TaxAct Pricing and TaxAct Cost for 2026 with State Fees

TaxAct pricing for the 2025 return starts at $0 for the Free tier, $59.99 for Deluxe, $99.99 for Premier and $109.99 for Self-Employed. Every tier adds a state fee: $54.99 per state on Free and $64.99 per state on the paid tiers. A one-state W-2 return therefore costs $54.99 and a one-state self-employed return costs $174.98. Xpert Assist adds $45, and having TaxAct prepare the return for you starts at $99.

How much does TaxAct cost?

We read these prices on TaxAct's own product pages in October 2026. TaxAct labels each one "starting at", and the state fee is printed beside the tier as a per-state charge.

The federal and Self-Employed state figures are from taxact.com. The $64.99 state fee on Deluxe and Premier is from NerdWallet's 2026 review, which matches what TaxAct prints for Self-Employed. TaxAct says about 40 percent of filers qualify for the Free tier. Anything outside a plain Form 1040, including freelance income, itemized deductions, an HSA or investment sales, moves you up.

What a TaxAct return really costs with state

The tier price is only the federal half. Nearly everyone lives in a state with an income tax, so the number that matters is federal plus state. Here are seven common returns priced end to end, next to the same return on TaxFile, where one state is part of the yearly plan.

Two rows go to TaxAct outright. It supports investment sales and it will put a person on the return, and we do neither. On the other rows the state fee is what moves the total. A "free" TaxAct return costs $54.99 the moment a state return is attached, and the self-employed return costs more in state fee alone than FreeTaxUSA charges for the whole thing. Our TaxAct vs FreeTaxUSA comparison prices those two against each other return by return.

TaxAct pricing for self-employed returns

TaxAct Self-Employed is $109.99 for the federal return and $64.99 for each state, so $174.98 for most sole proprietors and $239.97 for someone who worked in two states. TaxAct confirms the tier has full support for income and expenses on Schedule C. Adding Xpert Assist brings the federal price to $154.99.

If you also have a paycheck, the tier does not change. A W-2 plus a 1099 with expenses is still Self-Employed, because the Schedule C decides the tier and the W-2 rides along. We priced that exact return across five products on the tax software for W2 and 1099 income page.

TaxAct business pricing

Returns for a business that files separately from its owner are sold as their own products. TaxAct dates these prices January 26, 2026.

State is additional on every one. These are some of the lowest prices anywhere for a partnership or S corporation return, well under the $639 TurboTax charges for its assisted business product. The catch is that a 1065 or an 1120-S asks for a balance sheet and a profit and loss statement before you can finish it. If your books are a bank export and a spreadsheet, generate the financial statements from your bookkeeping export first, then start the return. TaxFile does not prepare partnership or corporate returns, so for those TaxAct is a sound low-cost choice.

Is TaxAct cheaper than TurboTax?

On the federal return, yes. TaxAct Self-Employed is $109.99 against $139 for TurboTax Premium, the TurboTax tier with a full Schedule C. TaxAct Deluxe is $59.99 against $79 for TurboTax Deluxe. Both charge for state on top, and TaxAct's $64.99 state fee takes back much of the saving for a single-state filer. Compare totals, not tiers. TurboTax pricing has every TurboTax tier, and TurboTax vs TaxAct vs H&R Block prices five returns in all three.

Why TaxAct prices differ from one review to the next

You will find TaxAct Self-Employed quoted at $69.99 in one review and $109.99 in another, with the state fee anywhere from $39.99 to $64.99. Both were right on the day they were written. TaxAct opens the season with lower prices and raises them as April approaches, and it runs offers on top: this year new customers could file federal and state for $55 in total if they filed by May 1.

The detail that costs people money is in TaxAct's own fine print: "Actual prices are determined at the time of payment, print, or e-file and are subject to change without notice." Starting your return in January does not hold the January price. If you begin early and finish in April, you pay the April price. With TaxAct, the cheap way to file is to pay when you start, or at least before the mid-season increase.

When TaxAct is worth its price and when it is not

TaxAct is a fair buy for three kinds of filer: an investor who wants Schedule D below TurboTax prices, the owner of a partnership or S corporation, and anyone who wants a named expert available for $45. It also carries a $100,000 accuracy guarantee.

It is a weaker buy for the most common self-employed return, one Schedule C in one state. At $174.98 it is the most expensive of the budget brands for that return, and the interview still depends on you knowing which expenses to enter. TaxFile's Schedule C software costs $89 a year with the state return included. It reads your W-2s and 1099s, asks about the costs your kind of work usually carries, explains each figure in plain English, and files after you approve every line. The plan also keeps a deduction log during the year and reminds you before each quarterly estimate. What it does not do: investment sales, rental property, prior-year returns, amendments, or partnership and corporate returns. For a wider look at who suits which product, see the TaxAct alternative page.

TaxAct cost questions

How much does TaxAct charge to file taxes?

Between $54.99 and $174.98 for most one-state returns. Federal is $0 on Free, $59.99 on Deluxe, $99.99 on Premier and $109.99 on Self-Employed. The state return adds $54.99 on Free and $64.99 on the paid tiers, for each state you file in.

Is TaxAct really free?

Only the federal return on the Free tier, and only for a Form 1040 with no schedules attached. TaxAct says about 40 percent of filers qualify. The state return on that tier is $54.99, so a free TaxAct return is free only in a state with no income tax.

How much is the TaxAct state filing fee?

$54.99 per state on the Free tier and $64.99 per state on Deluxe, Premier and Self-Employed. A second state is charged again at the same rate. Full-service returns for the self-employed are the exception, at $69 for all states together.

How much is TaxAct Xpert Assist?

$45 on top of your tier for unlimited access to a tax expert while you prepare the return yourself. TaxAct's sole proprietor price with Xpert Assist is $154.99 federal, which is the $109.99 Self-Employed tier plus the $45 add-on. State is still additional.

Can I pay TaxAct fees out of my refund?

Yes, through a refund transfer. TaxAct states that a refund transfer fee is deducted from the refund along with your filing fees, though its product pages do not print the amount. Paying by card when you file avoids the fee.