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The Best Tax Day Food Deals & Freebies

There’s a lot of reasons to love spring. Light and fresh spring flavors sprout, floral patterns take over our dishware, and pastel tote bags return to the shelves of Trader Joe’s. But then there’s spring allergies and, oh yeah, Tax Day. April 15 isn’t generally a day to celebrate, but a few fast food chains and companies are looking to ease the pain with some Tax Day food deals. Check out where you can snag a discount or a free item for this year’s Tax Day.

BJ’s

If cooking sounds like the last thing you want to be doing on Tax Day, BJ’s has got you covered with a takeout and delivery deal. If your order totals more than $40, you’ll get $10 off. That’s a free Pizookie and change, people. 

Paris Baguette

If you need coffee on April 15, because it’s Tax Day or just because mornings suck, pop by Paris Baguette because they’re handing out a free pastry with a coffee purchase. This deal is for rewards members, which just means you should sign up now in preparation for a free treat. You could say it’s a pretty sweet deal.

California Tortilla

Three words. Free, chips, and queso. Roll up to California Tortilla (in-person or online) on Tax Day, make a purchase, and when it comes time to pay, say “Government cheese” (no, I’m not joking) or enter the code GOVCHEESE. It might feel like you’re entering a secret society, but really you’re just unlocking free chips and queso.

Potbelly

If you’re wanting a sandwich to satiate you on Tax Day, look no further than Potbelly. If you buy an Original or Big sandwich, you can get another Original sandwich for free. You can’t go wrong with a BOGO. 

Portillo’s

Maybe what you need is a good deal to snack on before Tax Day, in which case Portillo’s has you covered. When Portillo’s rewards members spend more than $5, they can pick up a piece of cake for $1 (normally about $4) between April 13 and 15. “Let them eat cake” can’t be an appropriate thing to say on Tax Day, but we’ll take the $1 slice. 

White Castle

Slide on over to the slider kings at White Castle around Tax Day (virtually, anyways) for 15% off your meal. All you have to do is type in WC15OFF when ordering between April 13 and 17. If you feel like your pockets are a little light after April 15, this might be the ideal deal.

Smoothie King

Do not, I repeat, do not sign up for Smoothie King’s rewards program…yet. If you sign up on April 15, you get a $3 coupon to spend as you please. And the best part is, you don’t need to spend at least x dollars to nab the coupon. 

Qdoba

Have you ever been personally victimized by being forced to pay for guacamole? If so (in honor of Tax Day), Qdoba is asking you to report the crime of paying for guac in a survey by the end of Tax Day. In exchange, they’ll give you “Guac Relief.” AKA $5 off your next entree at Qdoba from 4/20 to 4/26. 

Grubhub

While not necessarily free food, Grubhub is running a Tax Day-themed sweepstakes. You just have to submit an image of a receipt proving you paid delivery fees on a purchase from any food delivery app (not just Grubhub) by the end of April 15. The prize will be a Grubhub credit worth $20. 

Keep your eyes peeled for other deals

This list is not exhaustive. There are probably other deals on the way—a few speculated include Burger King, Krispy Kreme, and Papa Johns—so keep an eye out. You deserve the discount!

Sarah Leberknight was the Fall 2025 Spoon Editorial Intern, and has been writing for the National Writer Program since 2024. She covers food on all fronts, hoping to write articles that make you hungry for a snack, and loves to tackle divisive opinions on your favorite foods.

Sarah is a senior at Virginia Tech, where she juggles 3 majors—English Literature, Creative Writing, and Professional and Technical Writing. She writes for VT’s Collegiate Times newspaper as an opinions columnist, spouting her thoughts on women’s soccer, college, and anything else she has a say on. Her work has also appeared in VT News and Trill Mag, where she interned for 6 months as an entertainment writer and is now interning as an editor. She previously interned at Sneak Peek Books as a book reviewer.

When Sarah’s not writing professionally or for school, she’s still writing. Short stories, a novel trilogy, and novellas—she does it all. Except poems. And if she actually isn’t writing, she’s playing video games or watching other people play video games. She can’t get enough of the Legend of Zelda.