FreeTaxUSA lures you in with a promise: free federal and state tax filing if your adjusted gross income is under $48,000. But there’s a quiet trick built into the system. That free state filing? It’s only available through a special corner of the website called the “Free File” portal—a hidden path that requires a separate account and a fresh start.
Most users never find it. Why? Because FreeTaxUSA doesn’t make it easy. The regular site asks the same questions, feels identical, even greets you with that same friendly tone. But behind the curtain, it’s quietly charging $15 for what should have been free. The key difference lies in how you enter.
And here’s the kicker: the Free File portal changes URLs every single year. Bookmark it and you’re out of luck next tax season. They don’t redirect you, they don’t link from their main page, and they certainly don’t warn you. The result? Thousands of low-income filers fall into the same trap—wasting hours thinking they’re saving money, only to be nudged into coughing up a fee that legally shouldn’t apply to them.
According to IRS guidelines, tax prep companies partnering through Free File must offer no-cost filing to eligible users. But the enforcement is weak. The burden falls on the user to play detective, hunt the right portal, and double-check every line of fine print.
And yes, even if you already have a FreeTaxUSA account, you’ll need a new one to use the Free File version. That means reentering your data from scratch. Most people, exhausted by the endless tax maze, click “next” until they hit the paywall—and surrender.
If you qualify, don’t rely on memory. Google “FreeTaxUSA Free File 2025” each season. Confirm you’re on the IRS-linked version. If you see “$15 state filing” at checkout, you’re in the wrong place. Exit fast.
The bigger story? This isn’t just about one website. It’s about the growing complexity of “free” in America. As corporations find creative ways to erode access and increase revenue, the consumer pays—not just in dollars, but in time and trust.
Source Links:
https://www.freetaxusa.com/freefile2022
https://www.mass.gov/info-details/e-file-and-pay-your-ma-personal-income-taxes