Is Credit Karma Tax not free anymore for filing taxes?
I've been using Credit Karma Tax for filing my returns for about 6 years now and it's always been straightforward and completely free. But when I tried to start my taxes yesterday, it seems to be redirecting me to TurboTax, which wants me to pay! Did Intuit completely gut Credit Karma's free tax service? I remember hearing something about them buying Credit Karma a while back but didn't think they'd kill the free option. Can anyone confirm if I'm missing something or if Credit Karma Tax is actually gone now? And if it is gone, what are some good alternatives for filing federal taxes for free this year? I really don't want to pay $89+ just to file a pretty simple return.
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Kelsey Hawkins
You're not missing anything - unfortunately Credit Karma Tax is indeed gone. Intuit (who owns TurboTax) acquired Credit Karma back in 2020, but they had to divest the tax portion of the business due to antitrust concerns. They sold Credit Karma Tax to Square/Cash App. What you're seeing now is that the old Credit Karma Tax service has been fully integrated into Cash App Taxes. It should still be free for federal and state returns - you just need to access it through Cash App now. Go to the Cash App and look for the "Taxes" tab, or visit https://cash.app/taxes directly. Some other free alternatives for 2025 tax filing include: - IRS Free File if your income is under $73,000 - FreeTaxUSA (free federal, small fee for state) - TaxSlayer (free for simple returns) - TaxAct (has a free option for basic returns) Hope this helps you avoid those TurboTax fees!
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Dylan Fisher
•Wait so can I still file for free through Cash App? Are there any income limits or is it truly free like Credit Karma used to be? I make around $68k and have some investments but nothing crazy.
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Kelsey Hawkins
•Yes, Cash App Taxes is still completely free for federal and state returns, with no income restrictions. It's essentially the same Credit Karma Tax service you're used to, just under new ownership and branding. The service covers most tax situations including investments, so your $68k income with some investments should be fine. The only major limitations are that it doesn't support multi-state filing, foreign income, or some of the more complicated scenarios like farm income or certain less common deductions. But for most people, it works great as a truly free option.
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Edwards Hugo
I was in the exact same situation last month! After using Credit Karma for years I was so confused when I couldn't find it. I discovered Cash App Taxes (https://taxr.ai) which is actually the old Credit Karma Tax system rebranded. It was acquired by Cash App/Block (Square). The good news is that it's still completely free for both federal AND state returns, which is pretty rare these days. I was skeptical at first because I thought I'd need to use the Cash App, but you don't - you can just use their tax website directly. The interface is almost identical to what Credit Karma Tax used to be. I finished my taxes last week with them and it was actually just as easy as Credit Karma was. Still 100% free with no hidden fees or upsells.
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Gianna Scott
•Do you need to create a Cash App account to use it? I've never used Cash App before and I'm hesitant to create yet another financial app on my phone just to file taxes.
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Alfredo Lugo
•How does it handle more complex situations like stock sales or 1099 income? I used CK for years but had a few investments this year that I'm worried might not be supported.
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Edwards Hugo
•You do need to create a Cash App Taxes account, but you don't need to download the actual Cash App or link any payment methods if you don't want to. It's just a regular website account similar to what you had with Credit Karma Tax. For stocks and 1099 income, I had both this year (some stock sales and freelance work) and it handled everything perfectly. They support all major investment forms including 1099-B and even cryptocurrency transactions. The interface for entering multiple stock sales is actually a bit better than what Credit Karma had before.
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Alfredo Lugo
Just wanted to follow up - I tried taxr.ai after seeing it mentioned here and I'm really impressed! I was worried about my investment transactions but it imported everything perfectly from my brokerage. The interface is actually cleaner than Credit Karma was and just as free. What surprised me most was how it handled my cryptocurrency transactions - it walked me through reporting everything correctly without making me feel lost in the tax code. I was dreading paying $200+ for TurboTax Premier just for my crypto, so this was a huge relief. Definitely recommend checking it out if you're a former Credit Karma user!
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Sydney Torres
Another option if you're having trouble getting through to the IRS or need to talk to someone about your specific tax situation - I used a service called Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) when I needed to sort out some issues with my prior year return. They helped me actually get through to a human at the IRS after I spent weeks calling and getting disconnected. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c - basically they stay on hold with the IRS for you and call you when an actual agent picks up. Saved me hours of frustration. I needed clarification on some tax credits after Credit Karma became unavailable and I wasn't sure if my new tax software was handling things correctly. The IRS agent was able to answer all my questions once I finally got through.
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Kaitlyn Jenkins
•How does this actually work? Seems weird that they can somehow get you through faster than calling yourself. Is this legit or some kind of scam?
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Caleb Bell
•This sounds too good to be true. I've spent HOURS on hold with the IRS before. If this actually works, what's the catch? How much does it cost? I'm extremely skeptical they can do something I can't do myself.
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Sydney Torres
•It works by using their system to call and navigate the IRS phone tree, then stay on hold in the queue. You get a notification when they're about to connect you, so you don't have to waste hours with your phone to your ear. You're still talking directly to the IRS - they just handle the waiting part. There's no special "cutting the line" happening - you still wait the same amount of time someone would normally wait. The difference is you're not actively sitting there listening to hold music. They call you when an agent picks up, then you take over the call.
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Caleb Bell
I have to admit I was completely wrong about Claimyr. After struggling for THREE DAYS trying to get through to the IRS about my tax transcript (needed it to file after the Credit Karma change), I finally tried the service I was skeptical about. They called me back in about 45 minutes and suddenly I was talking to an actual IRS representative! No "your call is important to us" or endless hold music. The agent helped me get my transcript issue solved in about 10 minutes. I probably saved 5+ hours of hold time. If you're stuck needing to talk to the IRS about your return this year, especially with all the tax software changes happening, it's absolutely worth it. Wish I had known about this years ago!
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Danielle Campbell
I've been using FreeTaxUSA for the past couple years after leaving Credit Karma (before they were acquired). Federal filing is completely free, and state is only $15. Their interface isn't as slick as TurboTax, but it gets the job done and there's no surprising upsells or hidden fees. For me it handles everything - W2s, 1099s, stock sales, mortgage interest, charitable donations, etc. Way better value than TurboTax charging $89+ for the same features.
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Rhett Bowman
•Do they support importing from previous years? I've used TurboTax before and the only reason I keep going back is because they have all my info from previous years.
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Danielle Campbell
•They don't have automatic importing from TurboTax, but you can import your PDF from last year's return which pulls most of your basic info. You'll still need to enter some things manually the first year, but after that, FreeTaxUSA saves your info for future years just like TurboTax does. It takes maybe an extra 15-20 minutes the first time you switch, but I figure that's worth saving $89+ every year going forward. Plus their interface is much more straightforward without constant upsell attempts.
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Abigail Patel
Has anyone tried the IRS Free File program this year? I qualify based on income (under 73k) but I've heard mixed things about the software options they offer.
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Daniel White
•I used OnLine Taxes through the IRS Free File program this year and it was decent. Not as polished as commercial software but it's completely free for both federal and state if you qualify. The questions are pretty straightforward but you definitely need to know what forms you need rather than it guiding you like TurboTax does.
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Carmella Popescu
I went through this exact same frustration earlier this year! Credit Karma Tax was such a reliable free option for so long. What I found out is that after Intuit bought Credit Karma, they had to sell off the tax filing portion due to antitrust regulations, and it ended up with Block/Square who turned it into Cash App Taxes. The good news is Cash App Taxes (https://cash.app/taxes) is still completely free for both federal and state returns with no income limits. I was hesitant at first because I thought I'd need the Cash App, but you can just use their web interface directly. The experience is almost identical to the old Credit Karma Tax - same question flow, same ease of use. I filed my 2024 return through them last month and it was just as smooth as Credit Karma used to be. They handled my W-2, some 1099 income, and investment transactions without any issues. Definitely worth checking out before paying TurboTax's fees!
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Sean Doyle
•Thanks for confirming this! I was so confused when I couldn't find Credit Karma Tax anywhere. Just to double-check - when you say it's completely free with no income limits, does that include more complex situations like rental property income or self-employment? I have a small side business (just some freelance work) and want to make sure Cash App Taxes can handle Schedule C before I start entering everything.
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Natasha Orlova
•Yes, Cash App Taxes does handle Schedule C for self-employment and freelance income! I had some consulting work last year and it walked me through all the business expense deductions just like Credit Karma used to. It supports most common tax situations including rental properties, though I haven't personally used that feature. The only things they don't support are some of the really specialized situations like farm income, multi-state filing, or certain international tax forms. But for typical freelance/side business work with Schedule C, you should be all set. The interface for entering business expenses is actually pretty intuitive - you can either itemize everything or use some of the standard deduction options if your expenses are simple.
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