Editorial Note: Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post. We may earn a commission from partner links on Newsweek, but commissions do not affect our editors’ opinions or evaluations.

Cash App Taxes Review 2024

Jennifer Coates Calonia

Jennifer, a native Angeleno, is a writer and editor with more than a decade of experience covering personal finance. Her work has been featured on Yahoo, Forbes, USA Today and other national publications. When she’s not educating readers about money-related topics, she’s writing her debut fiction novel and playing with her Shiba Inu, Katsu.

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Reviewed By

Ashley Parks

Ashley is an associate editor at Newsweek, with expertise in consumer lending. She is passionate about producing the most accessible personal finance content for all readers. Prior to Newsweek, Ashley spent almost three years at Bankrate as an editor covering credit cards, specializing in transactional content along with subprime and student credit.

To learn more about Ashley and her work, you can visit her personal website at ashleyparks.com.

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Cash App Taxes is relatively new to the tax filing market, but offers a promise that’s hard to ignore: 100% free e-filing for federal and state tax returns. Although the platform doesn’t support certain nuanced filing situations—like filing multiple state returns and filing a return for the prior year, etc.—its free service covers many common tax filing situations.

Our Methodology

Our research is designed to provide you with a comprehensive understanding of personal finance services and products that best suit your needs. To help you in the decision-making process, our expert contributors compare common preferences and potential pain points, such as affordability, accessibility, and credibility.

Cash App Taxes offers no-strings-attached free filing for a federal return and one state return.

Cash App Taxes

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Expert Take

As a tax filing service, Cash App Taxes offers a convenient and free solution for filers with middle-of-the-road filing situations. It serves people who require more than the standard Form 1040, but doesn’t go so far as to support small business tax return filings.

Pros

Free federal and state tax filing
Maximum refund guaranteed
One-year audit defense included

Cons

Limited customer support
Only available when filing up to one state return
E-filing isn’t available in all states

Vault’s Viewpoint on the Cash App Taxes

Cash App Taxes offer peace of mind for its users through various guarantees. Its Maximum Refund Guarantee states that if a competing online tax preparation service gets you a higher tax refund or lower owed federal tax due, Cash App Taxes will refund the difference up to $100 as a gift card. It also upholds an Accurate Calculations Guarantee program that reimburses you up to $1,000 as a gift card for calculation errors on your tax return. And in the event of an audit, customers receive support under the Protection Plus Audit Assistance Membership Program for one year, at no extra cost.

Overall, Cash App Taxes is a free, transparent and easy-to-use tax preparation option for filers with common tax scenarios. However, it’s not the most accessible option for everyone and has its limits with whom it can support.

About Cash App Taxes

Square, Inc., the parent company of Cash App, acquired Credit Karma Tax in November 2020. The tax filing product was renamed in October 2021 as Cash App Taxes under the Cash App portfolio. It offers completely free electronic filing for federal and state tax returns, and has filed returns for more than 10 million individuals at no cost.

To e-file your tax return through Cash App Taxes, you must meet the following eligibility criteria:

Be a U.S. resident
At least 18 years old
Have an existing, or create a new, Cash App account

You must also have a tax filing situation that Cash App Taxes supports. Currently, the service supports single status filings; married, filing separately; joint tax returns; qualifying surviving spouse with a dependent child and head of household.

It’s unable to support nonresident aliens who need to file Form 1040NR, part-year state residents and e-filing for a small business. Note that Cash App Taxes require that you successfully e-file your federal tax return before filing your state return with them. However, e-filing through Cash App Taxes isn’t available for all U.S. states.

Pricing	$0 for federal and state filings
Free Trial	N/A
Key Features	Free state filing Easy-to-useVarious guarantees Get refund up to 5 days faster

Who is the Cash App Taxes best for?

Cash App Taxes is best for tax filers who meet the platform’s general user criteria, in terms of age, U.S. citizenship/residency and location if filing a state return. This includes individuals who only lived in one state during the 2023 tax year, and didn’t move across state lines.

It’s also a sound, intuitive option whether you’re claiming the standard deduction or want to itemize deductions on your return. The app is also ideal for individuals who need to file other forms along with their federal tax return. For example, Cash App Taxes supports filing a W-2G (for certain gambling winnings) and certain 1040 Schedules to report income or losses from a small business or partnership at no additional cost.

Filers who want to file their returns for free, without encountering murky fine print and extra costs when it comes time to actually e-file, could find a good fit here. However, due to the limited customer support available, Cash App Taxes is best reserved for people who are confident in their ability to manually fill out their tax return, and are relatively tech-savvy.

Who should consider an alternative to the Cash App Taxes?

Although Cash App Taxes is a suitable option for many personal tax filing situations, it’s not ideal for all tax return filings.

If you need to file a state tax return in more than one state, or file a partial-year state return, Cash App Taxes can’t currently support your needs. It doesn’t offer tax filing services for couples filing taxes separately in a community-property state, like California or Texas. The service also isn’t an option for individuals who need to report foreign income that totals more than $600.

Cash App Taxes isn’t an option for filing business tax returns. Although it lets you file small business earnings or losses alongside your personal tax return (e.g. 1040 Schedule C, Schedule E, or Schedule SE), you won’t be able to file your business’s tax return using Cash App Taxes.

Finally, if the idea of not having your DIY-work double-checked by a tax professional makes you uneasy, Cash App Taxes isn’t for you. The platform doesn’t offer any professional review before submitting your return to the IRS and your state, nor does it provide live phone support if you have nuanced questions or encounter technical issues.

How does Cash App Taxes stack up to its competitors?

Before jumping on Cash App Taxes’ enticing free tax filing service, strongly consider your filing situation and whether you need a tax service with more robust offerings. Here are a few tax filing alternatives and how they compare to Cash App Taxes.

Cash App Taxes vs TurboTax

Unlike Cash App Taxes, TurboTax by Intuit supports e-file tax preparation for self-service individual filers and small businesses alike. It has a free edition if you prefer to do your taxes on your own, but also offers two paid tiers, Live Assisted and Live Full Service, that feature live assistance with a tax expert.

Qualified filers who e-file a Form 1040 and are claiming limited credits might be able to file their federal and state returns for free. If you qualify for a free federal tax return, your state return is also free; otherwise, each state return is $64 for the DIY option or $69 per state for the Assisted service. According to TurboTax, about 37% of its users qualify for free federal and state e-filing. TurboTax Free Edition. ~37% of taxpayers qualify. Form 1040 + limited credits only.

TurboTax also offers a seven-year guarantee on its calculations, maximum refund estimate and audit support. For example, for its 100% Accurate Calculations Guarantee, if there’s an error on your return that results in a penalty or interest fees by the IRS or your state, TurboTax will reimburse you for the fees.

Cash App Taxes vs TaxSlayer

TaxSlayer offers five e-file options, with pricing ranging from free to $62.95, plus an additional $39.95 state filing fee. Its Simply Free tax prep service is ideal for filers with the simplest filing situations. For example, filers who are claiming the standard deduction, have no dependents, and aren’t claiming credits or deductions aside from student loan interest and education expenses.

If you have a complex tax situation, like reporting business income or need help finding credits and deductions you qualify for, TaxSlayer’s Premium and Self-Employed options might be useful. The platform does a reliable job at guiding you through the process, while also connecting you with tax professionals who are available over the phone or via email for any questions.

Cash App Taxes vs H&R Block

H&R Block is another tax prep service that has developed into a household name over the decades. It offers four tiered e-file plans with the highest plan for self-employed filers at $115, plus $45 per state return.

Its Free Online plan is for people with simple returns. This option is best for students, individuals with regular W-2 income and people who’d like to claim the Child Tax Credit. However, if you need to file additional forms beyond a 1040, you’ll likely need to upgrade to H&R Block’s Deluxe e-file edition for $55, plus the per-state filing fee.

The Deluxe plan includes the features in its Free Online plan, plus the ability to itemize deductions, claim credits (e.g. child care expenses) and deductions. Deluxe customers also receive AI-based tax assistance and live support.

When it comes to its guarantees, H&R Block offers similar guarantees as Cash App Taxes, but at different protection levels. For example, its 100% Accuracy Guarantee covers up to $10,000 in penalties and interest paid by you for errors it made on your return. If the error caused you to owe more in taxes, H&R Block’s guarantee reimburses you for up to $6,000.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Long Does Cash App Taxes Take?

Once Cash App Taxes files your tax return with the IRS and your state, the processing timeline varies depending on your filing situation. Generally, processing tax refunds can take up to 21 days after the date that the IRS receives your e-filing. Use the IRS’ Where’s My Refund tool to check the status of your refund; Cash App Taxes also offers a quick reference page for state refund statuses.

How Does a Cash App Tax Refund Work?

If you’re owed a federal or state refund, it will be sent to you through the refund method you selected while filling out your tax return in Cash App Taxes. Depositing your refund into Cash App can help you get it up to an estimated five days faster, compared to most banks. If choosing to get your refund as a direct deposit into your bank account, ensure you’ve provided the correct account and routing numbers.

Why Would Cash App Reject My Tax Refund?

If there’s a non-calculation error on your tax return, like a mistyped Social Security number or surname that doesn’t match the IRS’ database, the IRS might not accept your tax return. To correct an error on your tax return, you might have the option of electronically filing an amended tax return via Cash App Taxes.

Editorial Note: Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post. We may earn a commission from partner links on Newsweek, but commissions do not affect our editors’ opinions or evaluations.