Can active duty military file for free?

Crystaldarsha · ‎March 03, 2026

mesquitebean

Yes (and deserve the perk!)--active duty military can get free TurboTax online preparation product and filing IF you meet all the conditions. If you do, then you can use any edition of Online TurboTax (Free, Deluxe, or Premium) for a free Federal return and free state return. But add-ons like Expert Assist, PLUS upgrade, etc. are not eligible.

https://turbotax.intuit.com/personal-taxes/online/military-edition.jsp

The free Military Discount is for E1-E9 active duty and reservists and excludes National Guard.
You have to have a W-2 from DFAS.
Be sure to answer all the military questions in the MY INFO section.
After you enter your W-2 and move forward, you'll likely get a screen to again select that the W-2 was for active duty.

The discount is not applied until you are ready to file. If it still tries to charge you at the end, do NOT pay. You would need to resolve that issue first.

View solution in original post

mesquitebean

Yes (and deserve the perk!)--active duty military can get free TurboTax online preparation product and filing IF you meet all the conditions. If you do, then you can use any edition of Online TurboTax (Free, Deluxe, or Premium) for a free Federal return and free state return. But add-ons like Expert Assist, PLUS upgrade, etc. are not eligible.

https://turbotax.intuit.com/personal-taxes/online/military-edition.jsp

The free Military Discount is for E1-E9 active duty and reservists and excludes National Guard.
You have to have a W-2 from DFAS.
Be sure to answer all the military questions in the MY INFO section.
After you enter your W-2 and move forward, you'll likely get a screen to again select that the W-2 was for active duty.

The discount is not applied until you are ready to file. If it still tries to charge you at the end, do NOT pay. You would need to resolve that issue first.