Use your free TurboTax filing with QuickBooks Self-Employed

by Intuit •

1 •

Updated 8/26/2026 12:46

Learn how to start your tax return from QuickBooks Self-Employed, so your subscription covers your TurboTax filing fees.

Your QuickBooks Self-Employed Tax Bundle covers the cost of filing one federal return and one state return with TurboTax. But the order you do things in matters. You have to send your tax info from QuickBooks Self-Employed first. If you start your return in TurboTax instead, you'll be asked to pay the regular filing price.

Here's why that happens, how to send your info the right way, and what to do if you already started in TurboTax.

Note: This article is for customers in the United States with an active QuickBooks Self-Employed Tax Bundle or Live Bundle.If you have a standalone QuickBooks Self-Employed subscription, you can still send your tax info to TurboTax, but your filing fees aren't covered. You'll pay the regular TurboTax price.

Why am I being charged for TurboTax?

Your bundle discount is applied when TurboTax recognizes the connection between your two accounts. TurboTax can only make that connection when you start your return by sending your info from QuickBooks Self-Employed. If TurboTax doesn't see that connection, it charges the regular filing price.

There are two common reasons you're seeing a charge:

You started your return in TurboTax first. Sending your data afterward won't apply the bundle price to a return that's already started.
Your sign-in info doesn't match. Your QuickBooks Self-Employed and TurboTax accounts need to use the same Intuit account to connect.

What you'll need

An active QuickBooks Self-Employed Tax Bundle or Live Bundle subscription.
The same Intuit account sign-in info for both QuickBooks Self-Employed and TurboTax.
A tax return you haven't started yet in TurboTax.
Your transactions reviewed and categorized in QuickBooks Self-Employed.

How do I send my tax info to TurboTax?

Start from QuickBooks Self-Employed every time. Don't open or start anything in TurboTax first.

Review your tax checklist

Sign in to QuickBooks Self-Employed.
Select Home.
Select the Tax checklist link next to your profile icon.
Select a task on the list. This takes you to the task so you can finish reviewing your data.
Finish the tasks on the tax checklist.

Send your info to TurboTax

Select Download reports and save them to your computer. You may need this info to check certain areas in TurboTax.
Select Send to TurboTax.
Review your TurboTax sign-in info. Make sure the email address is the one you use for TurboTax.
When you're ready, select Send to TurboTax again.
Choose whether to send your info to TurboTax Self-Employed or TurboTax Live.

Note: Even if your sign-in info is the same, you may still need to sign in to TurboTax. If you don't have a TurboTax account yet, we'll help you create one.

QuickBooks connects to and opens TurboTax with your data and your bundle price applied. For the full walkthrough, including how to review your info once it lands in TurboTax, see Send QuickBooks Self-Employed tax info to TurboTax Self-Employed or Live.

What if I already started my return in TurboTax?

You can still get your bundle price, but you need to clear out the return you started and begin again from QuickBooks Self-Employed.

In TurboTax, clear the return you started.
Open a new private or incognito browser window. This keeps your old session from carrying over.
Sign in to QuickBooks Self-Employed in that new window.
Follow the steps in this article to send your tax info to TurboTax.

What if my QuickBooks and TurboTax sign-ins are different?

Both accounts need the same sign-in info to connect. If yours are different, you have three options:

Keep using your QuickBooks Self-Employed account, and let us create a matching TurboTax account for you.
Move your data into whichever account you want to keep.
Keep both accounts, and enter your info in TurboTax yourself.

For the steps for each option, see Send QuickBooks Self-Employed tax data to TurboTax Self-Employed using different sign-in info.

Note: Changing the sign-in info on one account to match the other won't connect your accounts on its own.

If you want to keep both accounts and you pay for the bundle, contact us. We can send you a one-time code to use on the TurboTax payment page so you're not charged twice.

What does my bundle cover?

When you send your info from QuickBooks Self-Employed first, your subscription covers:

One federal tax return.
One state tax return.

Added services and upgrades you choose in TurboTax aren't included in your bundle. You pay for those separately.

What if I was already charged?

If you already paid TurboTax filing fees that your bundle should have covered, contact us. We'll look at your account and your TurboTax order, and let you know what we can do.

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