Tax software for gig drivers, compared
All three of these handle Schedule C and self-employment tax — the difference is what you pay for that support, and only one number below was checked directly against the vendor's own page. TurboTax's self-employed tier (sold this year as "Premium") is $139 for federal filing, confirmed directly on turbotax.intuit.com. FreeTaxUSA and H&R Block's prices below come from third-party aggregators, not verified against freetaxusa.com or hrblock.com directly this pass — check both before relying on the exact figure.
What each one actually costs
| Federal filing | State filing | Schedule C / SE included? | Price verified how | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TurboTax (sold as "Premium") | $139 | Priced separately, not checked this pass | Yes, at this tier | Checked directly against turbotax.intuit.com |
| FreeTaxUSA | $0 | ~$14.99 (reported consistently across several tax-comparison sites) | Yes, included free | Aggregator-sourced only — freetaxusa.com returned an error when checked directly |
| H&R Block (Self-Employed tier) | ~$85 (reported range: $85–$115 depending on source) | ~$37 (aggregator-reported) | Yes, at this tier | Aggregator-sourced only — hrblock.com returned an error when checked directly |
Don't take the H&R Block or FreeTaxUSA numbers as final — they come from third-party tax-comparison sites rather than the vendors' own pages this pass, and tax software pricing is well known to shift as the filing deadline approaches. TurboTax's number is the one to trust here, because it's the one actually pulled from TurboTax's own site.
What actually matters for a gig driver, beyond price
All three support Schedule C and Schedule SE — the forms that turn your gig earnings and mileage deduction into net profit and self-employment tax. None of them will fill in your mileage total for you; that number comes from your own log, however you keep it. What a defensible mileage log needs.
None of them apply the 2026 two-rate mileage split automatically unless you enter dated trips correctly. A single annual mileage total, entered as one number, will be calculated at whichever single rate the software defaults to — which is wrong for 2026, when 72.5 cents applies through June and 76 cents applies from July. The full two-rate explainer.
Free tiers gate self-employment income more often than they gate mileage entry. FreeTaxUSA is the exception in this set — its free tier includes Schedule C — which is why it's the cheapest verified option for a straightforward single-1099 return.
None of these three are a CPA, and for most gig drivers that's fine. When the difference actually matters, and what a CPA costs instead.
General information, not tax advice, and not an endorsement of any product. Prices, tiers and what's included in each change during tax season — verify directly on each vendor's own site before paying for one, the same discipline this page tried (and partly failed, for two of the three) to apply itself.
More in this section
- State taxes: where the federal answer stops being the whole answer
- Tips: what gets reported, what you owe, and the cash question
- Standard mileage rate or actual expenses?
- Uber and Lyft mileage deduction in 2026
- Uber Eats mileage deduction in 2026
- What's actually included in the IRS standard mileage rate?
About MileTruth
MileTruth is an iOS app from Baker Ventures LLC that tracks deductible business mileage for gig and delivery drivers and shows true net pay: what is left after mileage, fuel and self-employment tax, not what the platform showed you at acceptance. It is built for people driving several platforms in the same shift, and for anyone who needs a mileage log that would hold up if the IRS asked for it. The app is in development.
Everything on this site is free and needs no account: the mileage deduction calculator, the per-platform pay breakdowns, and the answers, each one linked to the IRS publication or platform document it came from. MileTruth publishes the source for every number, including the 2026 split-year standard mileage rate, because a deduction you cannot substantiate is not a deduction.
Questions and answers
Does free tax software handle Schedule C for gig drivers?
FreeTaxUSA is the notable exception in this comparison — it includes Schedule C and Schedule SE (self-employment tax) in its free federal filing, charging only for state filing. TurboTax and H&R Block both gate self-employment forms behind a paid tier.
What does TurboTax cost for a gig driver with 1099 income?
TurboTax's self-employed-capable tier (currently sold as "Premium") is $139 for federal filing, verified directly against TurboTax's own pricing page. State filing is priced separately and was not part of this check — confirm it on the same page before filing.
Is FreeTaxUSA actually free for gig drivers?
Federal filing is free, including Schedule C and Schedule SE. State filing is a separate, paid add-on. The exact state price should be re-checked at freetaxusa.com at filing time, since this page's figure was not independently re-verified against FreeTaxUSA's own site this pass.
Which is cheapest for a simple gig-driving return?
For a single 1099, no employees and no unusual deductions, FreeTaxUSA is the cheapest verified option here because its Schedule C support is included free — only the state return costs anything. More complex situations (multiple states, prior-year amendments, live CPA help) may favor a paid tier instead.
MileTruth. “Tax software for gig drivers, compared.” Baker Ventures LLC, September 13, 2026. https://miletruth.bakerventuresstudio.com/answers/tax-software-for-gig-drivers/