Chime Taxes Review 2025: Pros, Cons, And Alternatives

Chime is a financial technology company best known for its banking services, including checking and savings accounts with almost no fees, a credit builder credit card, and built-in tools to help you manage your money responsibly. 

However, Chime has expanded its offerings to include tax filing software that is free for all users, one of only two we know of. 

While it’s not the easiest-to-use or most robust tax filing option, it’s an excellent choice, particularly for the price. After all, you can’t beat free! Here’s a look at how Chime Taxes works so you can decide if it makes sense for your 2024 taxes (filed in 2025).

Also, check out our annual list of the best tax software to compare with other top picks for tax prep.

Unlike nearly all competitors, Chime Taxes is really free. There are no upsells, upgrades, premium tiers, paid support, or any other charges. It’s 100% free to use.

The only catch is that you need a Chime account to use Chime Taxes. But given Chime is one of our favorite online bank accounts, this is an incredible value-add that makes a Chime account even more compelling.

Learn more about Chime’s banking offerings here.

This is our first year reviewing Chime Taxes. If you’re moving to Chime for tax preparation, here are some of the most important features to know about.

Chime partners with april and Column Tax on the back end. These companies do the heavy lifting to calculate your taxes and submit your return to the IRS.

While it supports most tax situations, it doesn’t appear to have full support rental properties, some form K-1 limitations, multiple states, and several other less common scenarios. These are similar limitations to Cash App Taxes, the other major free tax software options.

Regardless, Chime Taxes will cover most people’s tax situations. And with no fees, it’s a bargain.

If you’re unsure about Chime for your taxes, you can see all our picks for Best Tax Software here.

For typical tax filing needs, Chime is easy to use. It supports PDF uploads for W-2 forms, and it’s easy enough to enter 1099 details for a wide range of situations.

If you’re an active stock or cryptocurrency trader, however, you may find the 1099 process cumbersome. For these tax filers, it may be worth paying extra to use TurboTax, which can download tax data directly from investment firms, or H&R Block, which is better suited to handle uploaded investment details for taxes.

However, if you have a traditional job and a few basic 1099s, inputting your tax details and filing an accurate return should be fairly easy and straightforward.

Here are what I consider to be Chime Tax’s some top features:

It’s Free Tax Software

As we mentioned several times above, the best feature is the cost. It’s free. You won’t ever pay to use Chime Taxes, even if you have complicated self-employment income, extensive investments, itemized deductions, or anything else.

While you can’t get live support, Chime doesn’t try to upsell you more expensive services. You should be good to go if you’re generally confident about filing your own taxes. 

Access Mobile Support with the Chime App

Some tax software only works on desktop or laptop computers through the web or a downloaded app. Chime Taxes works through the Chime mobile app, which you likely already have installed if you have Chime for banking.

Broad Support for Common Tax Situations

Chime Taxes can handle most common tax situations, including W-2 and 1099 income, investments, and nearly any deduction or credit. Investments include taxable stock market accounts, cryptocurrency accounts, and retirement accounts.

Related:
How Taxes On Cryptocurrencies Like Bitcoin Work

While it’s free, it’s not as easy to use Chime Taxes as some leading competitors.

Less Automatic Tax Data

Some competing apps offer an easier experience when you need to import lots of data, such as PDF imports for all your 1099s or connecting to bank and investment accounts to automatically download tax data.

A Few Unsupported Situations

Certain situations may not be supported, including filing taxes in multiple states, non-resident tax returns, adoption credits, and taxable refunds reported on Form 1099-G.

While these may not apply to most tax filers, some people (like those in New York and New Jersey) may need to file in multiple states.

Chime Taxes has a simple pricing and plan structure. If you have a Chime account, it’s free. That’s it!

The only other completely free tax software we know of is Cash App Taxes. Previously Credit Karma Tax, it’s now owned by Square, the popular payments provider and company behind Cash App.

Here is a list of Cash App Taxes features, along with some leading paid tax software options:

Support is very limited with Chime Taxes. It’s primarily a self-service app. There are no upgrades for premium technical support or tax advice. You’re essentially on your own and should plan to follow built-in guides and third-party tax resources if you’re using Chime Taxes.

Chime and its backend providers utilize industry best practices to keep your data secure. As with any online financial app, it’s imperative that you use a unique password and follow other cybersecurity best practices, such as using a trusted virus scanner and keeping your system updated, to ensure the safest possible experience.

Why Should You Trust Us?

The College Investor team spent years reviewing all of the top tax filing options, and our team has personal experience with the majority of tax software tools. I have been the lead tax software reviewer since 2022, and have compared most of the major companies on the marketplace.

Our editor-in-chief Robert Farrington has been trying and testing tax software tools since 2011 and has tried almost every tax filing product. Furthermore, our team has created reviews and video walk-throughs of all of the major tax preparation companies, which you can find on our YouTube channel.

We’re tax DIYers and want a good deal, just like you. We work hard to offer informed and honest opinions on every product we test.

How Was This Product Tested?

We reviewed the features and capabilities of Chime Taxes and investigated backend software providers to get a complete and full view of how Chime Taxes works.

We also validated the pricing options and support options and compared them to new offerings by competitors.

If you already have Chime bank accounts and straightforward tax filing needs, using Chime Taxes is a no-brainer. It’s free and easy to use, making it a good choice for Chime customers.

For those who don’t bank with Chime, you have to decide if free tax preparation makes it worth signing up. We like Chime anyway, but deciding to sign up for a new account isn’t easy for everyone. Remember, you don’t have to make it your primary bank to use Chime Taxes.

Here are some common questions about Chime Taxes:

Is Chime Taxes Free?

Chime Taxes is free for all users. There are no paid upgrades or tiers. All tax situations are included.

Can Chime Taxes help me file my crypto investments?

Yes, Chime supports investments, including cryptocurrencies. For complex crypto accounts and wallets, you may need a third-party software like CoinTracker.

Does Chime offer refund advance loans?

Chime Taxes doesn’t offer refund advance loans. However, due to the nature of its direct deposit settings, you may be able to access your refund up to six days earlier than with traditional banks.