If you want guidance when preparing your federal tax form and your household’s 2013 adjusted gross income was $58,000 or less, you can prepare and file your federal return for free through IRS Free File. To participate, you must file through a company listed as an "e-file partner" in the Free File section of the IRS website. Before going to IRS Free File, though, check the website of the taxing authority in your state to see how to qualify for free preparation and filing of your state income tax return. You may have to start there first to get everything for free. In New York State, for instance, eligible taxpayers must start at the state’s free filing web page to be linked to the appropriate software, which then handles both state and federal returns for no cost.
If your income is above the $58,000 ceiling, you can still prepare and file using other free tax-prep options. Among the major online tax-prep companies, TaxACT offers the widest array of IRS forms and schedules that can be prepared and filed for free. TurboTax and H&R Block offer free preparation and filing of basic IRS forms, including Form 1040A and 1040EZ; users can even import W-2 information from employers, a big time-saver. (Block says its free version also supports Form 1040, and can download Form 1099 for interest income; most compelling, it offers free unlimited advice from a tax expert.)
Two other major players, e-Smart Tax and TaxSlayer, offer free prep and filing only of the simplest, 1040EZ forms. TaxSlayer also offers a free federal version for all active duty members of the military; it says its military version supports "all major forms and schedules."
If you don't need help filling out your forms, the IRS now offers free, "fillable" electronic versions of Forms 1040, 1040A, and 1040EZ to all taxpayers, regardless of income. They are available through the Free File section of the IRS website.
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