TurboTax review (2026): is the free plan enough?
US personal and business tax filing, self-serve or with an expert
Black Friday: is there a TurboTax sale?
TurboTax report card
Good · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 13, 2026
Best for US tax returns filed yourself
TurboTax files US taxes as guided software or with an expert, and the Free Edition is $0 for simple Form 1040 returns. Online prices aren't published, depend on your forms, and state filing, early deposit and Audit Defense cost extra.
Who TurboTax is for
- Fits if your return is a simple Form 1040 and you don't want to pay
- Works for people who want an expert to check or file their return
Who TurboTax is not for
- Tight if you itemize or sell stock, as Free Edition excludes that
- Watch out: online prices aren't shown until you're filing
- Watch out: desktop state e-file is $25 a state, and each extra state download is $45
- Watch out: paying from your refund, early deposit and Audit Defense cost extra
- Not for you if you're outside the US, since it's US tax only
Why TurboTax gets a 2.8
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- BValue for moneyDesktop Deluxe is $84 a tax year, under a year of the $20 middle, but it's a yearly price and states cost extra. Online prices aren't published.
- BFree plan and trialFree Edition is $0 to file federal and state, and about 37% of filers qualify. Itemizing, 1099-NEC, stocks, crypto and rentals are out.
- BFeaturesGuided filing, document import, expert help and refund options. Nothing in the core job of filing is missing.
- CEase of useNo rating read. Guided, but you gather forms and documents first.
- BPlatforms and integrationsWeb and iOS, plus downloadable desktop editions. No Android app listed.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from TurboTax's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/turbotax#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/turbotax.svg" alt="TurboTax: 2.8 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where TurboTax stands among accounting and invoicing tools
TurboTax's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 109 of the 127 other accounting and invoicing tools we grade, and level with 8.
It stands best on free plan and trial (B, above 93 of 127) and worst on ease of use (C, above 6).
Its paid plans start at $7 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $18.09 for the category: 16 of the 90 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 2 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 128 accounting and invoicing tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. TurboTax’s own letter is outlined.
- BValue for moneyAbove 89 of 127, level with 21
- BFree plan and trialAbove 93 of 127, level with 25
- BFeaturesAbove 86 of 127, level with 41
- CEase of useAbove 6 of 127, level with 109
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 28 of 127, level with 92
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 101 accounting and invoicing tools. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Keep TurboTax, or make your own?
Keep it
The plain part of TurboTax you could make: calculator. What surrounds it you could not. The 3 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 2.8 is higher than 109 of the 127 other accounting and invoicing tools we grade. It costs $84 a year.
What you could make
- Calculator: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- A real app for iOS. Something home-made would be a web page.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. TurboTax’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is TurboTax?
TurboTax is Intuit's US tax filing product, sold as guided do-it-yourself software, as software with on-demand expert help, and as a service where an expert prepares and files the return. Online editions price by how complex the return is, while the downloadable Desktop editions have set prices. Federal e-file is included with the product.
Worth knowing
- Online prices are not published on the pages read; they depend on the forms and the service level, and are shown while filing.
- Free Edition excludes itemized deductions, 1099-NEC income, stock and crypto sales and rental income.
- Desktop state e-file costs $25 per personal state return, except New York and Washington, and Live Tax Advice is $60.
- Paying fees out of the refund, early deposit and Audit Defense ($45 to $60) cost extra.
Key features
- Three ways to file
- Do It Yourself uses guided software, Expert Assist adds on-demand experts, and Expert Full Service has an expert prepare and file.
- Free Edition
- Simple Form 1040 returns file at $0 federal, $0 state and $0 to file; the page says roughly 37% of taxpayers qualify.
- Expert help
- Experts answer by phone, chat or one-way video and can see a read-only copy of the return, with SSNs masked.
- Document import
- Tax documents can be imported from employers and financial institutions, or photographed and uploaded.
- Guarantees
- The site lists a 100% accurate calculations guarantee, a maximum refund guarantee and audit support guidance.
- Refund options
- Refund Advance offers up to $4,000 as a loan at 0% APR and $0 loan fees, subject to approval; paid early deposit is also offered.
TurboTax pricing
As of Nov 13, 2026, TurboTax has a free plan, and paid plans start at $84 per tax year (TurboTax Desktop Deluxe, state e-file extra).
- Starts at
- $84 per tax year (TurboTax Desktop Deluxe, state e-file extra)
- Free plan
- Free Edition: $0 federal, $0 state and $0 to file, for simple Form 1040 returns only (about 37% of filers qualify).
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free Edition | $0 | Simple Form 1040 returns only: W-2 income, standard deduction, EITC, child tax credit and student loan interest. |
| Desktop Deluxe | $84per tax year, downloaded software | Listed at $84, marked down from $94; covers one state download, with each extra state at $45. |
| Desktop Premier | $119per tax year, downloaded software | Listed at $119, marked down from $129; one state download included, each extra state $45. |
| Desktop Home & Business | $134per tax year, downloaded software | Listed at $134, marked down from $144; one state download included, each extra state $45. |
| Desktop Business | $194per tax year, downloaded software | Listed at $194, marked down from $204; state downloads are $55 each. |
| Online paid tiers | Custom | Do It Yourself, Expert Assist and Expert Full Service; the price depends on return complexity and is shown while filing. |
Read from turbotax.intuit.com on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with TurboTax before you buy.
How people rate the TurboTax app
4.8
out of 5 for the iPhone and iPad app
- 5 stars88%
- 4 stars7%
- 3 stars2%
- 2 stars<1%
- 1 star2%
937,850 ratings on the App Store in the United States, read Nov 13, 2026. It rates the app, not everything the product does. See the listing
Works with
- Credit Karma
TurboTax alternatives
- TurboTax vs TaxAct
Free plan · from $44.99/yr
Common questions
Does TurboTax have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. TurboTax is listed for Web and iOS.
Does TurboTax have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. TurboTax is listed for Web and iOS.
Is TurboTax open source?
TurboTax is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 13, 2026.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026. What people say is linked where it appears.