Free federal tax filing for all

Credit Karma and TurboTax work together to simplify your tax filing. Both are part of parent company Intuit, and their partnership can help you file taxes directly in the Credit Karma app. Here are some notable benefits.

Filing Products

• Credit Karma Tax: File your federal return for free. Yes, it’s really free: $0 to prepare and e-file your federal return. State filing is $15 per state. Credit Karma provides 100% free federal tax filing for all IRS forms, all income levels, and every level of tax complexity, from simple W-2s to self-employed income (Schedule C) and rental properties (Schedule E). No matter your tax situation, you can prepare and e-file your return for free; state returns are $15 per state.
• TurboTax Experts: TurboTax offers multiple levels of service — from answering simple questions to full-service support with a tax expert — including people who prefer working with a local expert.

No matter what option you choose, you'll enjoy the following features:

• Prefilled tax documents: You’ll get a head start filing since information from your Credit Karma account can be used to help prefill your tax documents.
• Fast Money: Get your refund up to five days sooner by having it deposited into a Credit Karma Money™ Spend account.³
• Track your refund: When you share your data, you’ll be able to follow the progress of both your federal and state refunds right inside Credit Karma using its Refund Tracker.

There is no catch. All IRS forms and schedules are included at no cost, including:

• Schedule C (self-employed income)
• Schedule SE (self-employment tax)
• Schedule D (capital gains and investments)
• Form 8949 (stock and crypto sales)
• Schedule E (rental income)
• Schedule A (itemized deductions)
• Schedule 1 and other additional income forms
• “Plus Bundle⁴” and “Expert Review” with Credit Karma Tax are optional. These are strictly optional "peace of mind" services. You can always file your federal return for $0 without selecting any of these add-ons.

Additionally, no upgrades are needed to file your federal tax return. Your ability to e-file a complete and accurate federal tax return is not tied to a purchase. You have full access to all forms and filing capabilities regardless of whether you choose an add-on.

We want our customers to love our products and services. Because Intuit has customers who pay for our premium products and services, we can offer free federal tax filing to many customers.

Most people who e-file and choose direct deposit see their refund within 21 days of the IRS accepting their return, though that timeline can be longer in certain instances.

If you'd like access to your money sooner, Credit Karma offer some options.

• Early refund access: Credit Karma members can receive their tax refund up to five days early by depositing it into a Credit Karma Money™ Spend account — regardless of who prepares the return.³ But this perk can't be combined with other options: If you use your federal refund to pay TurboTax fees or take advantage of a TurboTax Refund Advance during Tax season, you won't be eligible for early refund access through Credit Karma.
• Refund Advance: In tax season, eligible TurboTax e-filers can apply for a short-term, no-cost Refund Advance loan, issued by WebBank.⁴ If approved, you can get up to $4,000 deposited into your free Credit Karma Money™ Spend account — often within minutes of IRS acceptance. Refund Advance may not be available for all tax filers everywhere. You'll want to check out the full terms and conditions before you apply.

Several provisions in the new tax law signed in 2025 could affect the tax return you file for the 2025 tax year. Other changes won’t take effect until 2026 and beyond.

The bill also permanently extended several provisions from the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, including lower individual income tax rates, a higher standard deduction and the elimination of personal and dependent exemptions.

Temporary breaks for workers and seniors (2025–2028)

• Tip income deduction: Eligible workers can deduct up to $25,000 in reported tips, though this benefit starts to phase out at a modified adjusted gross income of $150,000 for single filers and $300,000 for married couples filing jointly.
• Overtime pay deduction: Eligible workers can deduct up to $12,500 in overtime pay, or up to $25,000 if married filing jointly. The deduction phases out once modified adjusted gross income exceeds $150,000 for single filers and $300,000 for joint filers.
• Senior deduction: Eligible taxpayers age 65 and older can claim an extra $6,000 deduction, or $12,000 for married couples where both spouses qualify. This benefit phases out when modified adjusted gross income exceeds $75,000 for single filers or $150,000 for joint filers.

Other notable changes for the 2025 tax year include an increase of the Child Tax Credit to $2,200 and an increase to the state and local tax, or SALT, deduction cap from $10,000 to $40,000.

Having everything ready before you file helps you prepare an accurate return, claim deductions or credits and avoid delays. You can use Credit Karma's tax document checklist to make sure you’ve got what you need.

Here are the main categories and some of the details to keep in mind.

Personal information

• Social Security numbers (or ITINs) for you, your spouse and dependents
• Last year's tax return for your adjusted gross income (AGI) and PIN if you e-filed
• Bank account and routing numbers for direct deposit or payments

Income forms

• W-2s from all employers
• 1099s for freelance work, investments, unemployment, retirement distributions or Social Security
• Form 1095-A if you purchased marketplace health insurance

Deductions and credits

• Records of childcare expenses, mortgage interest, property taxes and charitable donations
• Medical bills, retirement contributions or, if you're a student or teacher, tuition receipts if you plan to claim them

Self-employment and side gigs

• Payment records from apps or banks
• Receipts, invoices and mileage logs for business expenses
• Proof of estimated tax payments