You can file your state income tax return for free in three main ways: through the IRS Free File program if your adjusted gross income is $89,000 or less, through your state’s own online filing portal, or through a free volunteer tax preparation site in your community. Which route works best depends on your income, the state you live in, and whether you want to prepare the return yourself or sit down with someone who will do it for you.
First, a quick check: nine states do not levy a personal income tax at all. Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and Wyoming impose no individual income tax of any kind. Washington does not tax wages or salaries but does tax capital gains above a threshold, so residents who sold investments there may still have a filing obligation. If you live in one of the other eight and earn only wage and salary income, there is no state return to file in the first place.
IRS Free File
The IRS partners with a group of private tax software companies called the Free File Alliance to offer free electronic tax preparation through the IRS website.1Internal Revenue Service. About the Free File Alliance For the 2025 tax year, filed in 2026, you qualify if your adjusted gross income is $89,000 or less.2Internal Revenue Service. Use IRS Free File to Conveniently File Your Return at No Cost Eight private-sector partners participate, and each sets its own additional eligibility rules based on age, income, state of residence, and military status.
Read the fine print on state returns. Not every Free File partner includes a free state return. Some bundle a free state filing with the federal one; others charge a fee for the state portion.3Internal Revenue Service. IRS Free File The “Find a Trusted Partner” tool on the IRS Free File page lets you filter for providers that offer free state returns in your state. Review each partner’s offer before you start, because switching providers partway through means re-entering everything.
Active-duty service members and their families can use MilTax instead, a Department of Defense program that covers one federal return and up to three state returns at no cost, regardless of income.4Internal Revenue Service. 2026 Tax Filing Season Opens With Several Free Filing Options Available
Your State’s Own Filing Portal
Many state tax agencies run their own online filing systems, sometimes called “direct file” or “web file” portals. You enter your income and deduction information directly on the state tax authority’s website, without any third-party software in the middle. Because the state runs the system itself, there is no fee, and there is generally no income cap. Any resident can use it.
To find yours, go to your state Department of Revenue (or equivalent agency) website and look for the electronic filing or “file online” option. These portals handle state returns only and do not require you to file the federal return at the same time. Most include built-in math checks and error alerts.
One change for the 2026 filing season: the federal IRS Direct File program, which had let taxpayers in participating states file federal returns for free through a government-built tool, is not available. If you used Direct File in a prior year, the IRS suggests requesting a copy of your prior return using Form 4506, then choosing one of the other free options for this year.
Free In-Person Help Through VITA and TCE
If you would rather have someone prepare the return for you, two IRS-sponsored programs provide free tax help that covers both federal and state returns.
- Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) serves people who generally earn $69,000 or less per year, people with disabilities, and taxpayers with limited English proficiency. IRS-certified volunteers prepare and file the return at community centers, libraries, schools, and other local sites.5Internal Revenue Service. Free Tax Return Preparation for Qualifying Taxpayers
- Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) focuses on taxpayers aged 60 and older, with volunteers trained on pension income, Social Security, and other retirement issues. Most TCE sites are run by the AARP Foundation Tax-Aide program, which typically operates from about February 1 through April 15.6Internal Revenue Service. Tax Counseling for the Elderly5Internal Revenue Service. Free Tax Return Preparation for Qualifying Taxpayers
To find a nearby VITA or TCE site, use the IRS VITA Locator tool online or call 800-906-9887. For AARP Tax-Aide sites specifically, call 888-227-7669 or use the AARP site locator between January and April.
Which Option Fits Your Situation
Adjusted gross income is the main filter. IRS Free File software partners require an AGI of $89,000 or less. VITA sites generally serve taxpayers earning $69,000 or less.2Internal Revenue Service. Use IRS Free File to Conveniently File Your Return at No Cost State-run portals typically have no income cap.
Residency status matters next. Most free filing tools and volunteer sites are built for full-year residents. Part-year residents and non-residents who earned income in a state where they do not live use different forms, and not every free software product or volunteer program supports them. If that is your situation, check your state’s portal directly, or look for a VITA site that handles multi-state returns.
Age and military status can widen your choices. Some Free File partners have looser rules for taxpayers under a certain age (often 60 and under) or for active-duty service members. Compare each provider’s offer before selecting one.
What to Have Ready Before You Start
Whether you file online yourself or sit down with a volunteer, pull these together first:
- Social Security numbers or ITINs for yourself, your spouse if filing jointly, and any dependents.
- Income statements: W-2s from employers, 1099s for freelance or contract work, 1099-INT or 1099-DIV for interest and dividend income, and 1099-R for retirement distributions.
- Your completed federal return. Most state forms start with the federal adjusted gross income shown on line 11 of Form 1040.7Internal Revenue Service. Adjusted Gross Income
- State-specific wage information from your W-2. Box 16 shows wages earned in each state and Box 17 shows state tax already withheld. Those figures, not the federal wage amount in Box 1, are what belong on your state return.
- Your prior-year state return. Some state e-filing systems use last year’s state AGI or a PIN to verify your identity.
If you worked in more than one state during the year, you may see multiple entries in Boxes 15 through 17, one per state, and you will likely need to file a return in each state where you earned income. Finish the federal return before starting the state one; the state software pulls data from the federal filing, so doing it in that order saves re-entering the same figures.
Deadlines, Extensions, and Late Filing
Most states set the income tax filing deadline at April 15, matching the federal due date. A handful use a later date, so confirm yours on the state tax authority’s website.
If you cannot finish in time, most states grant an automatic six-month extension to file, generally pushing the deadline to October 15. An extension to file is not an extension to pay. If you expect to owe, estimate the amount and send payment by the original April deadline to avoid penalties and interest, even if the return itself is not ready.
Late filing penalties vary by state but tend to follow a similar shape: a percentage of the unpaid tax, often around 5 percent, for the first month, with an additional percentage for each month the return stays unfiled, capped in many states at around 25 percent of the total tax owed. Interest accrues on unpaid balances on top of those penalties. If you are due a refund and owe nothing, most states will not charge a late filing penalty, but you cannot get the refund until the return is processed.