TurboTax is dangling a familiar bargain for people willing to deal with taxes before the deadline panic sets in: discounted federal filing, referral credits and a free tier for eligible simple returns. According to WIRED’s coupon listing, the offers apply to U.S. TurboTax products, not Canadian TurboTax customers.
The main consumer offer is an extra 10% off TurboTax federal online tax filings. WIRED says the listed price includes W-2 and Form 1040 support, while state returns cost extra. That distinction matters because “file for cheap” often means “file federal for cheap,” with the state bill arriving later like a small bureaucratic jump scare.
TurboTax sells several versions of the same basic promise. Its self-service product is for people who want to file online themselves. TurboTax Live Assisted adds access to tax experts while the user still does the filing. TurboTax Full Service hands the return to a tax professional, who prepares it and reviews it with the customer before filing, according to WIRED.
What the discounts cover
WIRED says TurboTax Live Assisted is also covered by a 10% discount, with options starting at $36. For users who want to hand the work to a professional, WIRED lists a temporary cap of $150 for the higher-touch service. TurboTax says price estimates are based on the initial tax information, uploaded forms and expected schedules supplied by the customer. The final price is set at print or electronic filing and can change based on the actual return.
TurboTax’s referral program is the bigger percentage cut, but with more conditions. According to TurboTax referral terms cited by WIRED, a new customer using a referral link can receive 20% off preparation and filing for a federal tax return or business federal tax return through TurboTax Online or TurboTax Live through October 31. The person who sent the link receives a $25 gift card for each friend who files, up to $500, with the email for the gift card or charitable donation arriving within 45 days of purchase.
TurboTax says restrictions apply to Free Edition, Intuit TurboTax Verified Pro, state returns, CD and download products, and add-ons.
Business and free-filing options
For small business users, WIRED lists two separate offers. Customers who file business tax returns with TurboTax can get 20% off one 2025 personal federal tax return. WIRED also lists 10% off Business Expert Full Service and Expert Assist for small business owners, limited to federal TurboTax products and excluding state products.
TurboTax Free Edition remains the cheapest option for people who qualify. WIRED says about 37% of taxpayers qualify. TurboTax limits that product to simple Form 1040 returns, with no schedules except Earned Income Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, student loan interest and Schedule 1-A. The offer covers $0 federal and $0 state filing.
Military members can also file qualifying federal and state returns for free, according to WIRED, under similar limits on schedules.
TurboTax service codes are different from public coupons. WIRED says they are unique, single-use codes usually issued by customer support for technical or billing problems, entered in the “I have a service code” field before payment.
TurboTax also offers free tools including a Tax Refund Calculator and Tax Bracket Calculator. WIRED notes TurboTax advertises accuracy and maximum-refund guarantees, plus W-2 photo upload and Intuit Assist for tax questions. Those are company claims, not a reason to skip checking the return before filing.
This story draws on original reporting from WIRED.
