How Much Does It Cost to File Taxes Online in 2026?

Filing a federal tax return costs $0 if you qualify for IRS Free File or a free software tier, roughly $40 to $140 for paid DIY online software (plus $15 to $65 for each state return), and roughly $300 to $600 for a CPA or enrolled agent to prepare a straightforward Form 1040 with a state. A self-employed return with a Schedule C is the expensive case: paid software tiers land in the $50 to $140 range, while a CPA or a storefront preparer commonly charges $400 to $1,200 or more. The single biggest cost driver is not the software brand, it is whether you have business income, investments, or multiple states.

Last updated July 2026. The prices below are the vendors' published prices for the 2026 filing season (tax year 2025). Tax software pricing changes every season, and most companies raise prices as April 15 gets closer, so check current pricing before you buy.

What filing actually costs, by route

There are only a handful of ways to get a return filed, and each trades money for time, hand-holding, or both. Here is an honest comparison at 2026 filing season prices.

On the human side, the National Society of Accountants fee survey (its last published edition, covering 2020 to 2021) put the average at about $220 for a Form 1040 with a state return and the standard deduction, and about $323 once you itemize with a Schedule A. Adjusted for inflation, those land closer to $270 and $380, and real quotes in 2026 usually run higher.

How much does it cost to file taxes online?

Online filing costs $0 to about $140 for your federal return, plus $0 to about $65 for each state. Free tiers cover simple W-2 returns. Paid tiers, which most self-employed filers land in, ran roughly $50 to $140 federal this season. Compare a few options on our tax software comparison before you start entering data, because switching later is annoying.

The rule that catches people out: the advertised federal price almost never includes your state return. Add the state fee to every number you compare. If you moved during the year or worked across state lines, you may owe two state returns, at full price each.

Why a self-employed return costs more

Every route charges more for 1099 income, and the reason is real work, not just a paywall. A Schedule C means reporting gross receipts, sorting expenses into categories, computing the home office and mileage deductions, running the qualified business income deduction, and calculating self-employment tax on Schedule SE. That is far more judgment than a W-2 return, which is essentially transcription.

Software companies price that as an upgrade tier, so the same person who paid $0 last year as a W-2 employee pays $85 to $139 the first year they freelance. Preparers price it as more hours. If you hand a preparer a bank statement and a bag of receipts, you are buying their time to organize it, and organizing is the most expensive hour you can pay for. Filers who show up with a clean expense summary get quoted less, which is why it pays to turn a shoebox of receipts into clean expense records before your appointment rather than during it.

A preparer's bill is mostly a function of how organized you are. The same Schedule C can cost $400 or $900 depending on whether you arrive with a spreadsheet or a shopping bag.

If you are freelancing or driving for an app, look at the tools built for that return specifically. Our self-employed tax filing page walks through what a Schedule C return actually needs.

The hidden costs nobody quotes you

The sticker price is rarely the final price. Watch for these four:

• State return fees. Billed per state, per return, and often the largest single surprise. Two states means paying twice.
• Refund transfer fees. Paying your filing fees out of your refund instead of with a card means a bank processes it and charges for the privilege. TurboTax's refund processing fee is $40, and storefront preparers sell similar products. That is $40 to avoid putting $89 on a card for three weeks.
• Audit defense add-ons. Sold at checkout for roughly $20 to $60. Decide whether you want one before you reach the payment screen, not during it.
• Hourly billing. Some CPAs quote a flat fee, some bill hourly at $150 to $400 an hour. Ask which, in writing, before you send documents.

Is it worth paying someone to do your taxes?

It depends on complexity, not on income. If you have a W-2, a Schedule C, and a standard deduction, software handles it and a $500 preparer fee buys you mostly convenience. Paying a professional pays for itself when you have an S corp, rental properties, equity compensation, multi-state income, a business sale, or a mess to clean up from prior years.

The other honest reason to hire someone is time and nerves, and outsourcing a job you dread is a legitimate purchase. Just know what you are buying: a preparer who spends 40 minutes on your return is doing data entry, not deep planning, at a much higher rate than software charges.

How much does a CPA charge to do taxes?

A CPA or enrolled agent typically charges $300 to $600 for an individual 1040 with a state return, and $400 to $1,200 or more once a Schedule C, rental property, or K-1s are in play. Rates vary widely by city and by firm size. Many bill hourly at $150 to $400 an hour, so a disorganized year costs more than an organized one.

Always ask three questions up front: is this a flat fee or hourly, does it include the state return, and does it include responding to an IRS notice later. Those three answers explain most of the gap between the quote and the invoice.

Why is TurboTax charging me so much?

Usually because your return outgrew the free tier and you did not notice until checkout. A single 1099-NEC, some stock sales, or a rental pushes you into Deluxe or Premium, where the federal fee for tax year 2025 ran as high as $139. Then each state return is added, and if you chose to pay from your refund, a $40 refund processing fee is added on top.

Prices also climb during the season, so filing in April costs more than filing in February for the exact same return. If you are comparing options, our TurboTax alternative page lays out the differences, and a FreeTaxUSA alternative comparison covers the budget end, where a federal return is free and you pay per state.

Can I file my taxes for free?

Yes, but with real limits. IRS Free File offers free guided software if your adjusted gross income was $89,000 or less in 2025, through partner companies that each set their own extra rules. Above that cap you get Free File Fillable Forms, which have no guidance. The IRS Direct File pilot was discontinued and is not available for the 2026 season.

Commercial free tiers exist too, and they are genuinely free for simple returns. Cash App Taxes files federal and one state at $0. FreeTaxUSA files federal at $0 and charges $14.99 per state. The catch for freelancers is that "simple" usually excludes Schedule C, so most self-employed filers fall out of the free tier at exactly the point where the return gets hard. That is not a scam, it just means free tiers are aimed at W-2 filers.

Where TaxFile fits

TaxFile is paid software with no free plan, and we would rather say that plainly than bury it. It prepares your federal return, carries the figures into your state return, reads your W-2s and 1099s so you skip most of the typing, sweeps for the deductions and credits you qualify for, and runs an automated error and audit-risk check. You review and approve every figure, and only then is it e-filed through an authorized IRS e-file provider.

Plans are one price per return for the season rather than a subscription, and the deduction sweep and error check are in every plan instead of being locked behind an upgrade. Current plans and the state return fee are on the pricing page, and the online tax filing page walks through the process step by step. If your situation is genuinely complex (an S corp, a business sale, a multi-state mess), hire a CPA. That is the right call and it is worth the fee.

This article is general information, not tax advice. Prices listed are the vendors' published prices as of July 2026 and change every tax season; verify current pricing with each provider. Review your return before filing and consult a CPA or tax professional for your specific situation.