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Accounting · head to head

Empower vs IRS2Go

Empower logo

Empower

Accounting

All your finances. One app.

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
IRS2Go logo

IRS2Go

Personal Finance

The official free mobile app of the US Internal Revenue Service for refund status and basic tax tools

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only IRS2Go has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Empower specific advisory fees not published; Form ADV consultation required; IRS2Go it only covers federal IRS matters, so it is no help for state tax filing or refund status, which is a separate system in every state.
  • They diverge on capability: Empower covers Net worth tracking, IRS2Go covers Refund status.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Empower and IRS2Go actually diverge.

Attributes where Empower and IRS2Go differ
AttributeEmpowerIRS2Go
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquoteFree government app, no payment of any kind
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidiOS, Android
CategoryAccountingPersonal Finance
Founded2009Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Empower

  • Net worth tracking
  • Investment tracking
  • Retirement planner
  • Cash flow
  • 401k fee analyzer
  • Bank connections
  • Brokerage accounts
  • SOC 2

Only in IRS2Go

  • Refund status
  • IRS Direct Pay
  • Free File links
  • VITA and TCE locator
  • Security alerts
  • Multilingual support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Empower

  • Wealth trackingnot IRS2Go
  • Retirement planningnot IRS2Go
  • Investment analysisnot IRS2Go

IRS2Go

  • Checking the status of a federal tax refund after filingnot Empower
  • Making an IRS tax payment or setting up a payment plan from a phonenot Empower
  • Finding a free in-person tax preparation site for eligible taxpayersnot Empower
  • Verifying whether an IRS-related message or call is a known scam patternnot Empower

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Empower

  • Specific advisory fees not published; Form ADV consultation required
  • High minimum investment thresholds ($100,000 for Personal Strategy)
  • Detailed fee structure available only in Form ADV documents

IRS2Go

  • It only covers federal IRS matters, so it is no help for state tax filing or refund status, which is a separate system in every state.
  • Refund status information is not real time and can lag actual processing, which frequently confuses users expecting instant updates.
  • It is not a full tax filing tool, so users still need separate tax preparation software or a preparer to actually file a return.
  • Its usefulness is entirely seasonal, concentrated around the US tax filing period each year, with little reason to open it the rest of the time.
  • As with any official government app, it has been targeted by lookalike phishing apps and messages impersonating it, so users need to confirm they have the genuine IRS-published app.

Pricing, plan by plan

Empower

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Empower review.

IRS2Go

Free
  • FreeFree
    • No ads, no in-app purchases, no subscription

Which should you pick?

Choose Empower if

  • You need net worth tracking.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want investment tracking.
Empower review

Choose IRS2Go if

  • You need refund status.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android.
  • You also want irs direct pay.
IRS2Go review

Questions people ask

Is Empower or IRS2Go better?
Neither clearly leads. Empower starts at On request and IRS2Go at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Empower or IRS2Go?
IRS2Go has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Empower and Free for IRS2Go.
Does Empower or IRS2Go run on more platforms?
Empower runs on Web, Ios, Android. IRS2Go runs on iOS, Android.
Can I use IRS2Go for free?
Yes. IRS2Go has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Empower starts at On request.
What is Empower best used for?
Empower is most often used for wealth tracking, retirement planning, investment analysis. Of those, wealth tracking and retirement planning are not what IRS2Go is typically brought in for.
What can Empower do that IRS2Go cannot?
Empower covers Net worth tracking, Investment tracking, Retirement planner, Cash flow. IRS2Go covers Refund status, IRS Direct Pay, Free File links, VITA and TCE locator.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Empower: Does Empower have a minimum investment requirement?

Empower's advisory services require different minimums based on service level. Personal Strategy advisory requires a minimum of $100,000 in investable assets. Private Client services require $1,000,000 or more.

Source
IRS2Go: Does IRS2Go cost anything?

No, it is a free US government app with no payment, ads or subscription of any kind.

Empower: How are Empower's advisory fees calculated?

Advisory fees are calculated based on the amount of assets being managed under advice. Specific fee rates are not disclosed on the homepage.

Source
IRS2Go: Can I file my full tax return in IRS2Go?

No, it links to Free File partner software and other resources but is not itself a full tax filing product.

Empower: Is the high-yield cash account free?

Yes. Empower's high-yield cash account has no account fees and no minimum balance required.

Source
IRS2Go: Does it work for state tax refunds?

No, it only covers federal IRS refund status and payments, not state tax systems.

Empower: Are there fees for stock and ETF trading?

Empower offers commission-free trading for stocks and ETFs with low fees.

Source
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