TurboTax Self Employed
Corporate tax software
Accounting & finance software
- Features
- Ease of use
- Ease of management
- Quality of support
- Affordability
- Market presence
Take the quiz to check if TurboTax Self Employed and its alternatives fit your requirements.
$99 per federal return
Free Trial unavailableFree version unavailable
Small
Medium
Large
- Arts, entertainment, and recreation
- Professional services (engineering, legal, consulting, etc.)
- Accommodation and food services
What is TurboTax Self Employed
TurboTax Self-Employed is a U.S. tax preparation software package designed for freelancers, independent contractors, and sole proprietors filing individual returns that include self-employment income and expenses. It guides users through income reporting, expense categorization, and common self-employment tax forms and schedules, with optional add-ons such as expert assistance and audit support. The product emphasizes an interview-style workflow and integrates with select financial data sources to reduce manual entry.
Guided self-employment workflows
The product provides an interview-driven filing experience tailored to common self-employment scenarios such as 1099 income, business expenses, and home office deductions. It helps users complete relevant IRS forms and schedules typically associated with sole proprietorships. This approach reduces the need for deep tax-form knowledge compared with more form-centric tax tools.
Expense and income import options
TurboTax Self-Employed supports importing certain financial data (for example, from accounting or banking sources supported by Intuit’s ecosystem) to prefill parts of the return. This can reduce rekeying and improve consistency between bookkeeping records and tax filing. The import capability is useful for users who already track transactions digitally rather than in spreadsheets.
Optional expert and support add-ons
Users can purchase access to tax experts and additional support services depending on the plan and season offerings. This provides a path for escalation when the guided workflow is insufficient for a specific situation. The availability of assisted options can be helpful for self-employed filers who want software-led preparation with human review or Q&A.
Not for complex entities
The product targets individual filers with self-employment activity and is not designed as a primary solution for corporations, partnerships, or more complex multi-entity structures. Businesses needing entity-level returns or advanced compliance workflows typically require different products. This limits suitability for growing organizations that move beyond sole proprietorship filing.
Pricing varies by add-ons
Total cost can increase when users add expert help, audit-related services, or state filings, depending on the package selected. This can make budgeting harder compared with tools that bundle more services into a single fixed price. Users should review what is included in the specific edition for the tax year.
U.S.-centric tax coverage
TurboTax Self-Employed is built around U.S. federal and state tax rules and is not intended for multi-country tax compliance. Cross-border self-employment, foreign income reporting, or non-U.S. filing needs may require specialized guidance or different software. This can be a constraint for globally distributed contractors or taxpayers with international complexity.
Plan & Pricing
| Plan | Price | Key features & notes |
|---|---|---|
| TurboTax Do It Yourself Premium (formerly "Self‑Employed") | $99 federal (current offer; was $139 list) — State filing fees additional | Do-it-yourself product for freelancers, 1099-NEC/1099-K, rental & investment income; Snap & auto-fill for 1099s; "Start for free / Pay only when you file". |
| TurboTax Expert Assist Premium (formerly Live "Self‑Employed") | $159 federal (current offer; was $209 list) — State filing fees additional | Prepare your own return with unlimited expert advice and final expert review prior to filing; includes self‑employed and investment support; "Start for free / Pay only when you file". |
| TurboTax Expert Full Service (forms‑based, expert does your taxes) | Forms‑based pricing; Full Service Federal Return Base: $89 (early season) / $119 (late season) / $129 (after Apr 1) — State return: $49/$64/$69 (seasonal) | Expert prepares and files your return. Final price depends on forms used; estimates provided before an expert starts. See full-service forms price list for per‑form charges and details. |
Notes: All prices shown on the site are stated as "Federal" prices and indicate "State additional." TurboTax Online uses "Start for free / Pay only when you file" pricing—final price may vary by product, timing (seasonal offers), and actual tax forms used. Prices and offers are subject to change per the vendor site.
Seller details
Intuit Inc.
Mountain View, CA, USA
1983
Public
https://www.intuit.com/
https://x.com/intuit
https://www.linkedin.com/company/intuit/
