TurboTax Review 2026: Pros, Cons, And Alternatives

TurboTax – Is It Really Free?

TurboTax does allow users to file for free with TurboTax Free Edition. ~37% of filers qualify. Simple Form 1040 returns only (no schedules, except for EITC, CTC, student loan interest, and Schedule 1-A).

With the free tier, bank interest is included, along with investment dividends that do not require a Schedule B. For itemized deductions, you’ll have to upgrade to a paid tier. Free filing with the TurboTax Free Edition includes the Child Tax Credit, Student Loan Interest Deduction, and the Earned Income Tax Credit.

Tax returns with HSAs, child care expenses, charitable contributions, unemployment income, other income, deductions, or credits won’t qualify for the TurboTax Free edition.

Related:
Best free tax software this year

What’s New In 2026?

TurboTax 2026 will be available December 1, 2025, so you can get a jump start on your tax filing. While you can start working on your taxes early, the IRS doesn’t accept returns until late January or early February. Because of last-minute changes from the IRS, it may be best to hold off until the IRS begins accepting returns to start doing your taxes. (I’ve encountered an issue with that myself when I started my taxes early.)

TurboTax Best Features

TurboTax remains our favorite user interface, with an easy-to-navigate design and layout. The ability to import tax data from banks and investment companies is a standout feature. TurboTax is our top choice for those with more complex tax situations, such as active investors, households with many forms and financial accounts, and some small business owners.

Utilizing all of these features typically requires upgrading to the highest-priced tier. 

However, for savvy DIY tax filers that understand their situation, paying for premium tax software will still be cheaper than finding a tax pro. And with the myriad of tax support options, there’s always help if you need it.

Pricing Complications

WARNING: PRICE ALERT

TurboTax has historically made pricing less transparent with “start at X” pricing. This year, we’re hopeful they will be more transparent in their pricing offerings. However, the landing page for their online tax offerings isn’t live yet as of this review. 

Other Changes

The biggest changes to look out for when preparing your 2025 taxes (in early 2026) come from the IRS. Those include common changes such as:

• The standard deduction and tax brackets are updated for inflation
• Updates to support tax law changes from the “Big Beautiful Bill”
• Changes impact business owners, health insurance, and state and local tax (SALT) deduction limits

In our experience, TurboTax remains the easiest place to do your taxes online, and you will find nearly every tax situation covered. If you’re willing to pay a premium price and not know what that price is until you’re ready to file, it’s still a good choice for doing your taxes yourself online.

You can see all our picks for Best Tax Software here.

Related:
See our tax refund calendar for 2026.

Does TurboTax Make Tax Filing Easy In 2026?

TurboTax is the leader in easy-to-use tax software. It offers hundreds of integrations designed for every kind of filer. In many cases, you can connect directly with your bank, brokerage account, and even some cryptocurrency accounts to automatically download tax forms and data for those accounts.

Rideshare drivers can connect their app to TurboTax to download income data for their taxes. Depending on your employer, you can look up and download your W-2 information without typing in any financial data. When you have a PDF version of a tax form, you can typically upload it into TurboTax, and the app will automatically add information from the form where needed.

The things TurboTax doesn’t automate are kept simple with clear guides for nearly every tax form and supported tax scenario. The software uses easy-to-understand questions to guide users through complex filing rules. With robust examples, plenty of information pop-ups, and a quick-search system, users are likely to get through filing without much confusion, even if they don’t have an accounting background.

If you need help, you have two upgrade choices: ask an expert or have an expert do your taxes. You can get free technical support (which doesn’t help with much, in our experience), but tax questions require upgrading to Assisted or Full Service.

TurboTax Top Features

TurboTax is perhaps the easiest and most robust tax filing software available today. Its user experience is second to none. Here are some of its top features.

Question And Answer Guidance

TurboTax uses a simple question-and-answer model to guide users through the software. Questions and prompts are well phrased to prevent overwhelming users. If you get stuck or don’t know what something means, you can click a pop-up to get more information or search for the term or form from the top navigation bar.

Live Tax Assistance

TurboTax has two upgrade options to connect filers with a certified tax expert. TurboTax Live users can have their questions answered by tax experts, ensuring accurate returns. This can be a valuable feature for individuals who initially think they have their taxes under control but later find out they’re in over their heads.

If you’re midway through your taxes and decide you need help, you can upgrade at any time by accessing tax support for your questions or by having a tax professional take care of your entire tax return.

For a higher cost, you can upgrade to Live Full Service, where a tax expert enters all of your tax details based on the information you provide.

Tax Form Integrations

TurboTax has hundreds of official integration partners. When you get a W-2, 1099, or 1098 from these partners, TurboTax can connect and download information from the employer or financial institution. These integrations can speed up the time it takes to complete your tax return and prevent manual errors if you make a typo.

In addition to these integrations, TurboTax connects to QuickBooks, Uber, Lyft, Square, and other sources to simplify the filing process for self-employed individuals. When direct connections are not supported, you can usually upload a PDF version of your tax form for TurboTax to process.

Cryptocurrency Support

GOOD TO KNOW: IMPORT DIRECTLY FROM COINBASE

TurboTax is the first leading tax software to partner with cryptocurrency exchanges and crypto accounting software programs. Coinbase users can directly import transactions from their accounts. People who use other exchanges or independently manage cryptocurrency wallets can prepare their taxes using cryptocurrency tax software and import the forms and reports into TurboTax.

You could easily have hundreds or thousands of transactions yearly if you trade, invest, or transact with cryptocurrencies. Manually entering that would be tedious and extremely time-consuming. Depending on the cryptocurrency account software you use, you may connect to TurboTax directly or have to download and import a spreadsheet, such as a CSV, XLS, or XLSX file.

Related:
How Taxes On Cryptocurrencies Like Bitcoin Work

Less Jargon

TurboTax simplifies tax filing by avoiding unnecessary tax jargon. Info bubbles and explainers make it easy for anyone to use more “complex” features, such as depreciation or expense calculators. Real estate investors, small business owners, and side hustlers can likely navigate their tax returns without the assistance of a professional.

Tax Calculators

TurboTax offers excellent calculators for retirement contributions that flag issues when filers accidentally over-contribute to retirement accounts and help you resolve the problem without extra penalties if possible. You can also use TurboTax to calculate depreciation expenses, where applicable.

TurboTax Drawbacks

TurboTax offers excellent tax software designed to make filing easy for nearly everyone. With TurboTax, even filers with complex situations should be able to file without upgrading to a paid support tier. However, this software has drawbacks, notably related to its cost.

It Can Be Expensive

TurboTax is the most expensive mainstream consumer tax software. Users who appreciate TurboTax’s features and integrations may decide the software is worth the added price. Knowing which tier you need can be difficult if you’re an inexperienced filer.

There are many stories of people who thought they qualified for the TurboTax Free Edition but ended up paying a lot to file their taxes. Someone in my family clicked a button to request help without realizing they were upgrading to Live Assisted at an additional cost. The FTC even issued a warning about this in the past.

Some people may find suitable tax software from a competitor at a lower price. While it may not be as sleek and easy to use, significant savings could make changing to a lower-cost option worthwhile.

Limited Free Filing

You can file for free with TurboTax Free Edition. ~37% of taxpayers qualify. Simple Form 1040 returns only (no schedules, except for EITC, CTC, student loan interest, and Schedule 1-A).

Those with HSAs and deductible childcare expenses won’t qualify for TurboTax Free Edition. Also, something very important to note: if you start through the IRS Free File portal, you can’t upgrade to a paid version, so be careful where you sign up and start working on your taxes. If you might have to upgrade, it’s best to sign up directly through TurboTax.com.

Added Fees For Audit Support

Audit support is included with the TurboTax Free Edition. However, users who select other tiers need to pay additional for MAX support, which includes audit assistance, if they want that added assurance. This upgrade alone costs more than the all-in price of the FreeTaxUSA software, which includes audit support, and about three times as much as H&R Block’s tax software audit support upgrade.

TurboTax Pricing And Plans

TurboTax pricing has once again changed for 2026. There will be three key focus areas: Do It Yourself tax prep, using TurboTax Experts, or Expert Full Service.

If you use TurboTax Expert Full Service, you will get a price estimate prior to a tax pro working on your taxes. Prices for TurboTax Expert Full Service start at $89 for a federal return and $49 for a state return.

Here’s the TurboTax Do It Yourself Pricing Tiers:

* TurboTax Free Edition. ~37% of taxpayers qualify. Simple Form 1040 returns only (no schedules, except for EITC, CTC, student loan interest, and Schedule 1-A)

Expert Assist allows you to talk live with tax experts on your schedule while you do your taxes. You can get unlimited help with your taxes. Here’s the TurboTax Expert Assist Pricing Tiers:

Note: TurboTax tends to adjust prices throughout the tax season, with discounts available at certain points of the year. December and January are typically the best times to secure low rates. The steepest discounts tend to disappear by March. Filers who wait until April typically pay the most.

How Does TurboTax Compare?

TurboTax
is a leader in usability and functionality, but the superior experience comes at a premium price. 

In many cases, filers don’t need everything that TurboTax offers. Less expensive solutions, such as TaxSlayer or FreeTaxUSA, often make more sense than TurboTax. 

However, TurboTax is still a top choice for crypto traders, stock traders, rental property owners, and small business owners who can benefit from its usability.

* TurboTax Free Edition. ~37% of taxpayers qualify. Simple Form 1040 returns only (no schedules, except for EITC, CTC, student loan interest, and Schedule 1-A)

What Support Does It Offer?

TurboTax users can access multiple levels of support. For basic software-related questions, you can select the ‘Help’ icon from the software menu to open the “TurboTax Assistant.” From there, you can ask questions and find relevant help articles. 

“Expert Assist” from enrolled agents or CPAs is available for a fee. TurboTax Assist provides access to tax professionals for questions that go beyond the software. If you have questions about your tax situation, this is the plan you would need if you can’t solve them yourself.

If you want an expert to handle everything from beginning to end, you can now choose TurboTax Expert Full Service and hand off your tax documents to one of TurboTax’s professional tax preparers.

Is It Safe And Secure?

TurboTax is a leading software company focusing heavily on data privacy and security. It encrypts all customer information at rest and requires multi-factor authentication.

Although TurboTax employs industry-standard security measures, it’s still highly targeted by hackers seeking personal and financial information. The company updated its security measures in response to a vulnerability exposed in a January 2021 cyber attack.

Where To Buy TurboTax

We recommend using the online version of TurboTax tax software instead of installing the desktop version on your computer. Your data is usually safer online in a secure cloud managed by TurboTax owner Intuit. Online tax information is always saved as you go. If your computer crashes mid-way through preparing your return, you will retain all your hard work.

TurboTax Online: The easiest way to buy TurboTax is through its website. You can select the plan that works for you, or you can start at any level. You’ll be given the option to upgrade if your tax return requires those features. You only pay when you file, so try it risk-free to decide if you like it before making a purchase.

Amazon: Amazon offers an Amazon Exclusive that includes a Federal and State return with one federal e-file, but this option is only available for the downloaded version. Check out the Amazon deal here.

Retail Stores: Many stores will also carry TurboTax for at least a few months of the year, typically from December through April. You can find TurboTax downloads at Target, Costco, Walmart, Office Depot, Office Max, Staples, and other retailers.

Why Should You Trust Us?

The College Investor team has spent years reviewing the top tax filing options, and our team has personal experience with the majority of tax software tools. I have been the lead tax software reviewer since 2022, and have compared most of the major companies on the marketplace.

Our editor-in-chief, Robert Farrington, has been testing tax software tools since 2011 and has tried nearly every tax filing product. Furthermore, our team has created reviews and video walk-throughs of all of the major tax preparation companies, which you can find on our YouTube channel.

We’re tax DIYers and want a good deal, just like you. We strive to provide informed and honest opinions on every product we test.

How Was This Product Tested?

In our original tests, we used TurboTax to complete a real-life tax return that included W-2 income, self-employment income, rental property income, and investment income. We tried to enter every piece of data and use every feature available. We then compared the result to all the other products we’ve tested, as well as a tax return prepared by a tax professional.

This year, we reviewed and rechecked all the features we originally tested, as well as any new ones. We also validated the pricing options and support options, and compared these to the new offerings of competitors.

Common Questions

Here are some common questions we get about TurboTax every year:

Is TurboTax Free?

TurboTax does allow users to file for free with TurboTax Free Edition. ~37% of filers qualify. Simple Form 1040 returns only (no schedules, except for EITC, CTC, student loan interest, and Schedule 1-A).

Can TurboTax Online help me file my crypto investments?

Yes, TurboTax has a built-in integration with Coinbase that allows a direct import of all transactions from Coinbase. It is also an official partner of CoinLedger (formerly CrypoTrader.tax) and allows imports from sources like CoinTracker.

Does TurboTax offer refund advance loans?

TurboTax is offering refund advance loans up to $4,000 this year. Refund advance loans are paid into Credit Karma Money checking accounts. Funds are accessible through the Credit Karma Visa® Debit Card or online banking. The loans are 0% interest loans and are repaid automatically as soon as the IRS refunds your money. Virtual cards are available instantly. Physical cards arrive in a week or two.

Does TurboTax offer any discounts or promotions on refunds?

TurboTax Online software isn’t currently advertising any specific refund deals. 

Is TurboTax Better Than H&R Block?

It depends. We found H&R Block Online to be more cost-effective and does a better job than most competitors in terms of usability. TurboTax includes an easier-to-use interface, which can make tax filing easier and faster. Your tax return results should be nearly identical regardless of what software you use.