Supposedly, about 1/3 of taxpayers qualify for the free version. If you are filing online, and you are diverted to a paid version, that means you have forms or situations not covered by the free version. You are free at any time to stop working on your return, log out, and find a different tax provider.
At this time of year, however, it may be that the only version available is the paid version you download to your computer. That is because the free online version closes after the final October 15 deadline to be reprogrammed for the next tax season (2024, opening in November).
