Every year, millions end up having to fill out tax forms and then mail them to the IRS. It’s an annual ritual that causes many people a lot of frustration. Having to pay a fee to file taxes can feel like adding insult to injury.

Cash App Taxes was created with that hassle in mind. While other tax prep services do have free versions, many of them are very limited in scope to those who have drastically simple situations. If you need to itemize, or if you have self-employed income to report, you’ll find yourself paying to file with most software packages.

Cash App Taxes, on the other hand, will help you file your taxes completely free–no matter your situation. They offer a free federal file AND a free state file and when you complete your file, you owe nothing.

Cash App Taxes Review Prices and Plans

cash app taxes

Cash App Taxes (owned by Block) was created by Credit Karma and recently sold to Cash App. When it first launched, it was 100% free to use and revenue was generated from users who would sign up for credit cards, loans, and banking products through Credit Karma.

Not a lot has changed after the sale and you can still use Cash App Taxes to complete your state and federal return for free. With the audit defense, Cash App Taxes provides you with a voucher code you can use for third-party audit defense, without cost.

Cash App is hoping that after you download the app and use it to file your taxes for free, you’ll stick around and use the app to send money to and from friends, buy and transfer Bitcoin, and use their debit card for everyday purchases.

There are no plans to sign up for when filing your taxes through Cash App. It’s a one-size-fits-all set-up and it’s as simple as downloading the app and getting started on filing your 2024 tax return.

Features and Security of Cash App Taxes

Several features make using Cash App Taxes fairly painless. Unless you have a particularly complex situation, there’s a good chance that you’ll be able to complete your tax return, whether you use a desktop, laptop, or mobile device.

  • Import previous tax returns: Using Cash App Taxes’ Jumpstart feature, you can skip onboarding steps by uploading your 1040 from TaxAct, H&R Block, or TurboTax.
  • Mobile filing: Cash App Taxes has a robust app that allows you to use your phone or tablet to take pictures and upload important documents.
  • Tax return review: Before you file, Cash App Taxes will review your return and flag sections that might have been missed or that might need to be re-done.
  • Audit defense: You can get third-party audit defense for free through a third party. You’ll get help answering audit questions or even get representation before the IRS or your state government if it’s needed.
  • Guarantees: Cash App Taxes guarantees that you’ll get the maximum refund, or they’ll refund the difference, up to $100 in the form of a gift card. Additionally, if the IRS or your state penalizes you for inaccuracy, you can get up to $1,000 in the form of gift cards to offset the cost.

As you can see, Cash App Taxes offers many of the same services that you can get with costly options, but for free.

Related: 8 Tax Benefits for Buying and Owning a Home

Signing Up for Cash App Taxes

You’ll have to download the app to access Cash App Taxes, then create an account to file this year’s taxes. If you want to access returns from prior years, you’ll have to validate your identity by entering your name, date of birth, and last four digits of your social security number. Then Cash App Taxes will send you a code through email or text.

Synchronization

It’s nice that you can upload a PDF of your previous year’s tax return to start the process. That way, you don’t have to enter all your basic details to start. However, there isn’t an option to import your W-2s or 1099′s—you’ll have to enter that information manually.

Security

As an Authorized IRS e-file Provider, Cash App Taxes is required to meet certain privacy and security standards. You can be reasonably sure that your information is protected. Cash App Taxes also uses bank-level encryption and supports two-factor authentication.

Mobile Accessibility

Cash App Taxes, as you might have guessed by the name, is a highly-rated app for both Android and iOS. Once you’ve downloaded the app, you can complete the entire process from your mobile device.

Customer Service

Cash App Taxes provides an online help center that has searchable information devoted to the tax preparation process. You can get email support as well. There’s no phone support, though, so you need to make do with the online help center and emails.

It’s important to make sure that you start your tax return somewhat early to make sure you have what you need. Because you don’t have the same level of support as a paid service, if you decide you need to switch to another preparer, you need time to do so.

Who Is Cash App Taxes Designed For?

If you’re fairly confident about filing your taxes, don’t expect to need a lot of hand-holding, and want a completely free way to finish your return, Cash App Taxes may be a good choice. It can handle most situations, as long as you don’t have something extremely complicated.

However, if you want a little more tax-specific guidance, and you think you’ll need more customer service support, it might make more sense to use software like TaxAct. The brand has four plan options that include dedicated CPA support.

For those who like more robust and dedicated tax help, the slightly elevated cost of TurboTax or H&R Block can provide peace of mind.

Carefully consider your tax situation and your needs, balancing cost with access to personalized help.

cash app taxes

Cash App Taxes Pros and Cons

While there are definite advantages to using Cash App Taxes, it’s also important to consider the drawbacks and make sure this is the right approach for your tax situation.

Pros

  • Completely free — Even the audit defense won’t cost you anything. This is a truly free product.
  • Supports a variety of situations — Most situations are supported by Cash App Taxes prep. You can itemize, report investment and rental income, and even file business returns.
  • Easy to use — The interface is clean and easy to use. Plus, questions guide you through the process in an intuitive manner.
  • Mobile app — You can complete your tax return from the palm of your hand.

Cons

  • Some forms aren’t available — While most situations can be handled, some won’t work with Cash App Taxes. If you have a Foreign Tax Credit, need to file more than one state return, or have certain types of trust, you can’t use Cash App Taxes. There’s a list of all the situations that Cash App Tax doesn’t support in the Support Section.
  • Customer service isn’t as robust — TurboTax offers screen share capabilities, and you can go into an H&R Block office. Cash App Taxes only offers email support.

Cash App Taxes Alternatives

TaxAct

taxact

TaxAct is another inexpensive option if you want access to a tax expert. They have four plans; Free, Deluxe, Premier, and Self-Employed. What’s unique about TaxAct is that all their plans come with the ability to talk to a tax expert.

The Free plan is available to handle simple tax returns only. It’s free to file your federal return but costs $39.99 to file your state return. Deluxe handles common tax situations such as itemizing, mortgage interest deductions, and child-care deductions. It’s $29.99 for federal returns and $39.99 for each state return.

Premier can tackle more complicated tax returns such as those that include the sale of investments or real estate. It also covers you if you have foreign bank accounts. It’s $34.99 for federal returns and $39.99 for each state return.

Finally, the Self-Employed version covers different types of income and business expenses. It’s $69.99 for federal returns and $39.99 for each state return.

Read our TaxAct Review

TaxSlayer

taxslayer

TaxSlayer has four simple plans; Free, Classic, Premium, and Self-Employed. The Free plan is available to those with the simplest of tax returns. You can file your federal return and one state return for free.

The Classic plan covers all tax situations and is $22.95 for federal returns and $39.95 for each state return. Neither Free nor Deluxe have access to audit support or a tax expert.

An upgrade from Classic is Premium, where users will have all of the features of the Classic plan while including help from a tax expert and audit assistant. The Premium option is $42.95 for federal returns and $39.95 for each state return.

For business owners, the Self-Employed plan is $52.95 for federal returns and $39.95 for each state return and includes a tax expert who is specifically knowledgeable about business taxes. It does not include audit support.

Read our TaxSlayer Review

Should You File Your Taxes with Cash App Taxes?

Incredibly, Cash App Taxes is FREE and accepts just about all tax situations. You even get an audit defense for free. One thing you don’t get is the ability to talk to a tax professional. So if you have questions about your taxes you’ll have to get help elsewhere.

For the majority of Americans who have a simple tax situation, Cash App Taxes is the perfect way to file your taxes and not have to worry about the high costs of a sit-down CPA or expensive software.

Cash App Taxes

Michael Pruser

cash app taxes
Plan Options
Pricing
Audit Support & Features
Customer Service
Mobile App & Usability

Summary

Cash App Taxes allows you to file both your Federal and State taxes for FREE with a guaranteed maximum refund and third-party audit support.

4.4

Author

  • Michael Pruser

    Michael is a graduate of the University of Miami with a degree in Mathematics. He's worked in the personal finance realm for more than 15 years, writing for Lending Tree, Business Insider, and many others. If you can't find him speaking at a financial conference, he's likely creating data-driven algorithms for fun.