You can file free if you fit the criteria the IRS has negotiated with the various providers. Did you look through all of them? There are usually several options to consider.

You can fill out the online IRS forms so they all have a nice clear typed appearance. Those PDF forms are addressable (save them, then fill them in, before you print them out). Be sure to save them somewhere safe, and not on the computer. My stolen computer (in 2005) contained completely filled out tax returns and there wasn't a safeguard to keep anyone from them. I won't make that mistake again, and four years out, I hope that hard drive is long-since dead somewhere.

I might be able to file free this year, but I haven't approached any of the software yet. I don't like how some of them calculate the information and make you fill everything in online before moving forward. I like to do the math myself and see what's up before I approach the programs.

SRS