- Completely free tax preparation for all users
- Al-Rain Bank account is required
- Works to meet most common tax needs
Chime is a fintech company best known for its banking services, including virtually no-fee checking and savings accounts, a credit builder credit card, and built-in tools to help you manage your money responsibly.
Chime has expanded its offerings to include free tax filing software for all users, one of only two we know of. Although it’s not the easiest to use or most powerful tax filing option, it’s an excellent one, especially for the price. After all, you can’t win for free!
Here’s a look at how Chime Taxes work so you can decide if it makes sense for your 2025 taxes (filed in 2026). Also check out our annual list of the best tax software to compare with other top picks for tax preparation.
Ring taxes – are they really free?
advice: Chime Taxes is completely free to use. It’s one of the two solutions we know of that doesn’t have any fees or upsells.
Unlike almost all competitors, Chime Taxes is truly free. There are no upsells, upgrades, premium levels, paid support, or any other fees. It’s 100% free to use.
The only problem is that you need a Chime account to use Chime Taxes. But since Chime is one of our favorite online bank accounts, this is an amazing added value that makes the Chime account even more compelling.
Learn more about Chime’s banking offerings here.
What’s new in 2026?
This is our second year of the Ring Tax Review. Resonate partners with April and Column tax At the back end. These companies do the heavy lifting of calculating your taxes and filing your returns with the IRS, and they continue to support Chime customers again this year.
For 2026, you’ll see major updates to how taxes are calculated due to changes from the IRS and Congress, particularly the “Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which had major impacts on the standard deduction and taxes for small business owners, health insurance, state and local taxes (SALT), and other areas of the tax law.
Regardless, ring taxes will cover most people’s tax situations. And without any fees, it’s a bargain. If you’re not sure about Chime for your taxes, you can check out all our picks for the best tax software here.
Does Ring Make Tax Filing Easy?
For typical tax filing needs, Chime is easy to use. It supports PDF uploads of W-2 forms, and it’s easy to enter 1099 details for a wide range of situations.
If you’re an active stock or cryptocurrency trader, 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 FreeTaxUSA, which supports PDF import of tax information for your brokerage account.
If you have a traditional job and a few basic 1099 numbers, entering your tax details and filing an accurate return should be fairly easy and straightforward.
Top ring tax features
Here are several of the most important features of Chime Taxes to consider if you’re looking to switch:
It’s free tax software
As we mentioned several times above, the best advantage is the cost. It’s free. You’ll never pay to use Chime Taxes, even if you have complex self-employment income, extensive investments, itemized deductions, or anything else.
Even though you can’t get live support, Chime doesn’t try to sell you more expensive services. You should do well if you are generally confident about filing your taxes.
You can access mobile support using the Chime app
warning: Chime Taxes require a Chime bank account and only work through the Chime mobile app.
Some tax software only works on desktop or mobile computers through the web or a downloaded app. Chime Taxes work through the Chime mobile app, which you probably already have installed if you have Chime for banking.
Broad support for common tax positions
Chime Taxes can handle the most common tax situations, including W-2 and 1099 income, investments, and almost any deduction or credit. Investments include taxable stock market accounts, cryptocurrency accounts, and retirement accounts.
Related to:
How do taxes work on cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin?
Disadvantages of ring taxes
Although it’s free, Chime Taxes isn’t as easy to use as some of its leading competitors.
Less automatic tax data
Some competing apps provide an easier experience when you need to import a lot of data, such as importing PDF files for all your 1099 accounts or connecting to banking and investment accounts to automatically download tax data.
A small number of unsupported cases
Some situations, including filing taxes in multiple states, non-resident tax returns, adoption credits, and taxable refunds reported on Form 1099-G, may not be supported.
While this may not apply to most tax filers, some people (such as those in New York and New Jersey) may need to file in multiple states.
Are there any fees?
Chime Taxes has a simple pricing and plan structure. If you have a Chime account, it’s free. That’s it!
How do ring taxes compare?
The only other free tax software we know of is Cash App Taxes. Credit Karma Tax was previously owned by Square, the popular payments provider and the company behind Cash App.
Here’s a list of Cash App Taxes’ features, as well as some of the leading paid tax software options:
head |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Free+ (other imports also available) | ||||
Dependent care discounts | ||||
Retirement income (SS, pensions, etc.) | ||||
Included for free, all others must upgrade) | Contact our tax filing partners | |||
cell |
What support does it provide?
Support is very limited with Chime Taxes. It is primarily a self-service application. There are no upgrades to premium technical support or tax advice. You’re basically on your own and should plan to follow the built-in guides and third-party tax resources if you use Chime Taxes.
Is it safe and secure?
Chime and its backend providers use industry best practices to keep your data secure. As with any online financial application, it is essential that you use a unique password and follow other cybersecurity best practices, such as using reliable virus scanning software and keeping your system up to date, to ensure the safest experience possible.
Why should you trust us?
The College Investor team has spent years reviewing all of the best tax filing options, and our team has personal experience with the majority of tax software tools. I’ve been the leading tax software reviewer since 2022, and have compared most of the major companies on the market.
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 detailed reviews and videos for all the major tax preparation companies, Which you can find on our YouTube channel.
We do taxes and want a good deal, just like you. We work hard to provide informed, honest opinions about every product we test.
How was this product tested?
We’ve reviewed the features and capabilities of Chime Taxes and investigated backend software providers to get a complete and complete view of how Chime Taxes works.
We’ve also validated our pricing and support options and compared them to new offerings from competitors.
Is it worth it?
If you already have bank accounts with Chime and need to file tax returns directly, 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 do business with Chime, you need to decide if free tax preparation makes it worth the subscription. We love Chime anyway, but deciding to sign up for a new account isn’t easy for everyone. Remember, it is not necessary to make the primary bank the one that uses Chime Taxes.
Common questions
Here are some frequently asked questions about ring taxes:
Are ring taxes free?
Chime Taxes is free for all users. There are no paid upgrades or levels. All tax statuses are included.
Can Chime Taxes help me file my cryptocurrency investments?
Yes, Chime supports investments, incl Cryptocurrencies. For complex cryptocurrency accounts and wallets, you may need third-party software like CoinTracker.
Does Chime offer cash back advance loans?
Chime Taxes does not offer advance cash back loans. However, due to the nature of direct deposit setups, you may be able to access your refund up to six days earlier than traditional banks.
