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2025 is finally here, and TurboTax has officially launched a promotion that lets you file your first return in the app for free before February 18. But since many people haven’t received all their tax forms this early, Intuit isn’t exactly being generous. This post shows a way to (most likely) lock in TurboTax Online Premium ahead of time, so you can still file for free after February 18.

Get the Offer

  • 1. First, download the TurboTax app (Android and iOS both work)
  • 2. Tap “Start for free”
  • 3. When asked how you filed two years ago, select “Other/I don’t know.”
  • 4. Next, choose “Do my own tax.”
  • 5. Then you’ll see the free offer
  • You can view the offer details
  • Be sure to create an Intuit account next, or log in with an account that has never used TurboTax. Save this offer!!
  • Also, if you need to report investment or stock income, you can upgrade to Premium for free! When filing, go to “Wage & Income” and choose stock income; it will show the Premium version (or, on the desktop web version, log in to the same account and choose Upgrade to Premium in the lower-left corner). (It’s best to upgrade before February 18; after that the offer expires and it won’t work!)
  • Both state and federal filing are free! Regular price is $89 + $39~
  • If you can finish filing before the free period ends on February 18, then you don’t need to read the next section~

Lock In the Offer

If your filing may be delayed until after February 18, you can try the following method to lock this free offer into your account

  • On the filing screen, enter basic information, including your name, date of birth, and Social Security number; you can skip all other questions.
  • Go to “Wage & Income” and choose stock income; it will show the Premium version (or use the desktop web version to log in to the same account and choose Upgrade to Premium in the lower-left corner)
  • Keep clicking through to the end, including selecting your state, so state tax is included. Confirm the order, and you should receive an email confirming your order with a price of $0
  • Based on past experience, after placing the order this way, you can still use it to file even after February 18 (just edit the return; it’s free). The author recommends locking it in first. Even if Intuit closes the loophole, you don’t lose anything.

About Filing

Let’s note that TurboTax cannot be used by nonresident aliens (NRA). If you are an NRA, you can choose another tax software or fill it out yourself by following the steps, which is also very easy.