The Finance Base / AI tax assistants / TelosTax
telostax.app
TelosTax
TelosTax is a browser-based tax app for personal filers preparing federal and state returns for 2025. Features include importing documents, finding deductions and receiving AI guidance, alongside Form 1040 schedules and supplemental forms. The project offers a free open-source plan, while its…
Visit telostax.app ↗ What it costs
- 8.5 No. 4on AI tax assistants
- Free planprice, as published
- Oct 3, 2026read on
What TelosTax costs
- Free Free
The project offers a free open-source plan, and its maker does not list other plan prices.
As github.com publishes them, read Oct 3, 2026. Fees, tax and exchange rates can differ when you pay; check the provider's own page first.
Its statement
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- Not stated
- Runs on
- iPhone Android Web Windows · Mac · Linux
- Facts on record
- 22
Strengths and limits
Strengths
- Free open-source plan for 2025 tax preparation
- Federal and state filing capabilities with calculations listed for each state and Washington, DC
- Document importing, deduction discovery and AI guidance
- Offline-capable installation on desktop and mobile
- AES-256-GCM encryption reported for stored data
Limits
- Federal scope is for tax year 2025
- Estimated coverage is approximately 85% to 90% of individual filers
- Optional AI depends on the user's Anthropic API key
- The maker does not publish paid-plan pricing
What TelosTax does
For personal filers, TelosTax handles federal and state tax preparation for 2025 through an open-source engine. Listed capabilities include AI guidance, document import and deduction finding.
Its feature list exceeds 90 items and is intended to address roughly 85% to 90% of individual filers. Form 1040 support covers Schedules A through H, SE and D, along with more than 30 supplemental forms.
Fees and plans
The project presents TelosTax as free open-source tax software for the 2025 tax year.
No plan prices appear on the maker's site. The supplied information states no other filing, transaction or service fee. Optional AI use requires the user's own Anthropic API key, so Anthropic usage is not priced here.
Where it runs
TelosTax runs in a browser and is listed for web, Android, iPhone, Linux, macOS and Windows.
The repository characterizes it as offline-capable and installable on desktop and mobile. The published facts do not describe separate limits for phone use.
Protection and rules, as published
Private Mode is described as operating entirely offline. In optional BYOK Mode, the user's Anthropic API key powers AI chat, expense scanning and document extraction; the project says personally identifiable information is removed before transmission.
According to the project, tax data at rest uses AES-256-GCM encryption. The calculation layer is described as a standalone pure-function library without database access or network calls.
The project says its computations trace back to the Internal Revenue Code, Treasury Regulations, Revenue Procedures or IRS form instructions. It identifies TelosTax as a free, open-source Telos News project under the MIT license.
Strengths
A free plan brings together document importing, deduction discovery and AI tax guidance. The product comparison page indicates federal and state filing, while the project lists calculations for every state and Washington, DC, plus auto-populated mappings for 41 IRS and 43 state PDF templates.
Offline operation, installation on desktop and mobile, and published links to tax authorities' materials give the project a defined technical and legal scope.
Catches
The scope matrix is for federal tax year 2025. Estimated coverage is about 85% to 90% of individual filers, meaning some taxpayer situations are outside it.
AI through BYOK requires a user-provided Anthropic API key. The maker publishes no prices beyond the free-plan statement, and the supplied information does not specify filing limits, countries beyond the listed US coverage, or processing holds.
Who should skip TelosTax
TelosTax may be unsuitable for businesses, taxpayers beyond its stated US federal and state scope, or anyone who needs a tax year other than 2025. It may also be a poor fit for people unwilling to provide an Anthropic key for optional AI features.
Verdict
TelosTax fits personal filers seeking free, open-source 2025 tax software with extensive Form 1040 coverage, state calculations, document handling and optional AI assistance. Offline modes plus desktop and mobile availability add flexibility.
It is less suitable for returns outside the stated coverage, another tax year, or readers seeking published paid-plan details. Optional AI work still relies on the user's Anthropic API key.
Who it suits
Pick it if
- Personal filers with 2025 US returns
- People seeking offline or installable tax software
- Users wanting optional AI assistance and document importing
Skip it if
- You need a tax year other than 2025
- You file a business return or fall outside the stated personal-filer scope
- You prefer not to provide an Anthropic API key for optional AI features
Facts we read
- AI integrationOptional AI features use a user-supplied Anthropic API key. · github.com, Oct 3, 2026
- AvailabilityThe repository describes the app as offline-capable and installable on desktop and mobile. · github.com, Oct 3, 2026
- Calculation engineThe tax engine is described as a standalone pure-function library with no database access or network calls in its calculation layer. · github.com, Oct 3, 2026
- DeductionsTelosTax lists deduction finding as a feature. · techyorker.com, Oct 3, 2026
- Document importTelosTax lists document import as a feature. · techyorker.com, Oct 3, 2026
- EncryptionThe project states that tax data is encrypted at rest with AES-256-GCM. · github.com, Oct 3, 2026
- Federal formsIt supports Form 1040 with Schedules A–H, SE, and D, plus more than 30 supplemental forms. · github.com, Oct 3, 2026
- Filing supportTelosTax supports federal and state filing, according to the product comparison page. · techyorker.com, Oct 3, 2026
- Free planTelosTax has a free plan. · techyorker.com, Oct 3, 2026
- Legal traceabilityThe project says computations are traced to the Internal Revenue Code, Treasury Regulations, Revenue Procedures, or IRS form instructions. · github.com, Oct 3, 2026
- License and makerThe repository identifies TelosTax as a free, open-source project from Telos News and lists an MIT license. · github.com, Oct 3, 2026
- PDF formsIt lists 41 IRS PDF templates and 43 state PDF templates with auto-populated field mapping. · github.com, Oct 3, 2026
- PlatformsTelosTax runs on web, Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone and iPad, and Android. · techyorker.com, Oct 3, 2026
- PricingThe maker does not publish plan prices on its site. · techyorker.com, Oct 3, 2026
On these lists
Use instead
Questions
Is there a charge to use TelosTax?
TelosTax is described as free open-source tax software for federal tax year 2025. The maker lists no other plan prices.
For which tax year is TelosTax available?
Its published scope matrix covers federal tax year 2025.
Are state filings supported?
The product comparison page indicates federal and state filing. The project also lists tax calculations for all 50 states and Washington, DC.
Does it work without an internet connection?
Private Mode is described as fully offline, and the repository calls the app offline-capable and installable on desktop and mobile.
What is needed for BYOK Mode?
Optional BYOK Mode uses the user's Anthropic API key for AI chat, expense scanning and document extraction. The project says personally identifiable information is stripped before transmission.
Which tax forms are covered?
Form 1040 support includes Schedules A through H, SE and D, with more than 30 supplemental forms. The project also lists 41 IRS and 43 state PDF templates with auto-populated field mapping.
Is TelosTax yours?
Claim it for free to correct a fact, and see the places you can buy on The Finance Base.