Nino vs IRS Free File

Choose Nino when you would rather hand your taxes to a CPA than prepare them yourself, or when your return includes equity, rentals, crypto, or more than one state. On Nino’s Advisor plans, a CPA prepares and files your federal and state returns, handles tax planning all year, and builds your financial plan.

No. The IRS told states that Direct File would not be available in the 2026 filing season and that no future launch date had been set. IRS Free File and Free File Fillable Forms are still available.

Filers with an adjusted gross income of $89,000 or less can use a Free File partner’s software at no cost. Each partner sets its own age, income, and state rules, and some include a free state return.

Electronic versions of IRS paper forms, free at any income. They do basic calculations but ask no interview questions, offer no guidance, cover the current-year federal return only, and do not support state or amended returns.

Yes, if you qualify. IRS-certified volunteers in the VITA and TCE programs prepare basic returns for free, and TCE focuses on people 60 and older. Each site sets its own eligibility. They prepare returns but do not offer ongoing tax or financial planning.