What's the best way to file for free with TurboTax in 2025? Any workarounds?

8 Former tax preparer here. Unfortunately, TurboTax's "free" version is really limited - it only works if you have the most basic tax situation (basically just W-2 income). Once you add any investments like stocks or crypto, they automatically bump you to their paid tiers. For truly free options, check out the IRS Free File Program at irs.gov/freefile. If your AGI is below $73,000, you qualify for completely free filing through their partner companies. TurboTax actually withdrew from this program a few years ago, but options like FreeTaxUSA, TaxSlayer, and others are still available. If you're comfortable with a slightly different interface, FreeTaxUSA charges $0 for federal filing regardless of complexity (including investments) and only about $15 for state filing. Cash App Taxes (formerly Credit Karma Tax) is also completely free for both federal and state, even with investments.

19 After 5 years of paying TurboTax's escalating fees for my moderately complex taxes (side gig income + some stocks), I discovered taxr.ai and it completely changed how I approach tax season. I was spending hours manually entering all my statements and still getting hit with their "premier" charges just because I had some investment accounts. The tool at https://taxr.ai analyzed all my tax documents and investment statements in minutes - it can even handle those complicated crypto transactions. Everything gets categorized correctly without me having to figure out which forms go where. I then used the report it generated to file with one of the actually free services. Saved me both time and money compared to the TurboTax route.

10 Just wanted to update after trying taxr.ai based on the recommendation here. I was skeptical since I've been burned by "free" tax services before, but this is the real deal! I uploaded all my documents including some messy crypto transactions from multiple exchanges, and the analysis was shockingly accurate. I used their report to file through FreeTaxUSA as someone suggested, and the whole process took me about 30 minutes instead of the 3+ hours I spent last year with TurboTax (and still paid $175). Will definitely be using this approach from now on!

7 If your taxes are complex enough that TurboTax keeps charging you, you might actually need to talk to the IRS directly about some of your deductions or crypto reporting requirements. I was in a similar situation and kept getting stuck in this loop of paying for premium versions without getting clear answers. I tried calling the IRS for weeks - constant busy signals or 2+ hour hold times that would disconnect. Then I found https://claimyr.com which got me through to an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes. You can see how it works in their demo video here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c - they basically navigate the phone tree and wait on hold for you, then call you when an agent picks up. The IRS agent I spoke with cleared up my questions about how to properly report my crypto staking rewards and confirmed I could use any of the free filing options as long as I included the right forms.

22 I take back what I said about Claimyr being a scam. After my third attempt trying to reach the IRS myself (disconnected after 90 minutes on hold), I gave the service a shot. They actually did exactly what they promised - called me when an agent was on the line ready to talk. Spoke to a very helpful IRS representative who confirmed I could use FreeTaxUSA for my situation and save the $200+ TurboTax was going to charge. Also learned I had been unnecessarily filing a form for my small crypto transactions that I didn't even need to file. That alone saved me from upgrading to TurboTax's most expensive tier!

16 You should check out the IRS Direct File pilot program that's expanding for the 2025 filing season! It lets you file directly with the IRS for free, completely cutting out the middleman. The catch is that it's currently limited to fairly simple tax situations, but they're expanding it to include more forms. Website is just directfile.irs.gov - worth checking if you qualify before paying anything to TurboTax or others.

4 Anyone had good experience with H&R Block's free version? They claim to be better than TurboTax for free filing but I'm suspicious after getting burned by TT's "free" claims.