Best Tax Software for the Self-Employed in 2026
Seven filing products for a Schedule C return, with federal and state prices checked in October 2026 and a one-state total for a filer who has business expenses.
FreeTaxUSA is the best tax software for most self-employed filers in 2026. Federal filing is free with Schedule C included, and one state return costs $15.99. Cash App Taxes charges nothing for federal and state if you file inside the Cash App. TaxSlayer Classic covers all tax situations for $44.99 before the state fee.
H&R Block Self-Employed is the paid product that already includes live tax pros, and TurboTax DIY Premium is the renamed home of the old Self-Employed product. Keeper is the switch when you want the books and a signed return in one yearly plan, not a one-night e-file.
Key facts7 tools compared: FreeTaxUSA, Cash App Taxes, TaxSlayer, TaxAct Self-Employed, H&R Block…
- 7 tools compared: FreeTaxUSA, Cash App Taxes, TaxSlayer, TaxAct Self-Employed, H&R Block Self-Employed, TurboTax DIY Premium, Keeper
- Cash App Taxes (best for: Filers who already use Cash App and want both returns at no charge): Federal and state $0, including 1099 income and self-employed returns.
- TaxSlayer (best for: 1099 filers who want every form on a cheap plan, or extra Schedule C guidance): Classic $44.99 federal; Self-Employed $74.99. State returns are $47.99.
- TaxAct Self-Employed (best for: Freelancers who want a named self-employed product and optional expert chat): Self-Employed $109.99 federal plus $64.99 per state filed.
The expensive name on a self-employed return is usually a habit, not a better Schedule C. A freelancer with business expenses can finish the federal return on a product that charges nothing for those forms, then pay a small state fee.
A brand that used to sell a separate self-employed box does not put different schedules on that return.
Finpresso data: Toolradar, the software directory we run, lists 41 tax products on its tax software ranking as of October 16, 2026.
That shelf mixes sales-tax engines and information-return tools with consumer filing products, so the count is the directory, not this shortlist.
The profiles worth opening beside the prices below are FreeTaxUSA, TurboTax, and TaxAct.
Firm software is a different purchase, so a preparer with an EFIN belongs on our professional tax software list, and a wallet full of coins belongs on the crypto tax software list. This page is the 1040 with a business attached.
Top Picks
Based on features, real-world fit, and value for money.
The default for a full Schedule C: federal stays free, and the state return is a flat fee.
Federal free, including self-employed forms; state $15.99. Prior-year state is $17.99.
Self-employed filers who want Schedule C without a brand-name federal fee
The lowest bill on this list, tied to a Cash App login rather than a standalone tax site.
Federal and state $0, including 1099 income and self-employed returns.
Filers who already use Cash App and want both returns at no charge
Classic already claims every tax situation, and Self-Employed costs more for guidance, not the form.
Classic $44.99 federal; Self-Employed $74.99. State returns are $47.99.
1099 filers who want every form on a cheap plan, or extra Schedule C guidance
| Tool | Pricing | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| FreeTaxUSA | Federal free, including self-employed forms; state $15.99. Prior-year state is $17.99. | Self-employed filers who want Schedule C without a brand-name federal fee |
| Cash App Taxes | Federal and state $0, including 1099 income and self-employed returns. | Filers who already use Cash App and want both returns at no charge |
| TaxSlayer | Classic $44.99 federal; Self-Employed $74.99. State returns are $47.99. | 1099 filers who want every form on a cheap plan, or extra Schedule C guidance |
| TaxAct Self-Employed | Self-Employed $109.99 federal plus $64.99 per state filed. | Freelancers who want a named self-employed product and optional expert chat |
| H&R Block Self-Employed | Self-Employed $130 federal plus $49 per state. Tax Pro Review is $225. | Filers who want live tax pros included with the expense-level product |
| TurboTax DIY Premium | DIY Premium $139 federal. State is extra. Deluxe is $79 federal. | Filers who specifically want the product that replaced TurboTax Self-Employed |
| Keeper | Standard $199/yr (federal + up to 2 states). Premium $399/yr. Business $1,199/yr. | Freelancers who want year-round expense tracking and a tax pro signature |
Pricing read from each vendor's own pricing page, checked Oct 2026. Every vendor here publishes a price.
FreeTaxUSA
The default for a full Schedule C: federal stays free, and the state return is a flat fee.
- Pricing
- Federal free, including self-employed forms; state $15.99. Prior-year state is $17.99.
Best for: Self-employed filers who want Schedule C without a brand-name federal fee
Pros
- The state price matches Basic, Advanced, and Premium, so a business does not move you onto a higher tier.
- Schedule C, Schedule SE, 1099-NEC, 1099-K, and Form 4797 are included federally, so expense lines are not a paid upgrade.
- Deluxe Support is $7.99 and Audit Defense is $19.99, so help and audit cover are optional rather than a higher filing tier.
Cons
- A prior-year state return is $17.99, above this year's state fee, so a late file is a different bill.
- Paying the filing fee out of a refund adds a $24.99 charge, which can cost more than the state fee itself.
Cash App Taxes
The lowest bill on this list, tied to a Cash App login rather than a standalone tax site.
- Pricing
- Federal and state $0, including 1099 income and self-employed returns.
Best for: Filers who already use Cash App and want both returns at no charge
Pros
- Federal and state stay free, including deductions, credits, 1099 income, and self-employed returns, but only if you file inside Cash App.
- A stock or bitcoin sale does not add a fee, so that sale is not a reason to move to a paid tier.
- Over 12 million returns have been filed at no charge, which is scale, not advice on your Schedule C.
Cons
- Filing requires a Cash App download and account, including on a computer, so this is not a standalone tax site.
- It is not a tax advisor, so a messy Schedule C has no pro inside the product.
TaxSlayer
Classic already claims every tax situation, and Self-Employed costs more for guidance, not the form.
- Pricing
- Classic $44.99 federal; Self-Employed $74.99. State returns are $47.99.
Best for: 1099 filers who want every form on a cheap plan, or extra Schedule C guidance
Pros
- Classic includes all forms, credits, and deductions, so a 1099 filer can skip the self-employed label.
- Self-Employed at $74.99 adds Schedule C guidance, a tax guide, and quarterly reminders, which helps only if you want the coaching.
- The state return on Self-Employed is $47.99, so the one-state total is $122.98, and the state line is a large share of it.
Cons
- Self-Employed costs $30 more federal than Classic for guidance, not a new form, so skip it if you know your expenses.
- Prices are a guide, set at print or e-file, and can change, so today's card is not a locked quote.
TaxAct Self-Employed
A named self-employed tier that shows federal and state together, with expert chat sold after you start.
- Pricing
- Self-Employed $109.99 federal plus $64.99 per state filed.
Best for: Freelancers who want a named self-employed product and optional expert chat
Pros
- Federal is $109.99 and each state is $64.99, shown together, so you can price one state before you start.
- The tier sits above Premier and covers contract, freelance, and rideshare income plus depreciation, which is the rideshare filer with expenses.
- Xpert Assist, unlimited expert chat, is $45 after you start, so wanting a person changes the DIY bill.
Cons
- One state makes the DIY total $174.98, far above FreeTaxUSA for the same schedules, so you are paying for the tier, not a different form.
- A $55 federal-and-state banner is a new-customer offer due by May 1, not the self-employed list price.
H&R Block Self-Employed
The paid online tier that includes live help, and the one required once you deduct expenses.
- Pricing
- Self-Employed $130 federal plus $49 per state. Tax Pro Review is $225.
Best for: Filers who want live tax pros included with the expense-level product
Pros
- Unlimited expert help is included with Self-Employed rather than sold beside it, so the person is in the sticker.
- Deluxe, at $65 plus the same state fee, can report Schedule C income only when there are no expenses to deduct, so those expenses mean the wrong tier.
- A pro review of your return is a separate $225 federal product, plus the state fee, when included chat is not enough.
Cons
- The expense-ready product is $179 with one state, $163.01 more than FreeTaxUSA, and the extra is live help, not a different Schedule C.
- Free Online covers federal and state at no charge, and about 52% qualify, but Schedule C income is excluded.
TurboTax DIY Premium
The old Self-Employed box, renamed Premium, with the state charge added when you file.
- Pricing
- DIY Premium $139 federal. State is extra. Deluxe is $79 federal.
Best for: Filers who specifically want the product that replaced TurboTax Self-Employed
Pros
- Self-Employed was folded into DIY Premium in tax year 2023, including 1099 income and business expenses, so the old box name points here.
- The entire Schedule C is on Premium, while Deluxe stops at Schedule C income, so expense deductions are the upgrade.
- Premium includes 1099-NEC snap-and-fill and deduction sync on a single Schedule C, which fits one business.
Cons
- The federal price alone is $139, already $123.01 above FreeTaxUSA's federal-plus-state total, and state is still extra.
- Deduction import is limited to a single Schedule C, so a second business has to be entered by hand.
Keeper
A yearly bookkeeping plan that files the return and has a tax pro sign it.
- Pricing
- Standard $199/yr (federal + up to 2 states). Premium $399/yr. Business $1,199/yr.
Best for: Freelancers who want year-round expense tracking and a tax pro signature
Pros
- Standard is $199 a year, with federal filing and up to two state returns a tax pro signs, so the buy is the books and the signature.
- Twelve months of bookkeeping-only costs $240, so the filing plan is cheaper than books alone if you needed the tracking.
- Every plan has a 14-day trial, and canceling before it ends means no charge.
Cons
- Standard is $183.01 more than the FreeTaxUSA one-state total, which is a lot when the books are already clean.
- Rentals, K-1s, three or more states, and a tax-pro meeting sit on Premium at $399 a year, not on Standard.
What it is
Self-employed tax software prepares Form 1040 with Schedule C and Schedule SE, then e-files the federal return and, if you pay for it, the state return. It fits a freelancer or contractor, and it is the wrong shelf once the entity is an S corp that needs a preparer.
The IRS states that the self-employment tax rate is 15.3%, split into 12.4% for Social Security and 2.9% for Medicare, on its self-employment tax page (last reviewed June 27, 2026).
The software's job is to put net profit on Schedule C and compute that tax.
How we compared: seven vendor sites, read on October 16, 2026, ranked for one person with 1099 income and business expenses who files one state.
We used the cheapest product on each site that the vendor says covers that return, and we left off optional audit plans and expert add-ons. We read pricing pages and form lists rather than preparing a return in any of them, and the order is explained on how we rate.
Why it matters
Price the same return on each site and the spread is the story. One federal return plus one state, with expenses on Schedule C and no add-ons, lands at FreeTaxUSA's state fee, $122.98 on TaxSlayer Self-Employed, $174.98 on TaxAct Self-Employed, and $179 on H&R Block Self-Employed.
Cash App Taxes charges nothing for both returns when you file inside the app, which helps only if you will use that login. TurboTax DIY Premium bills federal alone and adds state at filing, so the one-state total waits until checkout.
That H&R Block total is $163.01 more than FreeTaxUSA for the same shape of return.
The extra money buys live tax pros inside the product, and it does not buy a different Schedule C. A filer who only needs the form should skip that live-help premium.
Two cheaper tiers look like self-employed products and then stop at income.
TurboTax Deluxe, at $79 federal, includes Schedule C income only, and the expense side is Premium, so mileage, a home office, or supplies are where it fails. H&R Block draws the same line: Deluxe can report Schedule C income when there are no expenses to deduct, and those deductions need Self-Employed.
Later price changes on these tiers get a one-line note in the Finpresso brief.
Key features to look for
Pricing
Every dollar below was read on the vendor's own page on October 16, 2026: FreeTaxUSA pricing, Cash App Taxes, TaxSlayer products, TaxAct Self-Employed, H&R Block online filing, TurboTax DIY Premium, TurboTax discontinued products, and Keeper pricing.
The one-state totals above add those federal and state lines into the bill a single filer pays.
FreeTaxUSA is the odd price card: Basic, Advanced, Premium, and Self-Employed share one federal price, and the state return does not rise because you have a business.
TaxSlayer is the other odd card, because Classic covers any tax situation and Self-Employed is only the guidance on top. H&R Block and TurboTax do the opposite: the expense lines on Schedule C are what push you off Deluxe.
Optional charges change the ranking if you buy them.
FreeTaxUSA Pro Support sits apart from Deluxe Support, TaxAct's expert chat is $45, and H&R Block's pro review is its own product. TurboTax may add a $40 fee if you pay the software charge out of a refund. None of those charges are inside the one-state totals.
Bookkeeping through the year is a different bill from the night you file.
Mileage and receipts belong in a ledger such as our QuickBooks Solopreneur review.
Invoices are covered in invoicing software for freelancers, and a human bookkeeper is a separate shortlist in online bookkeeping services.
| Plan | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| FreeTaxUSA federal, any situation | Free | Includes self-employed forms, Schedule C, and Schedule SE |
| FreeTaxUSA state return | $15.99 | Current-year state return, same price on every federal situation |
| FreeTaxUSA Deluxe Support | $7.99 | Optional support add-on, separate from the state return |
| FreeTaxUSA Audit Defense | $19.99 | Optional audit add-on on the pricing card |
| FreeTaxUSA prior-year state | $17.99 | State return for a prior year, above the current-year state fee |
| FreeTaxUSA pay fees from refund | $24.99 | Extra charge if filing fees are taken from the refund |
| Cash App Taxes, federal and state | $0 | Includes 1099 and self-employed returns; requires a Cash App account |
| TaxSlayer Simply Free | Free | One state included; simple 1040 situations only, not a Schedule C product |
| TaxSlayer Classic | $44.99 federal | All forms, credits, and deductions, so Classic already covers a Schedule C |
| TaxSlayer Self-Employed | $74.99 federal | Adds Schedule C guidance, a self-employed guide, and quarterly reminders |
| TaxSlayer state return | $47.99 | Per state on Classic, Premium, and Self-Employed |
| TaxAct Deluxe | $59.99 federal | Home, family, and HSA situations; state billed separately |
| TaxAct Premier | $99.99 federal | Investments, home sale, and rental income; state billed separately |
| TaxAct Self-Employed | $109.99 federal | Contract, freelance, and rideshare income, plus depreciation tools |
| TaxAct state, Self-Employed | $64.99 per state | State charge on the self-employed tier, billed for each state you file |
| TaxAct Xpert Assist | $45 | Unlimited expert chat, added after the return is started |
| TaxAct new-customer banner | $55 total | Federal and state for new customers who file by May 1 |
| H&R Block Free Online | Free | Simple Form 1040 only; Schedule C income is excluded |
| H&R Block Deluxe | $65 federal | Schedule C income when there are no business expenses to deduct |
| H&R Block Premium | $105 federal | Investments and rental income; state fee matches the other paid tiers |
| H&R Block Self-Employed | $130 federal | Business expenses, with unlimited expert help included |
| H&R Block state | $49 per state | Added on Deluxe, Premium, Self-Employed, and Tax Pro Review |
| H&R Block Self-Employed + Tax Pro Review | $225 federal | You prepare the return, then a pro reviews it |
| TurboTax Free Edition | Free | Simple Form 1040 only; about 37% of taxpayers qualify |
| TurboTax Deluxe | $79 federal | Schedule C income only; the expense side of the schedule is not included |
| TurboTax DIY Premium | $139 federal | Entire Schedule C, investments, and rentals; state billed at filing |
| TurboTax pay-from-refund fee | $40 | May apply when the software fee is taken from a refund |
| Keeper Bookkeeping Only | $20/mo | Expense tracking and deductions, with no tax filing |
| Keeper bookkeeping, 12 months | $240 | A year of bookkeeping with no return, the figure set beside Standard |
| Keeper Standard | $199/yr | Year-round books, federal filing, and up to two state returns signed by a tax pro |
| Keeper Standard, monthly equivalent | $16.58/mo | The yearly Standard plan expressed per month, the same plan as the yearly price |
| Keeper Premium | $399/yr | Adds quarterly taxes, audit protection, rentals, K-1s, and a meeting with a tax pro |
| Keeper Business | $1,199/yr | S corp and partnership filing, plus a year-end book review |
The bottom line
Start with FreeTaxUSA when the job is a Schedule C and one state. The federal return stays free, the self-employed forms are included, and the state fee is the whole required charge, which is the right trade when you do not need a person on the line.
Use Cash App Taxes when both returns at no charge matter more than a standalone tax site and you will log in through Cash App.
Move to TaxSlayer Classic when you want a paid product that includes every form without the self-employed upsell, and to Self-Employed on that same page when you want the Schedule C guide.
Choose H&R Block Self-Employed when live tax pros should be in the price.
Choose TurboTax DIY Premium when you want the successor to Self-Employed and you have accepted a federal price above several competitors' federal-plus-state totals.
Choose Keeper Standard when the missing piece is the books, not the e-file button.
Profiles for H&R Block, Keeper, and Cash App Taxes sit on Toolradar next to the three linked above.
A crypto gain on the same return is a separate worksheet: see the Koinly review before you assume the filing product imported every wallet. A free ledger, if you need one beside the return, is in free accounting software.
Cite this: Finpresso, "Best Tax Software for the Self-Employed in 2026", October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best tax software for the self-employed in 2026?
How much does tax software for the self-employed cost?
Is there free tax software for self-employed filers?
TurboTax or H&R Block for a self-employed return?
Does FreeTaxUSA include Schedule C?
Can I deduct business expenses on the cheaper TurboTax or H&R Block plan?
Is Keeper tax software or bookkeeping?
Some offers on this page may be paid placements or contain affiliate links.
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