offer is limited to people with very simple returns. People with more complex filing situations including HSA contributions or distributions, child care expenses, and charitable contributions will have to upgrade.

You can read more about what TurboTax offers in our TurboTax review. TaxAct has an expansive free filing option, but it only applies to federal returns. All filers have to pay for state returns. Given the high price point of state returns, TaxAct is a poor choice for people seeking free filing.

In , TaxAct provides free filing to people with W-2 income, education expenses but not student loan interest , and people who want to claim the child tax deduction. The free filing includes Federal and State returns. But watch out.

TaxAct bumps you out of the free zone pretty quickly. Anyone with student loan interest, charitable contributions, child care expenses, or contributions to a traditional IRA will move to the Deluxe tier. Free extends to all forms and all individual tax situations on the Federal side. The state pricing is transparently displayed on the front page of the website, and the software is easy to use.

TaxHawk does not have a free pricing tier for state filing. With cleaned-up advertising and great software, TaxHawk qualifies as a great bargain.

Read our full TaxHawk review here. TaxSlayer is open and honest about only supporting simple returns on its free tier. However, TaxSlayer Classic is a Premium software bargain for more complex filers. You can read our full TaxSlayer Review here. Beyond now. Their site says free online tax preparation. But none of their filing options are free. So why do they start by saying free online tax preparation?

I could not find offers for free filing for lower earners either. This is software to avoid. Unlike many other filing services, If you adjust your income through credits or deductions you cannot use their services.

The free software is incredibly limited, and the software is difficult to use. Since users have to pay for state filing, we recommend passing on ezTaxReturn in Check out our ezTaxReturn review here. FileYourTaxes is tough to use and its price structure is byzantine. Even if you manage to qualify for free federal filing, the software is cumbersome to use. Technically, OLT. That said, it's clunkier, so we generally recommend that everyone else stay away.

Check out our OLT. Generally, we prefer the ease of the tax filing software above. Here are the answers to a few of the questions that people ask most often about free tax software:. Got married? Had a baby? Bought a home? TurboTax can help find you any new tax deductions and credits. Every personal TurboTax return is backed by our Audit Support Guarantee for free guidance from a trained tax professional. File taxes electronically e-file and get email confirmation when your tax return is accepted.

Skip To Main Content. File with an expert File on your own. Taxes done right, however you choose. Start for free. Snap and securely upload your tax documents. Get matched with the right expert for your tax situation.