The 2025 tax season is officially upon us.
The Internal Revenue Service will open access to its Free File preparation service starting Jan. 10, the federal agency announced in a news release.
Free File is a program that allows certain taxpayers to complete their return using guided tax software, free of charge.
Taxpayers with an adjusted gross income of $84,000 or less in 2024 can use Free File. Those who qualify must start their return by selecting a Free File option from the IRS' website (taxpayers will not find the free service on the website of a tax preparer that has partnered with the IRS to participate in Free File; in 2025, those partners include TaxHawk, TaxSlayer, 1040Now and ezTaxReturn).
Though taxpayers with an adjusted gross income of $84,000 or less can utilize Free File, the IRS noted that each partner has its own eligibility criteria based on age, state residency, and military status, among other factors. Some providers may also offer free preparation of state tax returns.
Once Free File is open for use, taxpayers can prepare their returns and hold them until the official IRS tax season begins later in January.
The IRS' Free File Fillable forms, which are electronic versions of common IRS paper forms, will be accessible to all starting Jan. 27 — taxpayers who don't qualify for Free File can use the fillable forms should they feel comfortable preparing their own taxes independently.
"Over the years, Free File has helped millions of taxpayers, providing a fast and simple way to file their returns," IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel said in the agency's statement.
