Free Tax Filing in Minnesota: Programs, Deadlines, and Eligibility

If your adjusted gross income is $89,000 or less, you can file both your federal and Minnesota state returns at no cost through IRS Free File software linked on the Department of Revenue’s website. Free tax filing in Minnesota is also available in person through volunteer-staffed sites, through a program for taxpayers 60 and older, and through MilTax for active-duty military families with no income limit at all.¹

Who Qualifies for Free Filing

The $89,000 AGI ceiling applies to the 2025 tax year, filed in 2026, and covers the great majority of Minnesota households.² The Department of Revenue confirms the same cutoff for free state filing through its Free File partners.³

Within that overall ceiling, each software partner sets its own narrower window. Some accept returns only from filers earning $51,000 or less; others restrict access by age or require you to qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit. Active-duty service members qualify for multiple Free File products up to the full $89,000 regardless of other restrictions.¹

Earn more than $89,000? You can still e-file federally for free using IRS Free File Fillable Forms, but those forms offer no guided help and assume you can prepare the return yourself.

One boundary worth knowing: some Free File products don’t support part-year resident or nonresident Minnesota returns. Check each product’s requirements before you start so you don’t have to abandon a half-finished return.

The Free Programs Available

IRS Free File Software

The Department of Revenue’s free electronic filing page lists Free File partners that handle both the federal and Minnesota returns. For the most recent filing season those include:

1040NOW — AGI of $32,000 or less
FreeTaxUSA and OnLine Taxes — AGI of $51,000 or less
1040.com — AGI of $18,100 to $89,000
FreeFile — AGI of $19,000 to $89,000 for filers 67 or younger, or anyone qualifying for the Earned Income Tax Credit¹

Each product walks you through the return question by question and handles Minnesota-specific items like the Working Family Credit and the K-12 Education Subtraction. Access them through the Department of Revenue’s link rather than going straight to the software company’s own site, which may route you into a paid version.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA)

VITA puts an IRS-certified volunteer across the table from you and handles your return at no charge. The program serves people who generally earn $69,000 or less, people with disabilities, and taxpayers with limited English proficiency.⁴ Individual sites in Minnesota may set lower income limits, so confirm when you schedule. The volunteer prepares and e-files the return for you.

Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE)

TCE is open to anyone 60 or older with no income limit, and the volunteers specialize in retirement income, pensions, and Social Security.⁵ AARP Tax-Aide is the largest TCE provider and runs sites across Minnesota during filing season.

MilTax

Active-duty service members, qualifying reservists, and their families can use MilTax to e-file a federal return and up to five state returns for free, with no income cap.⁶ It also includes consultants who handle military-specific issues like combat zone exclusions and PCS moves.

What to Have Ready Before You Start

Whether you’re using software at home or walking into a VITA site, gather these first:

A Social Security Number or ITIN for everyone on the return, including dependents
W-2s from every employer and any 1099 forms for freelance income, interest, dividends, retirement distributions, or government payments
Your Certificate of Rent Paid (CRP) from your landlord, or your property tax statement if you own, for Form M1PR
Records for the Minnesota Child Tax Credit and Working Family Credit, including household size and earned income, plus receipts for qualifying K-12 education expenses if you’re claiming that subtraction or credit⁷
Your bank’s routing number and your account number for direct deposit
Your 2024 return, which some e-file systems use to verify your identity via prior-year AGI

Transposed Social Security Numbers and wrong bank account digits are the two most common reasons refunds get delayed. Check each number twice before you submit.

Deadlines to Know

The 2025 Minnesota individual income tax return (Form M1) is due April 15, 2026.³ If you can’t file by then, Minnesota grants an automatic extension to October 15, 2026, with no form to submit.⁸

That extension covers filing only, not payment. Any tax you owe is still due April 15, and anything unpaid after that date starts collecting penalties and interest.

The property tax refund (Form M1PR) runs on a separate calendar. It’s due August 15, and you have up to one year after that date to file.⁹

If You File or Pay Late

The 2026 penalty structure for an unpaid or unfiled Minnesota return:

Late payment penalty of 4% of the unpaid tax if you don’t pay by April 15
Late filing penalty of an additional 5% if you file after October 15, 2026
Extended delinquency penalty of another 5% if the balance is still unpaid 180 days after filing
Interest at 7% per year on unpaid tax and penalties, calculated daily from April 15¹⁰

There’s a safe harbor worth using. Minnesota waives the late payment penalty entirely if you pay at least 90% of your total tax by April 15 and then file and pay the rest by October 15.⁸ Interest still runs on anything paid after April 15, but avoiding the 4% penalty is reason enough to send that 90% payment even if your return isn’t ready.

The Property Tax Refund Is Separate and Also Free

Minnesota’s property tax refund uses Form M1PR, not your income tax return. Homeowners qualify if their household income for 2025 was less than $142,490.¹¹ Renters have their own, generally lower, income thresholds. Both programs weigh your property taxes or rent paid against your household income.

You can file Form M1PR through the same free software you use for your income tax return, or file it on its own later in the year. The August 15 deadline with a one-year grace window catches a lot of eligible renters off guard, so check even if your income is modest.⁹

1
Minnesota Department of Revenue. Free Electronic Filing
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Internal Revenue Service. E-file: Do Your Taxes for Free
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Minnesota Department of Revenue. File an Income Tax Return
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Internal Revenue Service. Free Tax Return Preparation for Qualifying Taxpayers
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Internal Revenue Service. Tax Counseling for the Elderly
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Internal Revenue Service. Military Personnel and Their Families Have Filing Options and Resources
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Minnesota Department of Revenue. Minnesota Child and Working Family Credits
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Minnesota Department of Revenue. Filing After the Due Date
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Minnesota Department of Revenue. Filing for a Property Tax Refund
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Minnesota Department of Revenue. Calculating Penalty and Interest
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Minnesota Department of Revenue. Homeowner’s Homestead Credit Refund