TurboTax Expert Assist Basic: How It Works and What's Included
TurboTax Expert Assist Basic covers simple Form 1040 returns and adds unlimited help from a tax expert, plus a final review of your return before you file. Here's how it works, which tax forms it covers, and what you need to get started.
The One Big Beautiful Bill that passed includes permanently extending tax cuts from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, including increasing the cap on the amount of state and local or sales tax and property tax (SALT) that you can deduct, makes cuts to energy credits passed under the Inflation Reduction Act, makes changes to taxes on tips and overtime for certain workers, reforms Medicaid, increases the Debt ceiling, and reforms Pell Grants and student loans. Updates to this article are in process. Check our One Big Beautiful Bill article for more information.
How does Expert Assist Basic work?
Getting started with Expert Assist Basic is easy.
- Prepare your taxes at your own pace by answering simple questions about your life and taxes.
- Get unlimited expert help one tap away—phone, chat, or one-way video, with screen share so the expert can guide you.
- When you're done, a tax expert reviews your entire return before you file, backed by the Expert Approved Guarantee.
What's included in Expert Assist Basic?
Expert Assist Basic includes:
- Coverage for simple Form 1040 returns: W-2 income; interest and dividends (1099-INT/1099-DIV/1099-OID without Schedule B); the standard deduction; Earned Income Tax Credit; Child Tax Credit; student loan interest; Schedule 1-A deductions for tips, overtime, car loan interest, and seniors (65+); and taxable qualified retirement distributions
- Unlimited, on-demand advice from Intuit tax experts with an average of 13 years' experience
- A final expert review of your entire return before you file
- Doc import and snap-a-photo auto-fill
- Unlimited year-round tax advice on your schedule
Why should I file with Expert Assist Basic?
From answering questions as you go to a final review before you file, our TurboTax Expert Assist experts are ready to help. They'll make sure you file 100% accurately and get your maximum refund—guaranteed.
- Experts answer questions live on your schedule, even nights and weekends during tax season.
- Get advice on how life changes affect your taxes: When you buy a home, have a child, or go through any other big change in your life, it might affect your taxes. We'll tell you how and make sure you get any new deductions you qualify for.
- File with total confidence: A tax expert performs a final review of your entire return before you file to make sure your taxes get done right.
How do I know my return is accurate?
Before you file, a tax expert reviews your entire return.
100% Accurate Calculations Guarantee
If you pay an IRS or state penalty or interest because of a TurboTax calculation error, we'll pay you the penalty and interest. Limitations apply. See Terms of Service for details.
100% Accurate, Expert-Approved Guarantee
If you pay an IRS or state penalty (or interest) because of an error that a TurboTax tax expert made while providing topic-specific tax advice, a section review, or acting as a signed preparer for your return, we'll pay you the penalty and interest. Limitations apply. See Terms of Service for details.
Tax Return Lifetime Guarantee
A combination of coverage including 100% accurate calculations, audit support and a maximum refund. All guaranteed for the full 7-year life of your tax return. Excludes TurboTax Expert Assist Business and TurboTax Expert Full Service Business. See Terms of Service for details.
Audit Support Guarantee
If you receive an audit letter based on your 2025 TurboTax individual or business return, we will provide one-on-one question-and-answer support with a tax professional, if requested through our Audit Support Center, for audited returns filed with these products for the current tax year (2025) and, for individual, non-business returns, for the past two tax years (2024, 2023). This guarantee does not apply to TurboTax Business desktop software. Audit support is informational only. We will not represent you before the IRS or state tax authority or provide legal advice.
If we are not able to connect you to one of our tax professionals, we will refund the applicable TurboTax federal and/or state purchase price paid. (TurboTax Free Edition customers are entitled to payment of $30). Additional limitations apply. See Terms of Service for details.
Maximum Refund Guarantee / Maximum Tax Savings Guarantee - or Your Money Back
If you get a larger refund or smaller tax due from another tax preparation method, we'll refund the applicable TurboTax federal and/or state purchase price paid. (TurboTax Online Free Edition customers are entitled to payment of $30.) Limitations apply. See Terms of Service for details.
Satisfaction Guaranteed
You may use TurboTax Online without charge up to the point you decide to print or electronically file your tax return. Printing or electronically filing your return reflects your satisfaction with TurboTax Online, at which time you will be required to pay or register for the product. See Terms of Service for details.
What tax forms does Expert Assist Basic cover?
| Form | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Form 1040 | U.S. Individual Income Tax Return |
| Form W-2 | Wages and Tax Statement |
| Form W-4 | Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate |
| Form 1095-A | Health Insurance Marketplace Statement |
| Form 1098 | Mortgage Interest Statement |
| Form 1098-C | Contributions of Motor Vehicles, Boats and Airplanes |
| Form 1098-E | Student Loan Interest Statement |
| Form 1098-T | Tuition Statement |
| Form 1099-INT* | Interest Income (If 1099-DIV/INT/OID combined is <=$1500) |
| Form 1099-DIV* | Dividends and Distributions (If 1099-DIV/INT/OID combined is <=$1500) |
| Form 1099-OID* | Original Issue Discount (If 1099-DIV/INT/OID combined is <=$1500) |
| Form 1099-G* | Unemployment Income and other government payments (State and Local Refund Only) |
| Form 1099-K | Payment Card and Third Party Network Transactions |
| Form 1099-Q | Payments From Qualified Education Programs |
| Form 1099-R | Distributions From Pensions, Annuities, Retirement, etc. |
| Schedule 1* | Additional Income and Adjustments to Income (Student Loan Interest only) |
| Schedule 1-A | Additional Deductions |
| Schedule 8812 | Additional Child Tax Credit |
| Schedule EIC | Earned Income Credit |
| Schedule LEP | Request for Change in Language Preference |
| Form 1040-ES | Estimated Tax for Individuals |
| Form 1040-V | Payment Vouchers |
| Form 1040-X | Amended U.S. Individual Income Tax Return |
| Form 1310 | Statement of Person Claiming Refund Due a Deceased Taxpayer |
| Form 14039 | Identity Theft Affidavit |
| Form 2120 | Multiple Support Declaration |
| Form 2210/2210AI | Underpayment of Tax/Annualized Income |
| Form 4506 | Request for Copy of Tax Form |
| Form 4547 | Trump Account Election(s) |
| Form 4852 | Substitute for Form W-2 or 1099-R |
| Form 4868 | Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File |
| Form 8332 | Release of Claim to Exemption for Child of Divorced or Separated Parents |
| Form 8379 | Injured Spouse Allocation |
| Form 8453 | U.S. Individual Income Tax Transmittal for an IRS E-File Return |
| Form 8822 | Change of Address |
| Form 8857 | Request for Innocent Spouse Relief |
| Form 8862 | Information to Claim Certain Refundable Credits After Disallowance |
| Form 8888 | Direct Deposit of Refund |
| Form 9465 | Installment Agreement Request |
* Only a portion of the form or schedule may be covered.
Frequently asked questions
What situations are covered by TurboTax Free Edition?
TurboTax Free Edition is for simple Form 1040 returns only. These situations are covered:
- W-2 income
- Interest, dividends or original issue discounts (1099-INT/1099-DIV/1099-OID) that don't require filing a Schedule B
- IRS standard deduction
- Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
- Child Tax Credit (CTC)
- Student loan interest deduction
- Schedule 1-A deductions for qualified tips, overtime pay, car loan interest, and seniors (65+)
- Taxable qualified retirement plan distributions
What are the differences between TurboTax Expert Assist and TurboTax Expert Full Service?
With Expert Assist, a team of tax experts is available to provide you with unlimited answers and advice as you do your taxes, and can review your return before you file.
With Expert Full Service, you're matched to a dedicated tax expert who will do your taxes, start to finish, and review them with you before filing. Where available, you will have the option to work with a local expert in person. You may see this option after starting with Expert Full Service if it's available in your area.
What qualifications do the tax experts have?
Our US-based tax experts have extensive experience and training. They can handle all kinds of tax situations, from simple to complex and are always up-to-date on all the latest tax laws, from crypto to side gigs and new government credits. They'll guarantee your taxes are done 100% right, with every dollar you deserve.
I filed with someone else last year—can an expert review my prior year return?
Yes. If you filed elsewhere last year, an expert can review the prior year return at no additional cost to check for anything you may have missed.
