A review of Cash App Taxes: A top choice for filing taxes without fees.

A review of Cash App Taxes: A top choice for filing taxes without fees.
A review of Cash App Taxes: A top choice for filing taxes without fees.

Cash App Taxes offers free tax software that covers most tax situations, while many other products limit you to simple tax situations and federal tax returns. Although it doesn't provide the support of a professional tax expert, Cash App Taxes is a good option for those who want to file for free.

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Overview

Cash App Taxes provides free tax filing for both federal and state returns, regardless of the complexity of your tax situation. With Cash App Taxes, you can easily file your taxes, whether you have a single W-2 or multiple 1099s from your side hustles.

You won't have access to professional tax support or full-service tax preparation assistance.

You cannot file with Cash App Taxes in certain situations, such as when you have complex tax situations or when you need to claim certain deductions or credits.

  • Filing your state taxes without filing your federal taxes means you cannot use Cash App Taxes to file your federal tax return.
  • file for multiple states, including part-year state filing or non-resident state filing.
  • file taxes for a minor.
  • file taxes for those residing outside of the U.S.
  • file taxes for prior years.
  • file taxes for income earned outside of the U.S.
  • file if you have underpayment penalty calculations or payments.
  • If you live in a community property state, you should file as a married individual.

Before using Cash App Taxes, ensure that your tax situation is not on the list of forms not supported by the software.

Perks

Cash App Taxes offers additional advantages typical of tax software, in addition to free tax filing.

Maximum refund guaranteed

If you file an amended federal income tax return through a different tax prep service and receive a larger refund or owe less in federal taxes, you may be eligible to receive the difference in the refund or tax amount owed up to $100 (minimum $25) on a gift card from Cash App Taxes, as long as you're using the same information you used when filing the same return with Cash App Taxes.

Accurate calculations guaranteed

If the charges for penalties and/or interest were caused by a calculation error made by the software, Cash App Taxes will reimburse you up to $1,000 on a gift card.

Early refund

You could receive your refund up to five days earlier if you choose to deposit it into Cash App instead of your bank account.

Audit defense

Tax Protection Plus, a third-party company, offers free audit defense through Cash App Taxes. As a member, you'll receive assistance if you receive an IRS inquiry. A case resolution specialist will consult with you, help you gather and organize documents, and draft letters on your behalf if necessary.

Availability

To use Cash App Taxes, you must download and log into the Cash App app, which is available on Google Play and the App Store. If you don't have an account, you'll need to create one.

You can easily file your taxes using your phone or computer by visiting cash.app/taxes.

Cash App Taxes is entirely cloud-based and does not provide any downloadable software for offline tax preparation.

Security

Cash App Taxes is a licensed IRS e-file provider that adheres to the IRS's security, privacy, and business standards. The software employs 128-bit encryption to safeguard the transmission of your data. Additionally, Cash App Taxes claims on its website that it maintains physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards that comply with legal and federal standards to protect your information.

The company has a dedicated on-site security team and collaborates with independent third parties to evaluate its website for potential vulnerabilities.

To enhance security, Cash App Taxes requires a phone number and verification. Additionally, it supports two-factor authentication through authenticator apps.

How it compares

If you want to file taxes for free, Cash App Taxes is a top choice. It's especially useful for those with straightforward tax situations or who feel comfortable handling their taxes without professional assistance.

When selecting a financial product, it's essential to compare multiple options. For instance, TaxSlayer is our top pick for affordable tax software. If you meet specific criteria, you can qualify for free filing for both your federal and state tax returns. Additionally, TaxSlayer's paid plans are priced lower than many competitors. All of TaxSlayer's plans cover all tax situations, with expert support varying based on the level of support.

If you need more guidance when filing your taxes, you may want to consider using more expensive tax software. For example, TurboTax offers a variety of features to simplify the process and provides resources to answer any questions you may have. You can also choose to pay for live assistance from a tax professional and communicate with them via phone, live chat, or video call. Additionally, approximately 37% of filers are eligible for free filing with expert assistance.

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Our goal at CNBC Select is to deliver top-notch service journalism and in-depth consumer advice to our readers, enabling them to make well-informed decisions when it comes to their finances. Each tax software review we publish is the result of thorough reporting by our team of expert writers and editors, who possess extensive knowledge of the tax software market. At CNBC Select, we are committed to maintaining our journalistic standards and ethics, even when we earn a commission from our affiliate partners on many offers and links.

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by Ana Staples