To do your taxes by yourself, gather your income documents, pick a filing method that matches your situation, work through Form 1040 to report income and claim your deductions and credits, then e-file and either pay what you owe or set up direct deposit for your refund. The federal deadline for tax year 2025 returns is April 15, 2026.1Internal Revenue Service. IRS Opens 2026 Filing Season Single filers earning at least $15,750 and married couples filing jointly earning at least $31,500 are required to file for tax year 2025.2Internal Revenue Service. Check if You Need to File a Tax Return If you earned less than that but had tax withheld from your paychecks, file anyway. It’s the only way to get that money back.
Most people with W-2 wages and a couple of common deductions can finish the whole return in one sitting using free software. Here’s how to do it.
Gather Everything Before You Open Any Software
The most common reason a DIY return stalls is a missing form that sends you hunting through old email halfway through the process. Pull everything together first.
You’ll need Social Security Numbers for yourself, your spouse if filing jointly, and every dependent you plan to claim. An Individual Taxpayer Identification Number from the IRS works in place of an SSN for anyone who doesn’t have one.3Internal Revenue Service. Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) A mismatched digit gets your return rejected automatically, so check every one.
Then collect your income documents:
- Form W-2 from each employer, showing wages and federal tax withheld. Employers must send these by the end of January.4Internal Revenue Service. 2026 General Instructions for Forms W-2 and W-3
- Form 1099-NEC for freelance or contract income of $600 or more from a single payer.
- Form 1099-INT for interest earned on bank accounts or bonds.
- Form 1099-DIV for dividends from investments.
- Form 1099-G for unemployment compensation or state tax refunds.
If you plan to claim deductions beyond the standard deduction, add Form 1098 for mortgage interest, Form 1098-E for student loan interest, and receipts for charitable contributions and medical expenses. If you bought health insurance through the Marketplace, you need Form 1095-A to reconcile the Premium Tax Credit.5Internal Revenue Service. About Form 1095-A, Health Insurance Marketplace Statement Missing it can delay your return or cost you money.
Pick How You’ll File
Your options range from completely free to over a hundred dollars. What fits depends on your income and how much guidance you want.
IRS Free File. If your adjusted gross income is $89,000 or less for 2025, you qualify for IRS Free File. The IRS partners with private software companies to offer guided prep at no cost.6Internal Revenue Service. Use IRS Free File to Conveniently File Your Return at No Cost It works like commercial software, asking questions and filling in the form behind the scenes.
IRS Direct File. The IRS’s own free tool. It handles straightforward W-2 income and common credits but is available in a limited number of states and doesn’t cover self-employment income or itemized deductions.
Free File Fillable Forms. If you earn more than $89,000 and don’t want to pay, these let you type into electronic versions of the paper forms. They do basic math but give no guidance, so you need to know which lines to fill in.
Commercial software. TurboTax, H&R Block, TaxAct, and similar products charge fees but walk you through interview-style questions, catch errors, and offer audit support. Federal returns run from free at the simplest tier to over $100 for premium versions.
Paper filing. You can download Form 1040 from IRS.gov and fill it out by hand.7Internal Revenue Service. About Form 1040, U.S. Individual Income Tax Return Paper takes far longer to process and has higher error rates. Only choose it if you genuinely prefer it.
Work Through Form 1040
Pick Your Filing Status
Your status sets your standard deduction and which tax brackets apply. The five options are Single, Married Filing Jointly, Married Filing Separately, Head of Household, and Qualifying Surviving Spouse.8Internal Revenue Service. Form 1040, U.S. Individual Income Tax Return Most married couples come out ahead filing jointly because the brackets and standard deduction are wider. Head of Household gives single parents a bigger standard deduction than Single, but you must have paid more than half the cost of keeping up a home for a qualifying dependent.
Report Your Income
Transfer the numbers from your W-2s and 1099s to the matching lines on Form 1040. Wages on Line 1, interest on Line 2, dividends on Line 3, and so on. The IRS gets copies of every W-2 and 1099 sent to you and runs automated matching. If a number doesn’t line up, you’ll hear about it months later with interest added on. Careful document gathering pays off here.
Take the Standard Deduction or Itemize
Once you’ve added up your income, you reduce it by either the standard deduction or itemized deductions on Schedule A, whichever is larger. For tax year 2025:
- Single or Married Filing Separately: $15,750
- Married Filing Jointly or Qualifying Surviving Spouse: $31,500
- Head of Household: $23,625
These come straight from Form 1040.8Internal Revenue Service. Form 1040, U.S. Individual Income Tax Return
Most filers take the standard deduction because it’s simple and usually larger than what they’d get from itemizing. Itemize only if your combined deductible expenses come out higher. The common categories are state and local taxes (capped at $40,000 for most filers starting in 2025, phasing down for incomes above $500,000), mortgage interest, charitable contributions, and medical expenses above 7.5% of your adjusted gross income. If you aren’t sure, run the numbers both ways. Any decent software does this automatically and picks the higher one.
Claim the Credits You’re Entitled To
Credits cut your tax bill dollar for dollar, so they’re worth more than deductions. Three come up regularly for DIY filers.
Child Tax Credit
Worth up to $2,200 per qualifying child under age 17 for tax year 2025. Up to $1,700 is refundable, meaning you can get it even if you owe no tax.9Internal Revenue Service. Refundable Tax Credits The child must be your son, daughter, stepchild, or another close relative, live with you more than half the year, and be claimed as your dependent.10Internal Revenue Service. Child Tax Credit
Earned Income Tax Credit
The EITC is one of the largest refundable credits available and the one most often missed. It’s built for low- and moderate-income workers and can be worth up to $8,231 for a family with three or more children. Workers without children may qualify for a smaller amount. Income limits depend on your status and family size. A single filer with one child can earn up to $50,434 and still qualify; a married couple filing jointly with three or more children can earn up to $68,675.11Internal Revenue Service. Earned Income and Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Tables You can’t claim the EITC if your investment income tops $11,950.
American Opportunity Tax Credit
If you’re paying for college, this credit covers up to $2,500 per eligible student for the first four years of higher education. Forty percent (up to $1,000) is refundable. To claim the full amount, your modified adjusted gross income must be $80,000 or less, or $160,000 for joint filers.12Internal Revenue Service. American Opportunity Tax Credit The student must be enrolled at least half-time and pursuing a degree.
If You Have Self-Employment Income
Freelancers, gig workers, and independent contractors have extra steps that W-2 employees skip. You report your income and expenses on Schedule C to arrive at your net profit or loss.13Internal Revenue Service. About Schedule C (Form 1040), Profit or Loss from Business (Sole Proprietorship) That number flows back to Form 1040 as part of your total income.
On top of income tax, you owe self-employment tax of 15.3% on your net earnings (12.4% for Social Security and 2.9% for Medicare).14Internal Revenue Service. Self-Employment Tax (Social Security and Medicare Taxes) That’s both the employer and employee shares of payroll tax, which W-2 workers split with their employer. File Schedule SE if your net self-employment earnings hit $400 or more.15Internal Revenue Service. Schedule C and Schedule SE You can deduct the employer-equivalent half (7.65%) as an adjustment to income. Don’t skip that; it reduces your income tax and your adjusted gross income, which can affect other credits.
If you expect to owe $1,000 or more after withholding and credits, the IRS generally expects quarterly estimated payments.16Internal Revenue Service. Underpayment of Estimated Tax by Individuals Penalty The due dates are April 15, June 15, September 15, and January 15 of the following year.17Internal Revenue Service. Individuals 2 Pay at least 90% of this year’s tax or 100% of last year’s (110% if your prior-year AGI was above $150,000) to avoid an underpayment penalty.
Submit the Return
E-file if you can. It’s faster, more accurate, and gives you near-instant confirmation. You sign electronically using a five-digit Personal Identification Number you choose. The IRS verifies your identity using your date of birth and your prior-year adjusted gross income.18Internal Revenue Service. Self-Select PIN Method for Forms 1040 and 4868 Modernized e-File (MeF) The electronic signature carries the same legal weight as ink on paper.
If you’re mailing a paper return, use the processing center address for your state listed in the Form 1040 instructions. Send it certified with a return receipt so you have proof of delivery. Paper returns take six to eight weeks to process versus about three weeks for e-filed returns.
Pay What You Owe, or Get Your Refund
If your return shows a balance due, pay by April 15 to avoid interest and the failure-to-pay penalty. IRS Direct Pay transfers funds from a checking or savings account at no charge.19Internal Revenue Service. Types of Payments Available to Individuals Through Direct Pay Credit card, debit card, and digital wallet payments go through IRS-approved third-party processors that charge a fee.
If you can’t pay in full, file the return on time anyway and pay what you can. The failure-to-file penalty runs 5% of unpaid tax per month up to 25%,20Internal Revenue Service. Failure to File Penalty while the failure-to-pay penalty is 0.5% per month.21Internal Revenue Service. Failure to Pay Penalty Filing late without an extension is the most expensive mistake you can make. Then apply for a payment plan:
- Short-term plan: available if you owe less than $100,000 in combined tax, penalties, and interest. Up to 180 days to pay, no setup fee.
- Long-term installment agreement: available if you owe $50,000 or less. Monthly payments with a setup fee as low as $22 when you apply online and choose automatic bank withdrawals.
Interest and the failure-to-pay penalty keep accruing on any unpaid balance, but the penalty drops to 0.25% per month once your plan is approved.22Internal Revenue Service. Payment Plans; Installment Agreements
If the IRS owes you, the fastest way to receive it is e-file with direct deposit. Most e-filed returns with direct deposit are processed within about three weeks.23Internal Revenue Service. Refunds Check status through the “Where’s My Refund?” tool on IRS.gov or the IRS2Go app using your Social Security Number, filing status, and the exact whole-dollar refund amount. The tool updates once a day, usually overnight. The IRS does not initiate contact by email, text, or social media about refunds; anything that arrives that way is a scam.
Need More Time? File an Extension
If April 15 is coming and your return isn’t ready, submit Form 4868 by that date for an automatic six-month extension to October 15, 2026.24Internal Revenue Service. Form 4868, Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return The extension buys time to file, not time to pay. Estimate what you owe and pay it by April 15 to avoid interest and the failure-to-pay penalty.
Fixing a Mistake After You File
If you later realize you forgot income, missed a deduction, or picked the wrong filing status, file Form 1040-X to amend the return. You generally have three years from the original filing date (or two years from the date you paid the tax, whichever is later) to amend and claim any additional refund.25Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form 1040-X You can e-file Form 1040-X for the current and two prior tax years.
Don’t amend for simple math errors or a missing W-2. The IRS usually catches those, corrects them, and sends a notice explaining the adjustment.
Keep Your Records
Federal law requires you to keep records that back up the income, deductions, and credits on your return.26Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 6001 – Notice or Regulations Requiring Records, Statements, and Special Returns Hold your tax documents for at least three years from the date you filed, which matches the general audit window. If you underreported gross income by more than 25%, that window stretches to six years.27Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 6501 – Limitations on Assessment and Collection Save W-2s, 1099s, receipts for deductions, and a copy of the return. Digital scans work if they’re legible and backed up.
Don’t Forget Your State Return
Federal is only half the job in most states. The majority levy their own income tax and require a separate return, often due April 15. Nine states have no individual income tax. If yours does, check whether your Free File software includes a free state return or whether you’ll need to file separately through your state’s tax agency. State rules on deductions and credits vary widely, so read your state’s instructions before assuming your federal return covered everything.