You pick a TurboTax version based on how complicated your 2025 tax return is (income types, investments, rental, self‑employment), not based on refund size.

Quick Scoop: Which TurboTax Do You Need?

Here’s the general rule of thumb for U.S. TurboTax online for tax year 2025 (filed in 2026).

1. TurboTax Free (Simple return only)

Choose this if ALL apply:

  • You only have W‑2 income (one or a few jobs).
  • You take the standard deduction (no itemizing Schedule A).
  • No investment sales, no rental property, no business income.
  • You might have simple credits like:
    • Child Tax Credit
    • Earned Income Credit
    • Student loan interest deduction

If your situation is “I just worked a job or two and nothing fancy,” this is usually enough.

2. Deluxe – Itemizing & Common Deductions

Choose Deluxe if:

  • You want to itemize deductions (Schedule A), such as:
    • Mortgage interest
    • Property taxes
    • Big charitable donations
    • Large medical expenses (over the threshold)
  • You don’t have investment sales, rental property, or real business expenses.

This is often the “middle” option for typical homeowners who don’t run a business.

3. Premium – Investments, Rental, Side Hustles

TurboTax has combined some tiers; today’s Premium covers what used to be Premier + Self‑Employed in many cases.

Pick Premium if you have ANY of these:

  • Sold stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, crypto, or employee stock (ESPP, RSUs, stock options).
  • Rental property income or expenses (Schedule E).
  • K‑1 income (partnerships, S‑corps, trusts).
  • Self‑employment / freelance / side‑gig income and real expenses:
    • Uber/Lyft, DoorDash, Instacart, etc.
    • Consulting or freelance work
    • Home office deductions
  • You want to import lots of transactions, especially investments or crypto (Premium allows large crypto imports).

If you’re wondering “I sold some stock and also have a side gig — is that too complex for Deluxe?” → Yes, go Premium.

Simple Self‑Check: A Quick “Which TurboTax Do I Need?” Flow

Answer these in order:

  1. Do you have only W‑2 income, standard deduction, and no investments, rental, or business?
    • Yes → TurboTax Free.
  1. Do you want to itemize (mortgage interest, property taxes, big donations), but have no stock sales, rental, or business?
    • Yes → TurboTax Deluxe.
  1. Did you sell investments/crypto or own rental property, or have self‑employment with expenses?
    • Yes → TurboTax Premium.

If you’re still unsure, imagine telling a friend your situation in one sentence. If that sentence includes “sold stock,” “rental,” “my business,” or “side hustle with write‑offs,” Premium is usually the safe pick.

Common Situations Table (HTML)

Below is an at‑a‑glance guide for “which TurboTax do I need” based on typical situations.

html

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Your Situation</th>
      <th>Likely TurboTax Version</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>Single, only W‑2 job, no itemizing, no investments</td>
      <td>Free</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Married, W‑2s only, own a home, want to deduct mortgage interest and property tax</td>
      <td>Deluxe</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Sold some stocks or ETFs in a brokerage account</td>
      <td>Premium</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Own a rental property with rent and expenses</td>
      <td>Premium</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Drive for Uber/Lyft or do DoorDash and track mileage/expenses</td>
      <td>Premium</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Freelancer with 1099‑NEC income and business write‑offs</td>
      <td>Premium</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Only Social Security and maybe a small pension, no itemizing</td>
      <td>Free or Deluxe (depends if you itemize)</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

Pricing & Trends (2026 Filing Season)

  • TurboTax is on the pricier side compared with some competitors, which is why forums often suggest alternatives like FreeTaxUSA for more budget‑conscious filers.
  • Current tiers usually range from free for simple returns up to around $139 for federal Premium, plus extra for each state return.
  • A big selling point is the polished interface, helpful questions, and features like W‑2/1099 import and AI‑style help (Intuit Assist).

Quick Story Example

Imagine Alex:

  • Works a full‑time W‑2 job.
  • Started investing and sold some ETFs in 2025.
  • Drives for DoorDash on weekends and writes off mileage.

At first Alex clicks “maximize deductions and credits” and wonders if Deluxe is enough, but they see questions about investments, rental, and self‑employment and realize: stock sales + gig income with expenses = Premium is the right fit.

If You Tell Me Your Situation…

If you share a brief rundown of your income sources (W‑2, 1099, investments, rental, etc.), whether you itemize, and your state, I can map you to a specific TurboTax version more precisely, and flag if a cheaper competitor may fit just as well.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.