Filing a federal tax return means reporting your income to the IRS, calculating what you owe (or what’s owed to you), and submitting the return by the April 15 deadline. You can file electronically using free or paid software, work with a tax professional, or mail paper forms. The process comes down to four steps: gathering your documents, choosing a filing method, completing and submitting your return, and tracking your refund or paying your balance.
Gather Your Documents First
Before you open any software or sit down with a preparer, pull together everything you’ll need. Missing a form means either filing an incomplete return or scrambling to track it down mid-process. Most employers and financial institutions mail or post these documents by the end of January.
Personal information: Your Social Security number (or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number) for yourself and anyone else on the return, your bank account and routing numbers for direct deposit, and your adjusted gross income from last year’s return. If the IRS issued you an Identity Protection PIN, have that ready too.
Income forms: W-2s from employers, 1099-NEC forms if you did freelance or contract work, 1099-INT for bank interest, 1099-DIV for dividends, 1099-R for retirement distributions, SSA-1099 for Social Security benefits, 1099-G for unemployment or other government payments, 1099-K for payments through online marketplaces or payment apps, and W-2G for gambling winnings. If you bought, sold, or traded cryptocurrency or other digital assets, gather those transaction records even if you didn’t receive a formal tax form.
Deduction and credit records: If you plan to itemize deductions instead of taking the standard deduction, you’ll need mortgage interest statements, property tax records, charitable donation receipts, and records of qualifying medical expenses. Whether or not you itemize, collect receipts for education expenses, childcare costs, health savings account contributions, and retirement contributions, since these can qualify for credits or above-the-line deductions. If you received health insurance through the Marketplace, you’ll need Form 1095-A to reconcile any premium tax credits.
Self-employment records: If you run a side business or work for yourself, bring together all income records (bank statements, payment app summaries, checks), plus receipts for deductible expenses like office supplies, mileage, and travel. Also note any estimated tax payments you made during the year.
Choose How to File
You have several options, ranging from completely free to several hundred dollars. The right choice depends on your income, the complexity of your return, and how comfortable you are preparing it yourself.
IRS Free File
If your adjusted gross income is $89,000 or less, you can use guided tax preparation software at no cost through the IRS Free File program. These are brand-name tax software products offered free to qualifying taxpayers, but you must start your return from the IRS Free File page on IRS.gov to get free access. Going directly to a software company’s website may route you into a paid product instead.
If your income is above $89,000, you can still use IRS Free File Fillable Forms, which are electronic versions of paper tax forms. These don’t walk you through the process with questions the way guided software does, so they work best if you’re comfortable reading IRS instructions and doing the math yourself.
Volunteer Tax Preparation (VITA and TCE)
If you earn $69,000 or less, have a disability, are 60 or older, or need help in another language, IRS-certified volunteers will prepare and file your return for free. The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) programs operate at community centers, libraries, and other local sites during tax season. You can find a location through the IRS website.
Tax Preparation Software
Commercial tax software like TurboTax, H&R Block, and TaxAct walks you through your return with interview-style questions, then files electronically on your behalf. Basic versions for simple returns may cost nothing or relatively little, while versions that handle investments, rental income, or self-employment income typically run $50 to $150 or more. State returns often cost extra.
Tax Professionals
A certified public accountant, enrolled agent, or other tax professional can prepare and file your return for you. This is the most expensive option but can be worthwhile if you have a complicated financial situation, such as owning rental properties, running a business, or dealing with major life changes like a divorce or inheritance. Fees vary widely depending on where you live and the complexity of your return.
Paper Forms
You can still download or order paper forms from the IRS, fill them out by hand, and mail them in. Paper returns take significantly longer to process than electronic returns, often several weeks longer for a refund. The IRS strongly encourages electronic filing, and roughly 90% of individual returns are now filed that way.
MilTax
Active-duty and reserve military members, including the U.S. Coast Guard, and certain veterans can prepare and e-file their federal return and up to five state returns for free through MilTax, a Department of Defense program. There’s no income limit.
Complete and Submit Your Return
If you’re using software, the program will ask you questions about your life, income, and expenses, then populate the correct tax forms behind the scenes. You’ll enter information from your W-2s, 1099s, and other documents as prompted. The software calculates your tax, applies the standard deduction or your itemized deductions, and checks for credits you may qualify for.
Once everything is entered, review the summary carefully. Check that your Social Security number, filing status, and bank account information are correct. Small errors in these fields are one of the most common causes of delayed refunds. When you’re satisfied, submit electronically. You’ll typically receive a confirmation from the IRS within 24 to 48 hours that your return was accepted.
If you’re mailing a paper return, double-check your math, sign and date the return, and make sure it’s postmarked by the filing deadline. Your return counts as on time if it’s properly addressed and postmarked by the due date, even if it arrives at the IRS later.
Key Deadlines
The federal filing deadline for individual tax returns is April 15, 2026. If that date falls on a weekend or legal holiday, the deadline shifts to the next business day.
If you can’t finish your return by April 15, you can request an automatic six-month extension by filing Form 4868 before the original deadline. This gives you until October 15 to submit your return. However, an extension to file is not an extension to pay. You still need to estimate what you owe and pay it by April 15 to avoid interest and late-payment penalties. If you end up owing more than you paid, the IRS will charge interest on the unpaid balance starting from the original deadline.
After You File
If you’re expecting a refund, the fastest way to receive it is by choosing direct deposit when you file electronically. Most refunds for e-filed returns with direct deposit arrive within 21 days. Paper returns and paper checks take longer. You can check the status of your refund using the “Where’s My Refund?” tool on IRS.gov or the IRS2Go mobile app, usually within 24 hours of e-filing.
If you owe taxes, you can pay electronically through IRS Direct Pay (free, directly from a bank account), by debit or credit card (processing fees apply), or by mailing a check with a payment voucher. If you can’t pay the full amount, the IRS offers short-term and long-term payment plans. A short-term plan gives you up to 180 days with no setup fee. Long-term installment agreements let you pay monthly, though setup fees and interest apply.
Keep a copy of your completed return and all supporting documents for at least three years. The IRS generally has three years to audit a return, though that window extends to six years if you underreport income by more than 25%.