You've seen the advertisements by now: "Start your return for free" or "file for free". But honestly, are these tax software and service companies really free?
Not to mention the fact that the IRS has the FreeFile alliance, which is a group of companies that have committed to offering free filing for eligible individuals (you may have seen the countless news articles on this recently).
We took a look at every major tax filing software and service, and broke down who is offering free filing and who isn't. Many of these companies offer free Federal returns for certain filers, but then charge for the State return. Or even worse, charge more for a State return than other versions of their software!
Here's our list of the top free tax software so you can file your tax return for free!